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!

Love the sparkly candles and the book shopping sounds wonderful.

It's a very rainy day here and a slow start so far - scrambled eggs and smoked salmon for breakfast, many cups of tea. I think I'll engage my visitors in mince pie making and eating this afternoon. I'll not see them over Christmas so I feel a bit like we're doing a version of Christmas this weekend.

@Hendiadys I'm sorry Christmas has changed for you without your mum around, and I hope your low-key one and last-minute food shopping goes well - I've had some real treats doing that (helps living not too far from a Waitrose).

That candle is divine @RainbowZebraWarrior , I must resist the temptation to get straight on the Diptyque website.

I was planning to go to our favourite local Christmas market - a one day only affair - today but it's looking like a washout so I'll probably just do unfestive housework and laundry catch up instead and try for a different one tomorrow.

We always had lametta on our tree growing up but it was a devil for giving you paper cuts (metal cuts?) and once one of our cats swallowed some so we had to forego.

I think I've always disliked lameta for that reason @leporello We also had this hideous nylon snow type stuff circa 1979 (a bit like that horrible Halloween cobwebby stuff people stretch over their bushes outside) and we would 'cover' the lights and ends of branches with it to give a soft focus glow. Probably hideously dangerous.

Little heads up in case this interests anyone. I've always had a soft spot for Price's candles and they are half price at Waitrose atm. The orange and Clove one is lovely and even DD commented. Not even slightly Nigel, but made in the UK. I think they are about £2.62 on the half price deal and it's on until 2nd Dec.

Being back at work is affecting my Nigeling. Although I as appreciating the sun rises on my drive to work. I have seen some beautiful skies all different colours.
I went shopping in Liverpool yesterday it was quite festive apart from the torrential rain.
Christmas tree is going up tomorrow I have a few gifts to wrap and then I’m done well nearly I want to get Dd a new electric toothbrush.

I've been a bit erratic in keeping up with the thread but just want to report my excitement about getting my Christmas mugs out on Monday. Bought them in the Emma Bridgewater saie after following this thread last year and looking forward to many comforting warm drinks over December.

Also starting my Bonne Maman advent calendar and eating crumpets with a different jam every day. Well maybe not every day. But there will definitely be crumpets on Monday afternoon.

RainbowZebraWarrior; The white stuff was called Angel Hair, and was made of fibreglass. We tried it once, and it looked like spiders had been spinning all over the tree. Quite hideous. Apparently it was discontinued.

I have various Lametta type things. Some iridescent threads that work really well tucked almost out of sight, and some that is essentially tinsel that’s not attached to anything. No risk of cuts, it’s just the soft shiny plastic.

I like the look of the stollen muffins, and will have a go at those. I need a better shop for the nut/dried fruit selection for cakes etc. There was a great one but I think it’s closed, plus I don’t really go into the city if I don’t have to! It was the kind of place you took the opportunity to fill your store cupboard with bits you don’t see everywhere.

That cheesecake looks delicious and I’ll have a go at that at some point!

It makes me itch just thinking about angel hair 😬

Just been for a walk and it's nice to see some of the neighbours' trees up - there's a gloriously wonky angel on top of one!

Made a salad for lunch that I think would meet Nigel's 'crackling fresh' criteria - bit of salmon left over from breakfast, sweet cured herring, dill pickles, beetroot etc. And then very lazy mincemeat just stuck into squares of puff pastry with sugar on top (but they taste great).

@BishyBarnyBee you’ll love the mug I won in the wreath making raffle then! 2nd piccie

it’s been a VN day!

@BishyBarnyBee I had the Bonne Maman calendar last year, I hope they still have the passion fruit and pineapple one, it's gorgeous but I've not managed to find it anywhere and we already have enough jam to feed a small army .

Fibreglass. That was it! Crikey, how did I not remember that? So dangerous.

Beautiful wreath and mug @Bimblesalong

Your food looks amazing @martha79

Both VNI (Very Nigel Indeed)

The Bonne Maman advent calendar seems popular every year. I've never bought it before, but love the idea of trying the jams and spreads on a crumpet each morning in December. I think some of the supermarkets do star and Christmas tree shaped crumpets at this time of year.

Our main tree isn't up yet. We are late this year. Driving home in the dark tonight, I noticed a lot of lights and trees in windows, which is always lovely to see. A neighbour with a big front porch has a gold bodied mannequin top with the lower half being a Christmas tree for a skirt!

NVN dinner this evening. Kung Pao chicken made with bought sauce.

Stunning Aurora starting to show over Burrafirth camera in Shetland for those that follow.

I've had a RN (Rather Nigel) day with the littlest. We made the Christmas cakes x 3, the Christmas puddings x 2, apple and cranberry loaf cake and a batch of cranberry muffins for the eldest to take in her lunch to school this week.

Plus, 6 jars of spiced sloe and apple jelly.

