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!

Morning all. I'm dreading today. I just want to stay in bed. I haven't looked outside yet. I can't remember who asked, but no the electricity sockets weren't isolated. They were meant to cover them before they left last night but forgot...

I was out most of yesterday delivering honey and they asked if I would be around today. Initially I said yes, but waking up this morning I just can't be. There's stuff everywhere and I can't relax. I'll see them this morning then do a runner. They can ring me if they need owt. I am not in the mood or fit state to be a smiley-friendly-tea-making proprietor.

@BitKnackered64 one of these lads is really good looking. Properly beautiful. That's about the only bright side so far. You're right though, i will be so thabkful when it's done. It's been leaking for years.

Tried to get in to see someone about my knees at the surgery yesterday but no appointments till next week. DD has her weekly apt today with the nurse (who we know very well) so I'm going to ask her opinion.

Thanks for all the kind words all. I'll go and catch up properly now.

...aaaand the kitchen sockets have blown / tripped. Obviously on the same circuit thing.

I have just left a message on the company's answer machine for someone to sort this as soon as they get in. I am fully aware that I sounded Entirely Murderous.

Oh no, RZW. You are perfectly entitled to sound and feel Entirely Murderous, they have really cocked up. I'm so sorry, how bloody stressful.

I don’t blame you @RainbowZebraWarrior For either murderous message or beating a hasty retreat.
’best looking roofer in the north east!’ What a claim. It must Shirley be the same one? There can’t be two such specimens. I have a penchant for a practical man-DH can’t change a light bulb. (But I love him anyway of course!) .

I got up in the end and sat with one of the dogs on my knee and a tea on the go in my Christmas tree lit room. Felt quite peaceful. Now about to brave what I fear will be a highly treacherous journey to work.
I’ve got a job interview tomorrow but I’m in two minds. This commute is routinely terrible. But I love my job so much-I’ll never find another one like it (unless I win the lotto and start my own similar care farm which is the dream). Bloody annoying.

I’m so cross on your behalf, Zebra. Even I, an amateur, wouldn’t have left your sockets on and exposed. A properly beautiful man is no recompense for that!

It’s proving hard to be all Nigelly at the moment, isn’t it? But sow would make all our worries worse, so I won’t wish that on us 😁

Perhaps we need to whack on Annie Lennox’s Christmas Cavalcade!

Oh @RainbowZebraWarrior , that just sounds dreadful! And, dare I ask, has the kitchen sockets tripping, left you without tea or coffee? Because, if so, Entirely Murderous is going mildly.

Poor you! I would not only be Entirely Murderous, but also likely entirely arrested for murder, so well done on not socking anyone just yet.

There really is no silver lining is there? Giving you all good wishes that they resolve it quickly (every winter our heating breaks on the first really cold day but I can't afford the £25k to replace the entirely unsuitable system the builders put in. This is obviously less bad but I know I am already dreading this year's effort - it's so disruptive and miserable).

Good luck with the knees too. Chronic pain is so draining.

Within 5 minutes of me leaving Murderous Message the owner rang me. I had a little rant and said 'All I wanted this morning was a cup of bloody tea!" 20 minutes later he was at my door with a steaming fresh cup of tea and most sincere apologies. Said cup of tea has sustained me on a horrid, dark, wet school run.

This company is excellent and they have an amazing reputation which is why I went with them. I think I've just been very unlucky. Anyway, the electrics are being fixed and I'm getting new sockets etc. Onwards and upwards.

Bless him! At least you know they will take responsibility and sort it out!

That’s awful, too! What kind of unsuitable heating do you have?

Catching up on several days of this thread from a holiday cottage in Devon. We are away for a little pre Christmas break with in laws. Storm Bram is raging but it's cosy in here. DH has taken DD3 down for breakfast so I'm having a bit of time to myself. It's been a crazy couple of weeks - we moved house, then I cooked a Christmas dinner (in my shiny new oven!) for in laws, now we've all decamped to holiday cottage. Not entirely sure what we're going to do all week if the weather stays like this, but I'm sure we'll have fun, and from what I can see through the rain It looks beautiful here.
@RainbowZebraWarrior sounds like you're going through the mill with one thing and another. Hope it all gets sorted soon. I bet you enjoyed that cuppa! I have a mug which says Tea Makes Everything Better, and I really believe it does!
This thread has reminded me that I love Lebkuchen, especially like someone else said the cheap ones from tesco. Must buy a packet as soon as we're home.

We have an air source heat pump. This in and of itself is not the problem. But the cheapskate builders used a fitter who had never done air source before and they used a cheap pump, and crucially, the wrong diameter piping through the house. The pump is also too small for the house.

I am a big fan of air source heat pumps and have known them to work very well. This one does not. We installed aircon upstairs, which heats too, so we don't use the actual heating upstairs and this helps it to cope. We have a wonderful company who keep it limping on until we can afford to replace, but the pipes are a real issue.

How disappointing, Hornung!

@HornungTheHelpful when we lived in China, our aircon - so essential in the summer - doubled as heating, blowing hot air in the winter. Except when the temperature dropped below about minus two, the box on the outside of the house froze solid. The landlord used to come and throw warm water over it to get it going again but one particularly long cold winter he just gave up and said it's just too cold for it, it will work again when the weather warms up. And that was that.
We had a heat pump installed (back in England now where heating is designed to work even at temperatures below zero thank goodness) and the teething problems have been legion. Fingers crossed we appear to have a fairly steady warm house now though.

