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!

You’re welcome. You sound just lovely. Post like these are what I live for.

I haven’t got a real fireplace (yet!) so I put on the Netflix or YouTube fake ones which will tie me over! so will pop that on when I’m reading it under my electric blanket.

Now a very important question. Do I dip in from the date the book gets delivered or start at the beginning 🤦‍♀️

I’ve actually splashed out after pay day and have the audible too 🫣 so I could in theory catch up quicker and then next year do the book with candles properly from the beginning and not half way through.

Ooh the dilemma! 😊

@IlovetoKnitandRead that is miserable for a marzipan-lover! I remembered reading about wartime cakes that were covered in mock-marzipan and there’s a surprising number of people online who’ve made it and say it’s actually very convincing - however it does use almond essence so no good for you, sadly.

I so wish I’d taken pics of the absolutely amazing marzipan fruits I bought years ago from a little chocolate shop in Bruges as a present for my mum - she loved it too (probably why I do) and they were little works of art. You bought them by weight so just asked for your choice. Not crazily expensive though they must have hand-painted them. Bruges is a lovely place to spend time just before Christmas although I suspect NVN.

@ForTheLoveOfGrace I'd start from the beginning, you'll catch up pretty quickly, most of the chapters are quite short.

Thanks @AlicePotteryi’m glad as I hate starting something half way through 👍🏻

Good morning all! I've got this awful cold and feel utterly miserable but we're short staffed at work so I'm getting ready to go in (and playing on MN).

Very frosty and beautiful here this morning. I've been knitting baby things for a friend and thought you might like to see. This is a little bonnet.

@petitpasta love the felting. You should definitely share on the Poncetastic thread. I dona bit of felting but have never trued a picture. An Aurora sky would be amazing. There's a lady at our Sunday Market that sells hers. I must get round to trying it.

@Hendiadys that does sound pants. Ive developed some intolerances over the past few years and its miserable when it includes things you love.

I've just realised that it is our local town's Christmas shopping evening tomorrow. I'm hoping DD is better so that I can go along myself or even take her. We have some lovely independent gift shops and I need to stock up on wool socks. It's on again on Friday night, so at least there's a second chance.

I meant to say @piscofrisco that my sloe gin hasnt had a shake in weeks either. As was evidenced by the dust I've just had to clean off the tops of the bottles. Never mind, they are sleepily steeping and that's good enough for me.

Love the bonnet @DarkEyedSailor (that sounds like some sort of weird chat up line when you read it with your user name!)

Aw, thank you. I used to get some of my photos made into cards and coasters (had a small Etsy shop for a while).

I have discovered that you can in fact get your photos made into advent calendars, including a jigsaw one where the photo is split into pieces, one in each day's box... may revisit those ideas next year!

@RainbowZebraWarrior all the nice girls love a sailor

Here's a link to the Poncetastic thread BTW, in case anyone is interested and doesn't already follow.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5408104-poncetastic-christmas-2025?page=21&reply=148770129

I'm on that thread under a different name - ACrackerAQuackerAndADanishCharm 🎄🎄🎄

It feels a bit strange this year not doing any of the 'must-dos' that I usually hold myself to. And I've never even been one to heap ridiculous expectations onto myself, always keeping it quite low key compared to some. But it's so nice to not feel any pressure at all. The past 6 years have been very challenging in several big and weighty ways, and it took its toll. I'm really grateful to be coming out the other side. 💐 and positive vibes to any of you in the trenches now.

Do you know what? I read an exchange this morning between us from a year ago today where you said you were going to stop holding yourself to 'the expectations of past you' (I paraphrase) and I agreed. We were talking mainly about decorations etc.

I'm pleased to hear you're coming out the other side as I know it's been difficult.

Yes @RainbowZebraWarrior I remember that! This year I decided that I'm not going to do any of the things, even the ones I usually enjoy once I get started, and that's ok. It's been lovely so far! If I'd made myself do the pudding on the correct day it'd just have been a chore. Instead this week I fancied making an Earl Grey tea loaf, so that's what I'm going to do. The dried fruits have soaked in the tea overnight, together with grated apple and orange zest, and I'll bake it this afternoon. It smells beautifully festive.

