The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles readalong 2025 - Part 2

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello all, and welcome to Part 2. We Continue our CC journey.

For anyone who has not already had the pleasure, the annual Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles read along is a real time annual MN tradition.
The Christmas Chronicles (Notes, stories and 100 essential recipes for midwinter) book began on 1st November.

We continue to read along and comment with the book which is set out in diary form. I will make a post each day (or let you know if there is no entry on a particular day)

Some regulars to the thread already have the book. For anyone new, it's a challenge to see of you can pick up a bargain. Vinted has come up trumps in the past, as has ebay. A rare and precious charity shop find is always a bonus. Don't forget, you can also listen along to Nigel's dulcet tones via Audible.

So, welcome to old friends and new, and don't forget that reading by candle light is particularly enjoyable. Cire Trudon may be one of Nige's candles of choice, but it's somewhat pricey. We don't discriminate against other less expensive brands - even if they are NVN (Not Very Nigel)

Pull up a chair, light a candle, grab a cosy blanket and join in!

Oh, the vaults! I’d forgotten about those. So fascinating that even these days, when the experts think they have everything planned and under control, they can be taken completely by surprise by something unexpected. I remember seeing a news item about those vaults and they had not a clue they were there.

I do have to admit that a part of me (also a history background here) feels a bit wistful that so many centuries of Smithfield being in that place will be gone. I often walked through it to go to one of my workplaces and it’s a fascinating corner of London.

I love those pots and have them all (and the crackers) as they were reduced after Christmas. I've ordered some of the Pots of Enchantment this time from the BF sale. As some others have said, my TK Maxx never have St Eval sadly (apart from a couple of chipped pots I found a few weeks ago)

BTW, the St Eval BF sale is still on. Here's a link to the sale page for anyone interested:

https://www.st-eval.com/collections/black-friday-2025

That Tudor heart is a beauty. I would love to see it in person some time.

We had a VN night last night in that the entertainment was very “real” and folksy. Set in a local church’s festival, folk singers accompanied acrobats, jugglers and magicians in telling a tale from the bible. All followed by some very funny clowning in the style of the black and white movies.

Agree about Smithfield @Hendiadys, have you read Peter Ackroyd's London: A Biography? All London history radiates outwards from Smithfield in that. One of my favourite memories is walking through Smithfield market at about 2 a.m. after a night out and all the floats for next day's Lord Mayor's Show were stored there - incredibly atmospheric, if only we'd had camera phones in those days...

That sounds brilliant @Bimblesalong , I love things like that. We have some beautiful events coming up locally but I can never squeeze them into the schedule, very sad. Maybe next year.

Two choir events and a choir practice today, better get cracking with the hot honey and lemon!

@leporello I haven’t read the Ackroyd so thanks for the recommendation - may I recommend in turn Gillian Tindall's wonderful 'The Tunnel Through Time', which traces the route of the Crossrail line, including Smithfield, and uncovers the ancient history around it. I love all her books about London's history: a wonderful writer. Sadly she died in October.

Oh, that sounds great, @Hendiadys , one good recommendation deserves another!

Testing our apricot brandy (we’ve already accepted we’ll need to make another batch for Christmas as it’s so yum!) after picking sloe berries. Feeling VN for once. And that we might need to buy some new glasses for small jewel colours drinks!

@Bimblesalong that looks amazing! I must look for it, see if it tours in my direction. I love churches/cathedrals being used for wider events, but do appreciate a biblical theme!

I saw the Threads exhibition locally, huge tapestry/collages illustrating the whole bible. I have photos which I’ll try and post, but would need to swap devices to achieve it 🤣

@LatteLady I love fresh herbs but have a huge aversion to dried herbs. I see recipes for pasta sauce regularly that 'adding a heaped teaspoon of fried mixed herbs really brings out the flavour' and I think "Hmm. Adding a heaped teaspoon of mixed dried herbs surely kills the flavour" They all just smell overpowering and taste of perfume to me. As does Gin.

DD is ill with a sore throat and can't get warm. At least it waited until after her birthday. She still wanted to go to market this morning so we did, and then did some quick honey deliveries. I've done some Christmassy window decorations and the wreath will be changed from an Autumn to Festive one tomorrow.

Dark, 2 degrees and rain here, so I'm now prepping a dinner and contemplating also cracking open the Apricot Brandy this evening.

Couple of pics from today.

My first week back at work after 3 months off means I have neglected Nigel. Caught up with the thread and will catch up with the book today.
I went to a Christmas light switch on last night so today have had Christmas tunes on whilst pottering.
Short working week for me I’m off for 2 days for dds birthday then our annual Christmas shopping trip with my eldest niece. Hopefully I’ll see if tk Maxx have any candles in.
Loving reading about Christmas market and memories.

Hope you enjoy your week @Brightermornings I've just pressed play on my Audible version of CC and was surprised when I realised I was only up to the 9th November. I'm enjoying a half hour catch up now after finally getting round to sterilising more honey jars which I hate doing. They are in the dishwasher now, but there's literally no way of doing this with hundreds of jars without having to bend and stretch over and over. I drag my perch stool next to the dishwasher, but it's still a PITA.

@GlomOfNit it occurs to me that I cannot remember what you make and sell at market? (Or in fact if I've ever asked) is the Christmas fair this coming weekend? Ours is 6th Dec and I've just realised that's less than two weeks away now.