@Celiathebanshee our has frozen a couple of times. We were specifically told not to throw warm water on it, but it did have its own "defrost" setting. I have been familiar with heat pumps for a long time; my parents first got one in 2010, when they were very uncommon and getting support for them was really difficult. Their first one was glitchy, so my Dad learnt lots about them, which he liked to tell other people about. They got a new one two or three years ago, which now works brilliantly. I think the fact that my Dad had learnt to basically be an engineer for them on the last one helped though. I am now going the same way. Last time the engineer came to do a maintenance check he commented that the filters seemed to be very clean - that's because I have taught myself how to remove and clean them. Sadly, I also now know enough to know that ours is unsalvageable. Our current engineers - who are brilliant - reckon that since they've become popular too many people who don't know what they are doing are installing them and it's really common to install them too small.

It's also really common to have teething problems, so hopefully yours will now work brilliantly. They really can

Tracked down some Nigel soap in the excellently named Nose boutique. I know DH will roll his eyes, but he won’t mind the bathroom smelling VN. Today is one of my favourite chapters - I love the dictatorial tone reChristmas cards and I always follow his instructions to the letter (and DH complains every year that his fountain pen won’t write on recycled cards - a very Nigel problem!) Hope today has been a better day @RainbowZebraWarrior and that you are now able to make your own tea

Oh gosh @RainbowZebraWarrior that was a welcome sight in your photo but what a nightmare. Mum recently had four days without power whilst we bounced between the national grid and octopus about who was responsible.

@LillianGish i wrote most of my cards last night using my italic ink pen. VN. Glad you’ve found soap - I have the same by my fancy new sink.

It is horribly wet and windy here today. I’m snug in my garden office but really must focus on some work before the festivities sweep us all away.

@LillianGish I haven’t found writing the cards to be a problem but quite a lot of envelopes seem to have a vaguely water-repellent coating which means that proper ink doesn’t work well

Oh gosh @RainbowZebraWarrior - I hope everything can be sorted easily and as quickly as possible.

This week is proving busy and stressful so far, just lots of little things at work. I've been posting one Christmas present/ card per day for the last few days, to make myself go out for at least a little walk and not attempt to carry heaps of things at once.

My Christmas cards this year are Alder Hey Children's Hospital ones designed by various kids, featuring some very festive elephants 😄

Evening all
@RainbowZebraWarrior turning up with a tea is very Nigel
We have amazing plumbers who we took a chance on 15 years ago and never looked back. Rough diamond for sure but a diamond nonetheless the less (so much easier when you can WhatsApp “need a word when you get a moment”)
They are coming Friday for a service after a lengthy discussion about pet goats.

On a better note to heating and plumbing problems our youngster had to display the characteristics of
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Attributed to Edmund Burke, including by John F Kennedy in a speech in 1961. Burke didn’t say it, and its earliest form was by John Stuart Mill, who said in 1867: “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.”

A peer (term used loosely) called another peer the “N” word and another comment that had racial overtones.

4 witnesses
they stand together on the side of the angels

Hope everyone is well this evening and not suffering too much with the storm. I have an almost completed roof as they thew extra resources at it today (thank goodness!) The wind is howling and I can hear wheelie bins going over everywhere.

It's always interesting to listen to Workmen Banter. Before they clocked off this evening, I heard the 30 somethings talking to the 20 somethings about Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks of all things. I also heard one of them referring to me as The Customer. The Beautiful One said "The Customer has a name. She is Miss Rainbow if you don't mind"

@piscofrisco Hope you're OK and good luck for the interview tomorrow. So sorry to hear about your DH having Double Poorlinesss. My Dad used to have a high profile and very stressful job and came down with flu every December. The GP always said it was due to his job. I wonder if that's the case with your DH?

Hope the weather improves for your remaining stay @Markknopflersheadband Good to know that the holiday cottage is warm and cosy though.

@LillianGish those photos are a delight, and very much food for the soul!

We saw DD's nurse this evening and she has promptly booked me in to see the Dr on Thursday as she's really concerned about my knees. It's always good to know folk, as the receptionist said there were no appts until next werk.

Hope everyone has a restful evening and thanks to you all for your well wishes as always. Sorry if I've missed important stuff. Christmas seems to be coming at is thick and fast this year!

I’ve read here before about overhearing workmen having very sweet conversations! And Kim thrilled the beautiful one is also well mannered!

Feel like I'm joining in by having a plumber in today to clean out my pipe. Not a euphemism. It's now possible to shower without gunk coming up the plughole and twirling enthusiastically around your toes. The house beautiful.

You are probably right-DH is frequently ill towards the end of the year. Though this year has been especially bad.
still blowing a gale here so I’m very glad you now have a roof!
Dd1 now has the sore throat so it seems like my birthday tomorrow will be something of a quiet one in our house of sick. Plus my interview in the morning. I will go with an open mind.
For now I’m in bed with the Daschund-the other two Doglets are with their favourite respective DD a piece and DH is in the spare room. I’ve got a book on the go (The Land in Winter-It’s kind of set at Christmas which is why I picked it but it’s a touch slow) and a mug of Horlicks which I love but I save for special occasions as it’s quite calorific. It puts me in mind of my first job in a nursing home where it was always my task to go around with the hot drinks trolley at night-Horlicks, Hot Chocolate or very milky tea and one Malted Milk biscuit at 9pm was the offer as I recall. Retro .
My first birthday without my Dad and how I will miss his 7am cheery phone call to wish me many Happy returns and tell me I don’t look a day over 25. He was a fibber but a lovely one.

good for you @bibliomania-its quite the day for trades on here it seems!