The Year Round Nigel Slater Discussion Thread - Part 5

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello all, and welcome to this lovely space for our continued chats.

A bit of background for anyone not familiar with this topic:

The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles readalong usually takes place here on Mumsnet between November and February each year - the Christmas Chronicles being a book written by Nigel Slater full of winter recipes and anecdotes - It has been running for a few years, and the contributors collectively decided it would be nice to have it running all year round.

So here it is. It is a place to appreciate all things Nigel-esque. Think seasonal food and recipes, enjoyment of nature, gardening, appreciation of the weather, and sharing of news and small moments of joy. It's a calm, cosy space for gentle chat and merriment so pull up a chair, grab a drink and relax.

A very hearty welcome to friends new and old!

Hope you're able to make the most of today @piscofrisco although the smoke sounds awful. Hope they get it under control soon. I smelled smoke in the woods yesterday and had a bit of a panic, but thankfully it isn't tinder box dry here like elsewhere else. Hoping that it is the last swansong heat-wise. Thankfully we have rain forecast daily from Monday until the end of Aug.

We got bagfuls of pine cones yesterday so I am just making up 'firelighter packs' which involve a few pine cones, some twigs, and some scrunched up paper, all wrapped up like a big cracker in brown paper (which I have mountains of thanks to the bookcase packaging) I'll make about 20 of these and each one will be used to light the stove each day (likely the end of Sept but potentially sooner)

DD kept pointing out cute little moss covered tree stumps in the woods yesterday so I was talking about leaving little fairies on them. I don't actually have any fairies to leave, so next, I am going to paint pebbles with simple cow parsley designs and a little message on the back for people to find.

God that's my idea of heaven!!!

Ooh I went last week and there were no such autumnal offerings but I have seen some starting to appear on vinted. May have to make a swift detour after DDs eye apt later. Thanks for the heads up!

I have a friend whose son was tragically murdered. She stated a Facebook group -Lukerocks19-I think it’s called -where people paint rocks with the Facebook group on one side and a nice design on the other and ‘find me, hide me’ on them, and they are left all over the place when people go on holiday. Then strangers find them, go on Facebook to say where the rock has got to, and re hide. It’s a lovely way for him to travel which he always wanted to do but he died aged 19 having never really got the chance. If you are rock paining and get chance I’m sure she would love him to go to your beach!

Here is an example of one- you put the @ luke rocks and the Facebook F on one side and your own design and ‘find me, hide me’ on the other should anyone fancy it :)

That sounds like a beautiful way to remember him.

Found it. Joined it. On it. ❤️

I'll do two. One to take to the beach and one to take up to a giant sundial on a big hill in the middle of our woods.

Thankyou x he was murdered in terrible circumstances. Just a random, totally unprovoked attack in a kebab shop in his first two weeks of uni. It’s just unimaginable horror.

Oh my goodness, this is my idea of heaven. Oh to be there in winter with a good book, a blanket and a high tide!

Well it’s yours for mates rates of £25 a day. But only up til October half term unfortunately as they move them into the car park over winter to stop them getting damaged by high waves!

Loving the beach huts, last one I was, was on Mersea Island a couple of summers ago... they were all prinked out in pinks, sage, lilac and baby blue, enjoyed by six girls, complete with a bacon buttie to start the day and a good pub with excellent loos, close by.

Just come off a call with the Directors' EAs from the day job, when someone pointed out that Aldi do G&T or Prosecco ice pops... just putting it out there.

That’s so sad @piscofrisco and what a lovely way to remember him.

Popping my head in to say peak Nigel has been reached. I have made it to the mother ship of Melograno: the original Santa Maria Novella shop in Florence, connected to the church. It is gorgeous!

Oh @Bimblesalong how gorgeous is that??? Oh my, I'd possibly be bankrupt if I went there.

Thank goodness for hand luggage only with liquid allowance already allocated, @petitpasta I did buy some melograno soap though.

@piscofrisco all the best ahead of tomorrow 💐

picture for calm …

Well this isn't fun.

It's the first night wherby it's felt too hot and sticky to sleep. I've also just realised that it's the first day I've actually felt like I have sweated.

Hopefully normal service will be resumed tomorrow.

Definitely going in the sea in the morning. Alarm set for 6am.

Gorgeous photos @Bimblesalong - I hope the shop smelled as amazing as I imagine!

I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's son @piscofrisco - what a beautiful tribute to him.

Sorry you've got the heat tonight @RainbowZebraWarrior. It's disgusting, it got up to 35C here - cooler in the house but it still said it was 27C in here at one point.

I've had two visitors today having not actually seen anyone other than delivery men since the start of the month! One friend popped in this morning as she was dropping her car off at a nearby garage, then had a planned visit with another this evening - good catch up, iced matcha, and a bit of minor furniture building. I bought a nice little 'end table' mainly to hide some cables where they put the wifi router - it now sits next to my electric piano, and has a magazine basket bit at the bottom so may eventually hold some sheet music when I unpack that. Obviously in the meantime, one of the cats has gone straight into the basket...

Bleugh. I just tried to go to bed and the landing carpet felt like it had underfloor heating, like it did in first heatwave.

I've come back downstairs with pillow and an empty duvet cover to sleep on sofa.

Extremely VVN!

What an absolutely beautiful
emporium @Bimblesalong(shop
seems too pedestrian a word for it).
my appointment in on Sunday but I thank you all the same x

It was 38 degrees here yesterday and I think it must have been no far off that in our room last night. I think I’ve had about an hours sleep and now I must go to work where we are promised another day of 33 degrees before it cools down next week to 25 (ish and still a tiny amount if any of rain). I’ve officially Had Enough.

Oh poor you @piscofrisco, I hope you can find some shade today. A few hours sleep here, just far too hot. I don't have to get outside though, other than retrieving the Ocado delivery from downstairs.

Absolutely not surprised you are fed up @piscofrisco but hopefully there is an end in sight soon for you.

What most of you have put up with this summer has been beyond awful. It's so worrying going forward <eyes up property in Shetland>

DD and I have severe temperature dysregulation due to our EDS. We simply cannot cope with heat (and cold in DDs case) It's the main reason we can't travel to hot countries any more.

Meant to say, how fabulous @Bimblesalong 😍

Thankfully the boiler has fixed its own fault so I'll just make sure to get it serviced ready for winter when the plumber is back from hols.

A beautiful blue from the beach this morn, among other treasures.

Take care all.

That's literally every parents worst nightmare.

Luke's rocks are ready and will be placed tomorrow (cooler forecast for the hill climb)

Aaaaand I think we have a world record. Four hospital appointments already and it's not even midday! Two scheduled appointments, one trip to A&E and a referral for an urgent x ray appointment. My father has swallowed a metal interdental brush. The team are currently looking at his stomach xray and deciding how to proceed (could be a puncture threat) Back at 1.30pm to find out what's next. Stay tuned for the hospital merry go round!

Oh my word @RainbowZebraWarrior

Oh my goodness @RainbowZebraWarrior, I hope it's easily sorted.

Oh Lord @RZW.It’s one thing after another for your poor Dad and for you :( thinking of you