The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles Readalong 2025 - Part 3

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello all, and welcome to Part 3. 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)

For anyone new, it's a challenge to see of you can pick up the book as 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!

Nollaig Shona Daoibh 🎄

Merry Christmas all!
@RainbowZebraWarrior I hope you are feeling better x

A very Merry Christmas / Nadolig Llawen

Been up, now back in bed with my babes either side of me. Quiet, still dark, cold and dry so waiting for the heating to warm the house. Stove prepped to light so that when DD wakes up we can sit nice and toasty whilst opening our gifts. Santa Paws has also been for Mr Darcy.

I have a sleeping teen here too [drums fingers]

Merry Christmas everyone, anyone else's family spend 5 minutes opening all their presents then 30 minutes removing the sellotape from the paper and ribbons and separating everything into various different bins 😂 ?

DH wins the separating wrapping paper event by reinserting his empty gift boxes into the carefully opened paper (only open at one end) so he has ready to go wrapped parcels for the next present giving opportunity 😅

Merry Christmas, all x

I have not kept up with the thread, but wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas. It is a beautiful day here, cold, blue skies and very windy. I think Nigel would approve. Have aa gorgeous day all 💚

Yup. Although it all took about 2 hrs in the end. I deliberately bought and wrapped with brown paper this year. It's all been scrunched up and used on the fire / more set aside for lighting again later tonight. I now have a small bag the size of my fist with the sellotape in it for the bin. This has pleased me greatly.

Just popping in to say Merry Christmas all
Will catch up later when sonething is roasting but for now I hope everyone has whatever it means to them a peaceful Christmas

Merry Christmas! Wishing everyone a lovely day whatever you do. X

Merry Christmas to you all 🎄x

Happy Christmas to everyone. I love these threads. Here's my tree (hopefully), though I'm at my DM's house.

Tree failure! Trying again because I think it's pretty and I want to share it!

Christmas cheers everyone! Just back from a sunny walk in the Wiltshire countryside. Bl**dy parky out there, had my fleece hat and sunglasses on. :D Found one of our sloe gins from 2015 - vintage.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas in what ever way you are doing it.
We've abandoned all attempts at sophistication or normality here and are making it up as we go along. It's going to be a somewhat stretched out affair.

To add to everyone's fun, the water mains burst last night, and roads closed.
I just couldn't keep going and keeled over, so this morning a horned and belled creature emerged to concern the neighbors with it's prancing around, so we can do something later about the splendid but very naked, tree acquired late yesterday.It'sbeen sat in it's pot drinking it's fill, and now needs half a room moved around to make it fit so we can decorate it! ...but that needs energy and oxygen.
The horned one is curled up in a tangle of bells and antlers having just had breakfast and isn't feeling well...
We're just rolling with the situation, and I quote: " Just keep breathing and out of hospital, you're doing a bang up job!"

Sorry I'm too tired to try and find it, but someone said up thread: "...many other things are very much out of my control at the moment. Christmas is becoming symbolic of wider challenges" IME it always is, and the best we can do is hold onto our equilibrium in the face of it.
As always thank you for the thread @RainbowZebraWarrior (we await Mr D official Christmas pic hopefully)

Tis very pretty 🎄

As requested by the lovely @EphemeraleEudemonia here are Mr Darcy's official Christmas photographs. He luffs his new crochet mousey very much. She is called Miss Pickle and they are now the bestest of friends.

By the way, I've taken the liberty of wishing Nigel a very Merry Christmas on his Instagram account from all of us on the Mumsnet Christmas Chronicles Readalong thread.

Oh Mr Darcy looks delighted. The cats here have had a great time with some new catnip toys a friend sent, as well as chasing bits of wrapping paper and trying to get in all the boxes.

Had some really nice presents, including a couple of books which had been on my to-buy list, and a lovely journal/ diary (which means I absolutely need to buy a new nice pen, obviously).

I have done a lot of napping. But I did manage to make dinner. Had a very short walk as the wind felt bitter, but enjoyed this little flash of colour on the way. Just settled down with a cuppa and some of the cake-that-is-more-like-pudding.

I hope you've all had a great day (including Nigel if you're reading 😄).

Wafting a large amount of sage around to clear any bad vibes and lurgy. Also, the great embers and sandalwood st eval candles ds2 found for me.

@EphemeraleEudemonia you have it bad, although I’ll go with just keep breathing for my phrase for the rest of 2025. I hope you can rest and are able to enjoy the joy around you.

@martha79 we are all at the napping stage here after La Grande Bouffe.

@RainbowZebraWarrior the picture we have all been waiting for. Perfect.

A bit late in the day but Merry Christmas everyone. Just had a well earned G&T and a chocolate santa, NVN but still lovely. It's been a good day here. Hope everyone has had the day they hoped for, and that all those who have been poorly find some rest time over the next few days. Thank you @RainbowZebraWarrior for this thread, I've not contributed much but I love reading it. Enjoy your evening everyone.

Aw thank you so much @RainbowZebraWarrior . A comfortable and comforting sight. ♥
Not a liberty, Nigel Slater's love of Christmas serves to bring us together, and I hope he's enjoying his.

My sincere and very best wishes to everyone who has posted on this lovely, kind and supportive thread. Hope everyone has managed to have a peaceful and happy Christmas Day, especially those who are struggling with health issues and difficult situations. And a very special thanks to @RainbowZebraWarrior - you’re a star!

Happy Christmas one and all. I must confess I like to keep all the ribbons and labels from the family presents and then challenge myself each year to get everyone to reuse them - finding a label to match the gift. They think I’m mad, but humour me anyway - I’m almost as nostalgic about some of those gift tags as I am about the tree decorations. DH bought me some Lakrids by Bulow Danish chocolate covered licquorice which I suspect may be VN (based on the price if nothing else!) - a complete revelation to me, absolutely delicious.