Had to fit in the normal weekend household jobs top, but am almost ready for my Turkey Trot tomorrow! Looks to be cold but sunny, just how I prefer it.

Once I get back, we'll be putting up our tree, and hopefully head out to a nearby town in the early evening for their Mining Museum Victorian Christmas, and official light switch on.

30 November

Christmas windows and a soft, sweet cake

To see Fortnum & Mason's Christmas windows is to step into the pages of a book of fairy tales. Each year they glisten and sparkle, like frost on a topiary garden, a scene of old fashioned wonder and delight. The designs are cluttered in the loveliest sense, like looking into a kaleidoscope. The attention to detail is breathtaking.

It's beautiful , you could sell those . Amazing .

Hope you get to make something special of the time off @Hendiadys. It's hard to close the gap left by loved ones at Christmas. I fondly remember my late, rather eccentric Dad turning up after driving all the way from the south to visit, in a big NVN green hat that said 'ELF', in the middle of my daughters' friends being over for a little party. It's lovely that you made it special for your Mum. I used to host my parents a lot more than my often-grumpy brother and am glad I put that work in so that they had a lovely day particularly as I was fortunate enough to have memorably magical Christmases as a kid.

I distinctly remember this chapter last year as I said then that despite living in London for so long I had never been to F and M and resolved to go. A year later, I’ve still never been to F and M. But I’m resolving to go 😁
A very Christmassy Day in store for us as I am taking both DD’s to purchase their annual bauble this morning then I have four friends coming at lunch time to go to the Winter Fair at Burghley House, followed by a walk back into town where the town Christmas market is also being held today. I seem to have moved to a very Christmas centred place so if I don’t feel festive by the end of today I’m giving up!
I also need to spray paint my branches for hanging things off but they are a bit damp still and im not quite happy with how twiggy they are so I may hold off until Monday and see if I can find a better one in the woods at work.
A Happy and festive Sunday to all :)

Your dad sound lovely @BitKnackered64and lots of love to you @Hendiadys. This will be our first Christmas without my Dad and it doesn’t feel great-I’m sure that’s why I’m not feeling it as much this year.

Sorry about your dad @piscofrisco , first Christmases without a loved one do feel weird and a bit wrong. Enjoy Burghley Market - I have an aunt in Stamford and keep meaning to go and visit her when there's something special on at Burghley but haven't managed so far. It looks spectacular!

We have a special Christmassy London trip planned in a few weeks - perhaps we'll add the F&M window to our itinerary as a kind of Nigel mini pilgrimage.

I'm preparing a cottage pie right now as so busy today I don't think I'll get a chance at any other point of the day. Most of it is routine stuff but we do finally get to go to a local Christmas market for an hour this afternoon, AND unbox the advent calendars later, so some bright spots there.

So sorry to hear about your dad @piscofrisco It was my first Christmas without mine last year and O think somehow, I’m really feeling it this year as the cancer treatment took over everything last year. It sounds like you’ve got a super day lined up.

We have more to do in deciding where the stuff that didn’t make the kitchen “cut” goes. I am monitoring dh to ensure he doesn’t cram everything back into cupboards as before!

I may make some gluten free oatie biscuits for him to an old family recipe. It’s great having the new oven and kitchen set up - I had the cherry scones made and on the plate within 20 mins yesterday.

Beautifully fresh and clear today, the sun is just glorious. We've been to football. Or rather the child did football and I froze on the side.

I made treacle scones yesterday so we're having one of those with a cocoa. Lovely.

Happy Sunday to you all!

Thank you @piscofrisco - so sorry you’re missing your dad, and hugs to all without family members this season. It’s Christmas that really makes me miss my mum especially keenly because she loved it so much and it was down to me to organise it for her in her later years when she was housebound, so we shared the kind of enjoyable long lead-up that happens on this thread.

Re F & M - I don’t think I’ve been there for years although I’m in London quite regularly. Must make a detour next time and check out the windows. I do remember a thread about their hugely disappointing hampers, and the abysmal customer service that seemed to have taken over. NVN at all.

Morning all gorgeous sky picture

It’s hard the first Christmas without a significant family member. We have done a few. You need to remember they want you to continue to live and have a happy life and not let their absence be all consuming.

Our next service at church is the memorial one. We read out a (now very long) list of names people would like remembered. We write on little stars that hang on a tree by the altar, so those people are in some way ‘with us’ as we celebrate. We pray for those who are grieving.

It’s a small comfort at a time we miss people even more than usual.

I'm not sure if I've ever seen the F&M Christmas window. I grew up in Scotland and visiting the Jenners department store in Edinburgh to see their Christmas tree was always a treat.

Gorgeous day here, been for a wander round the local Christmas market which is mostly sugary things, sausages and alcohol but some nice decorations.

Well it's a miserable grey day here, not that I'll be going out as I have so much marking to do 😭 At least DCat is keeping me company.
I used to love looking at shop windows in London at Christmas as a child, with memories of Harrod's being especially exciting.