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!

@RainbowZebraWarrior the faraway tree film looks amazing! Can't wait. I loved the books as a child myself but found them borderline unreadable to my own children - so tedious. But it looks like the film-makers have taken all the magic and rejected the repetition.

Ah some good luck at last @RainbowZebraWarriorGood stuff!
Hope your Dad is ok though?

glad the police came around @DarkEyedSailor and sorry for your lights @lucysmam
Good luck for your blood tests @martha79and lots of love to you @PricklyBob. Christmas is a weird time of year agreed-everything crammed into one week and so much pressure in various ways. Hang in there all.
I realised today that I’m about to run out of HRT probs bang in the middle of Christmas so I will have to contend with trying to get that sorted tomorrow which is no easy task at our Dr’s.

@PrizedPickledPopcornthe Farm is a working farm, with bits also open to the public, (petting animals, farm walks, cafe and shop, woodland play and camping). In addition the bit I work on is Rural Care-where adults and children with LD, MH issues and sometimes physical disabilities and children that can’t be in full time school for various reasons, (our ‘co-farmers’), come to spend their day and we deliver therapy alongside the farm work. We look after the animals (everything but the dairy herd-so 200 odd sheep, 200 chickens, 50 pigs, 12 goats, 3 Alpacas, 10 Ducks, 10 geese and various small petting animals, rabbits and such) and also we have a huge orchard and a massive kitchen garden and poly tunnels where we grow cut flowers, veg and fruit for a veg box scheme we run and for the cafe, shop and pub across the road. All no spray and organic. We also have a craft stall which we make things for-a godsend on the really rainy days and we make quite a bit of money for the co farmers socials and things. Its just a great alternative to traditional day services and therapy or pupil referral units for people that benefit from
being a bit more free range :) . We also do school trips and corporate events which I enjoy less but they are a really good source of revenue.

Im doing a 5 day week this week instead of 4 as I need to swap a day for our new years trip. Not ideal as I’ve a lot to do this week and not feeling too special, ( of course). Just watching a bit of the darts now. The DD’s went with their Dad and cousins yesterday and Loved it!

@piscofrisco I'm due to run out of my cancer meds mid next week 🙄. Excellent planning there - should be fine til the in between weekend 🤔 unless someone will authorise them based on a blood test. It's like pulling teeth explaining that their dates don't tally with meds due dates because they cancelled an appointment & had to authorise with no paperwork or anything <BIG SIGH>. I've taken to being a pain in the rear end to make sure I'm not forgotten 🤷‍♀️.

Very Nigel indeed @Bimblesalongand pleased your treatment went well.
I liked The Faraway Tree when I was younger but I found Moonface very very annoying as recall. Was there also something about a magic wishing chair or was that a different book?

eesh-that’s much worse than my oestrogel
running out @lucysmam-hope you get it sorted! Why must they make it so hard to get repeat prescriptions for things we can be fiddly confident we need…it drives me mad.

Maybe - just as frustrating having to faff getting both sorted though! It's so bloody difficult for no good reason as far as I can see.

DD is still buzzing about my Charizard card. Wrt the pot, I just bought a tube of Polyfilla from B&Q and already had a gold Posca pen.

That’s so clever! So, so clever!

@PricklyBobsorry for all the bad news heaped on you this last week.
Amazing to hear about the pokemon card. What a find!

My challenging meeting was OK,I just need to win some people round to some decisions now. That's a January problem though!

Flipping heck, @lucysmam why do they have to make everything so difficult, when it's a difficult enough already? Hugs to you, my lovely x

@piscofrisco Yep. Dad had a tetanus jab and a scan. All good. He's a law unto himself though. He's just messaged me saying he will go for his daily swim tomorrow, but will wear a swim cap. I've felt for decades that the parent / child role has been reversed. I am always mindful and grateful he's still here for now, though.

Haven't read your link yet @ProfessorIDareSay about the St Eval family, but I have a funny feeling it may read like the Country Living spoof thread.

@Celiathebanshee my DD also found the Faraway Tree books rather tedious and boring. I still occasionally read and enjoy them, along with Willow Farm and Cherry Tree Farm (and sometimes The Famous Five) They are all in my bedside cabinet. Taken with a very large pinch of salt, naturally 😊

Can I reccomend Tales from End cottage and More Tales from End Cottage by Eileen Bell for those who like a dib into lovely children’s books. They are the blueprint for my perfect life I now realise-about a woman who lives in a pretty rural cottage with Dogs, cats and hens and does lots of quite nigel without knowing it jam making and such.

@piscofrisco I found these books in Oxfam very recently for my daughter! So lovely.

@DarkEyedSailorMrs Apple is aspirational!

The wishing chair was a different series but the same exact premise 😂

Thanks for that! There is definitely some unspoken between-the-lines family stuff there isn’t there

Only 10 posts left till the thread is used up, so just linking to Thread 3

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5460231-the-nigel-slater-christmas-chronicles-readalong-2025-part-3?reply=149206671

Sadly this bit the dust yesterday… tiled floor. Sigh.

Nooooo!
I remember admiring it when you posted your photo. So sorry to hear this.

There's a similar one on Amazon right now - I'll attach a photo.
Sometimes the originals are irreplaceable I know, but wanted to post it anyway.

I suspect DH may be replacing it as a Christmas present so I won’t risk stealing his thunder! It was very new so not irreplaceable at all! But thank you!

Ooh, look where Nigel has been! https://www.instagram.com/p/DSTRhwxiNgB/?img_index=4&igsh=MWFrbGV4dzhseTRhag==

Too right! You do what you need - it’s not being a pain it’s standing up for yourself

What a coincidence!

Oh I hope he does replace it for you. I also remember admiring it.

I'm going to leave the link to the new thread as the last post here, so it's all tidy with no loose ends and anyone landing here k own where we are.

New thread here, folks:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5460231-the-nigel-slater-christmas-chronicles-readalong-2025-part-3?reply=149208800