It’s arrived!! 😘

I’m supposed to be preparing DC bday cheesecake but alas I’m flicking through this and watching Nigel’s Simple Christmas on iPlayer instead - oops! Will set a time limit for now and then curl up with it properly with fake fire later when I’ve finished my to-do list. I’m soooo happy right now! 😊

Lovely Felting. I haven’t felted since last year really-might start again-it’s so relaxing.
Have taken the dogs for their jabs and been to B and M for some paint and that’s about my limit. I’m meant to be going out out in London tomorrow to a very fancy event at which DH is the judge for a sort of Dragons Den thing worth £100k. Ive got a dress and everything! I am so looking forward to it but if I feel this rough I won’t be going :(
Ensconced on the sofa with Dogs feeling sorry for themselves after their jabs, a mug of turmeric and ginger infusion on the go, and a very hot curry in the slow cooker in the hopes of spicing myself back to wellness!

On the upside I’ve broken the back of my Christmas shopping I think! Online anyway. Which is a relief!

Hurrah for the Christmas Chronicles!

Afternoon all
Just catching up with a ginger tea.

I have to admit we get non-traditional advent calendars. We have done picture ones and they are better than some but we have gone over to the dark side with a sort of "escape mystery" calendar, basically each door gives a clue to the next door. A silly mystery to solve. It was the calendar that the then young teens loved most. The (expensive) lego calendar got largely ignored (never again). It was just paper with clues and pictures but they add chocolate into it now, so I then have to get another chocolate one so that everyone gets a chocolate a day. But it's 5/10 minutes for each day in December when they want to be around the table trying to work out a silly puzzle and it's not easy to find things that give you that time with teenagers (not both of them together) that's what I like - not the calendar itself as such (I do prefer the picture ones).

I did a good deed for Christmas today, took grandma into big town and sorted out her presents to the teenagers, it's all she really cares about but always asks me "what to get?" so she is happy, she can relax now it's basically all done for her.

It was quite good fun looking at things in person, much more inspiring than online. A couple of ideas for teenager's bestie (and family). I need to go in alone.

And need to finalise who is coming around when and then a menu of sorts.

I refuse to stress about it all. That doesn't help anyone.

Hope everyone feeling better than this morning.

Right, work has sadly got in the way of posting, together with a highly dubious gift brought in by either Big or Little Stripey, the cats from next door, who dumped a semi fossilised mouse in the middle of the floor and I had to deal with it, I mean do I look like Damien Hirst... although actually as I could not find the dust pan (no judgement, pls) I prodded it onto a sheet of aluminium foil and put it in the black bin for collection tomorrow. It was really EUUUWWW!

I have come up with a genius idea for the office, we will be trialling Christmas cakeage from various stores, starting with Sainsburys, each week of Advent to test them all... there are some very interesting stollen varieties, this year. And yes, I am the office feeder...

Next, I have decided that next weekend I will swap out the everyday china with the Christmas china so I get to use it for a month and I will also be breaking out my lovely Christmas linen, too. On Sunday I will be going to the french florist to be berated by her as we have our annual wreath class, apparently I need to slow down and enjoy the process... but tomorrow, I think I might dry orange slices to enhance my work and to add to wreath number 2, from Sainsburys, which I jazz up with orange and apple slices, cinammon, star anise and eucalyptus... I love a good cheat when it works!

Whoever recommended Val, I have downloaded her for ironing duties, thanks so much, she is an absolute favourite.

And this evening, I need to pick up last year's Advent cowl from Wee County Yarns, which I bought in the sale, so I can start the 2025 mystery KAL on Monday... So I have to go now, as Nigel will be reading to me as I start knitting.