I am reminded of a (regurgitated) quote from Detectorists that if all the parts of the original Cross were gathered together, that there were would be enough for a thousand crosses. I do love visiting anything historical and religious though. It's fascinating. I am not religious, but I note that an awful lot of my travels have centred around sites of religious interest. Perhaps, deep down, I want to believe in something? Perhaps I am just very curious.

I am not religious, but I note that an awful lot of my travels have centred around sites of religious interest.

There's a TS Eliot quote that this brings to mind: "You are here to kneel where prayer has been valid" - I always think he meant wider spirituality, not just religion.

I think there is a very real sense of the sublime, ineffable, something else. It makes more sense with something than without, if you see what I mean.
I recognise that ‘something’ through the lens of Christianity but I can imagine that’s cultural.

Certainly that ineffable sublime seems to be closer in places where there has been centuries of worship, of some kind.

Anyhoo, Announcement ahoy…..

Quince liqueur is bloomin’ lovely. I just tasted it. I’ve done a bit of a catalogue of presents, including the quince jelly etc., made a list of what’s still to make…

Christmas is a coming!

I make (not enough) jewellery and mosaics from broken china. That feels a bit 'outing' but I suspect that, popular though the Christmas board may be right now, there probably aren't that many lurkers on this thread. I'm absolutely rubbish at marketing it and also doing much with it aside from the two months before Christmas!

I made earrings all morning, then went out into the windy, chilly sunshine to do some more grouting. (It managed to rain on me out of an almost cloudless sky!) After that, and having got the (almost dry!) washing in, I decided I'd earned a coffee somewhere that isn't surrounded by piles of broken roof tiles and chunks of mortar, so headed to the village cafe and had almost the nicest homemade mince pie I've ever had! That flaky buttery pastry was perfection.

@PrizedPickledPopcorn it was a “one off” as a series of performances in Stroud. Some of the aerialists perform in Gifford’s circus and these two were ex cirque de soleil. The clown, Tweedy, was brilliant and is currently touring with his own show.

picture of a glorious morning walk before my drive home.

whoops. There it is! Thrill to the pastry!

Oh I know (of) Tweedy the Scottish clown! We used to have Gifford Circus round here every year - I think they still do several Oxford dates but not a few villages away from us, as they used to. We only went three times I think, but I always loved the creative fliers they used to send in the post, and the imaginative themes for that year's show.

Please share details of your walk it looks lovely and we live nearish Stroud ☺️

On thread one I wrote about being unable to find my copy of the TCC

I searched high and low and I can only presume it's gone to a charity shop (family deny any knowledge of it going into a charity bag).

So, I ordered a new one. It came today and I turned to 25 Novembers entry (no 23/24 entry) and lo and behold Nigel is making his Christmas Cake which is the same day I've got scheduled for making mine. It feels like serendipity.

@ADHDwifeHP we started out near St. Cyr’s church, which has some amazing grave markers /stones, then along the canal for a while. I don’t know the area, so you may be able to come up with a better circular walk!

Just a few of the many tapestry things in Threads, at our cathedral.

I have a ( sort of ) funny story about a Sussex pond pudding .
For those that haven't made one / don't know what it is etc , Its like a suet pudding that the pudding bowl is lined with suet pastry and a whole lemon that has been pricked with a knife / skewer to release the juice and cubed butter / sugar mix inside .
it is then steamed and when cut into you have a cooked lemony buttery sugar sauce inside .All sounds delicious and indulgent yes ?
My attempt , it exploded and whooshed up and hit my kitchen ceiling in a lemony suet buttery mess that took ages to scrape off !

I'd forgotten that quote about the parts of the cross. I do remember thinking whether it was or not, there was something special about a very very old piece or wood. If anything I would describe myself as sort-of pagan, but I think there are elements of truth and good to all (most?) religions and I'm fascinated by what draws people together and makes them feel safety or belonging. I spent one Christmas in Venice, and went to the Christmas Eve midnight mass at St Mark's - that was an incredible (if very long) experience. We'd arrived in snow the day before, but it rained and flooded while we were in the service, so we had to wade back to the apartment, but even that seemed magical.

I had never heard of the London Mithraeum! That is definitely on my list to visit now. I'm in London fairly regularly for work, but have got out of the habit of doing other things there. I think last time I did anything non-worky was a visit to St Bride's Church and the crypt museum.

Some more seasonal music rehearsing for me today, and a lovely, blustery, rainy sunset run (for 'run' read 'cautious jog' as it was my first one in a couple of months post-lurgy).

Some of my churches do a lovely ‘Midnight in Bethlehem’ service. They celebrate the baby when it would be midnight in Bethlehem, which I think is 9pm. I haven’t been to one, but the idea is lovely. I do like the Christmas season. On Sunday there will be a service at the cathedral, starting in darkness, then as the robed choir process through with a candle, the lights spreads through the church. Very atmospheric.

I haven't been able to make my pudding yet because I can't find a plastic pudding basin. My last ones came from Morley's in Tooting, but I'm nowhere near there any more and I think they've gone anyway!
I don't want to use a Pyrex one because it's got to travel on two trains with us and I want to be as light as possible with the luggage.

This is a very first world problem, I know!