I’ve just made my cake which is still in the oven so the apartment smells lovely. I always use Delia Smith’s recipe, but I had to improvise a bit with the dried fruits as currants are so hard to find here. I ended up making up the weight of the raisins and sultanas with dried cranberries and apricots - which turns out to be inadvertently Nigel, now I’ve caught up with the cake chapter. I’ve fallen a bit behind on my reading so had a bit of a marathon session with a cup of tea once I’d cleared up. I’d forgotten Nigel’s exacting standards when it comes to Christmas markets: I don’t like live jazz bands in markets…I later visit the others, and they are still worth the trip, but a bit craft- led for me. Too much knitting and coloured glass vases. The connection with Christmas often seems arbitrary. He’s such a purist! He has also reminded me of the frankincense and myrrh I picked up in a Berlin market - I must dig them out for a sniff! Attaching a pic of Printemps in Boulevard Haussmann where I found myself yesterday just as the lights came on and a couple of Christmas window displays. It’s quite magical with all the twinkling lights.

I bought a frankincense candle in Aldi, I think. I enjoyed the frankincense and myrrh bit too!

@LatteLady can you explain this please? It sounds intriguing!
“And this evening, I need to pick up last year's Advent cowl from Wee County Yarns, which I bought in the sale, so I can start the 2025 mystery KAL on Monday... So I have to go now, as Nigel will be reading to me as I start knitting.”

My friend gave me a sock kit today- pattern, yarn and teeny circular needles!

@PrizedPickledPopcorn They are a brilliant Scots knitting company and I order a calendar most years but did not buy the 2024 until the summer. You receive the pattern and a box of mini yarns in gem like shades and you knit a section every day of Advent. Below is up to Date 15, so I need to push on through but the yarns on this section are difficult to see as the shades are close, so am working with a big light to differentiate them. I will try and pull out some of my old ones or my Christmas gloves, it is just fun and restful for me.

@LillianGish what a treat to see those windows. Thank you!

@LatteLady yay another fairisle knitter. Loving your project.

I’ve not yet started on Christmas. I’ll pick up a few presents for my little family and will enjoy writing cards for lovely friends soon. It will be very strange this year with just me and dh in the house for the leadup. Ds2 is known as ”Mr Christmas” and it was his job to spread his magic with helping decorate the house. We’ll have to see what this year brings.

in an attempt to be social after work, I’ve been for an evening swim. The health club have low lights and put battery operated candles all round the pool area in the evening. It is mostly lovely, apart from the albeit pleasant swimmers who think they are mark spitz in the Olympics rather than taking the cues from us gentle swimmers in the tiny pool.

I have started the Christmas shopping, I like to start around early November to spread the cost out a little bit and it's less over whelming. The kids are sorted out, just need to think about DH and the rest of the family.

I've made Sticky toffee pudding in a pudding basin and frozen it separate from the sauce. We will have that Xmas day. I have also started buying little bits for the xmas dinner like cranberry sauce.

We usually do the chocolate advent calendars, I haven't seen a traditional one in years. Saying that I think Moomins do one, I might see how much it is.

Anyone who may be reading this thread but hasn't bought the book yet, keep an eye out for Nigel's CC from World of Books. I got mine for £3 and it was excellent condition.

I'm thinking of asking for Nigel's Thousand Feasts for Christmas if anyone asks what to buy me. Has anyone read it? Is it as good as the CC? I love Christmas so I'm wondering if I will get the same happiness from it as I do with this one.

I love the photos and knits everyone has posted. Sorry I'm not good at tagging and I do struggle to keep up with the thread sometimes!

If you have time on your hands, this was the thread which included a bit of chat about ATF from last year.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5150816-the-autumnal-christmas-chronicles-premable-thread?page=1

I had two deliveries of presents today (and one yesterday) - I only have a small family to buy for, apart from DH, and every year I struggle with them because they're hopeless at telling me what they want and they’re all hard to cater for. So I decided to seize the issue and unilaterally made a decision, then bought things for three of them from the same website, which just leaves one person to worry about.

DH is having the books he asked for but I’ve had to return one of them TWICE because both times the cover has been damaged and some of the pages folded/creased. I'm not BU to want a pristine copy of a brand new book, am I?