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!

Hello @MichaelmasDaisiesAndAutumSunset

And thank you to @RainbowZebraWarrior for continuing to take care of this lovely little nook.
I think I've missed most of a thread 😕

Have been on a trip to Scotland which was so beautiful and like the Lake District and Peak District and Yorkshire Dales and North Wales and Bannau Brycheiniog all smushed together and stretched taller and cookie cuttered a good number of times.

We drive from Tain near Inverness on the east coast, over to Ullapool on the west coast on a tiny road and barely saw anyone. Hardly any sheep even.

Honestly, please don't feel bad. Especially if you only acquired the bees a few months ago. It has been a difficult season so far this year, and it takes time to learn. It is the type of thing you will absolutely never get right first time, but is worth persevering. Like keeping any livestock, you must get used to loss. Realistically, there are so many things that can go wrong. We are still learning after 35 years (and spending over a decade helping Newcastle University research pesticides etc)

I actually prepared a long post a few days ago as I was despairing about the total slog of beekeeping at this time of year (especially with myself and my Dad's health issues) I deleted it and didn't post it as I didn't want to put anyone off, but I guess my point was that it all appears to be a lovely, gentle hobby. It is, but then it isn't. It takes over your life.

It is worth persevering though, if you have the time, patience and energy.

I still haven't written my beekeeping presentation that I am booked to do next month. I spend most of my free time at this time of year telling folk that no, honey won't cure their hay fever if they start eating it now, and no, that isn't a honey bee swarm, it's just a few bumble bees.

Despite all that, we are still here after 35 years, and we still love it. We make no money from it at all, yet I estimate we put in about a thousand hours a year (we do have a lot of hives) We are passionate about education, and we love the fact that so many more people care about bees these days. Being retired definitely helps, though, as it ain't something you can shoehorn in among a full time job. We have trained hundreds of people over the years, and being brutally honest, you absolutely need loads of free time.

I still feel a bit crap poting this, as it does come across as quite negative. It isn't meant to.

@MichaelmasDaisiesAndAutumSunset sorry to hear about the MCAS. It's a right pain especially at first. In my experience it got a bit better as I started to feel a bit better. Also at home I have stuff I can eat in the cupboard which helps. I also stopped being vegetarian after 40+ years which made like easier as things had got very restricted.

Rainbowzebra and I did do a little sulk supportive thread about low histamine Christmas ideas that you might find.

Thank you. I just fell in love with them and feel like I let them down! But I will definitely keep going; I haven’t completely lost hope that i will get a virgin mated and back (I left 2 capped queen cells in the hive and 2 in the split) but the longer the cold, wet weather goes on the less likely I think that is. It also means I don’t want to open them up to check for eggs etc (I’m crap at spotting a queen).

@HannahDefoesSpringFling I absolutely love the west coast of Scotland, especially the Ullapool area. We spent a couple of weeks there every winter for many years. It's so beautiful!

@RainbowZebraWarrior I don’t think your advice comes across as negative. It’s realistic and honest, which is helpful for people.

it’s very windy and cold here this morning. The garden is normally full of birds at this time but there’s not one right now. Far too windy. I think they’re all staying home where it’s sheltered.

I’m going to go and make a pot of tea to warm up.

I would love to go to the west coast of Scotland. It’s the main reason we are considering getting the camper van.

Chilly but mercifully sunny for now here this morning. I slept very badly so it will be a loooong day but if I can just avoid getting soaked through or having a chair thrown at me then I will be winning at life.

have a good day all

I also love the west coast of Scotland. Wish I could get DD up there to see how beautiful it is. Gosh, how I almost took for granted all the camping holidays I had there as a kid. It was idyllic.

Dreary and cold here. Heating on again. The only saving grace so far this month is the amount of garden watering time its saving me. It was an exhausting full two hours a day from April to August last year.

Quick hour at the beach after school drop off, then honey duties for me. Got to take Dad to a hospital appointment at the same time as school pick up so we need to work out the logistics of that one.

Anyone fancying this film Tuner? I have it earmarked at the cinema for Tuesday afternoon all being well. Seems like an interesting plot and a great cast.

Fingers crossed for not too much rain all round (and no chairs) Happy Friday all.

I also love the west coast of Scotland, my family are from there, but as we now live on the south coast of England it’s a bit of a trek, we do get up every 2 or 3 years though.

Wasn’t someone here going to Royal Ascot? I was in the area yesterday and all the traffic signs are up. DD is working there and we are just planning the logistics of travel (very early starts, I am going to take her to the station so she doesn’t get hot/sweaty/wet in her uniform). She arrived back from uni this week with all her stuff so I can barely get in the front room at the moment.

Really cold here as well although there are rumours of a glimpse of sun in the next few days.

I’ve not looked into that film @RainbowZebraWarrior but will do. I took dh to see Savage House at our local arthouse cinema yesterday. What a dark romp it was. I’d say gothic comedy, although truly Jacobean in terms of dramatic execution (in all the senses). The subtitle should have been Richard E Grant does Richard E Grant for 2 hours. Marvellous stuff.

Morning all. Tuner does look interesting @RainbowZebraWarrior. I have a deal with a friend to go and see the new Minions film when that's out, we love them 😂

Despite growing up in Scotland, I'm not actually that familiar with the west coast, especially further north. I've got a colleague who lives in Ullapool (the joys of remote working actually allowing people to be remote!) and that looks beautiful.

Currently got someone in servicing my boiler and checking the other gas appliances. This was booked in before the house move became a thing, but at least I'll have the reassurance that everything is working for my last... however long!

House viewing this afternoon and popping in to see a friend who lives on the same street. I've got another one booked in on Sunday but have just spotted on the website that they've increased the rent since I saw it - am not keen on such sneaky behaviour 😕

Good luck with the house viewings coming up @martha79 Fast forward and we’ll all be celebrating your move and a lovely new place.

I’m working on a very complex part of the current crochet project. Thank goodness for YouTube tutorials!

OMG, just refound you all and am delighted!

So, since Christmas, I have started to put together an Art Deco service (Grindley Narcissus), the tea service and dessert service have been aquired and I am on the look out for dinner plates... We have our strawberry tea for our quilt group next month and I am on the hook for multi-coloured bread for finger sandwiches and quiches, and sausage rolls... Not had the bread maker out for a while, so I have invested in several yeast boxes as I start playing this weekend!

I have several quilts on the go again, but am enjoying hand sewing one in particular, it's a star a day quilt, with the stars in blue and white patterns, with a french navy background, which I am going to call my Vincent quilt.

Tomorrow, I plan to make some lemon curd, using a recipe from Darina Allen, with my trusty, never used for tea, strainer to catch the Chalazae (the little white strings in an egg) before I add the eggs... I just love the brilliant yellow colour. Although I might pop into TK Maxx, to see if they have some St Eval candles...

It is I, Pisco going to Ascot-on Tuesday @ElegantDresses. I hope it will not be cold as I don’t not have a suitable coat.

you have been busy @LatteLady!

that crochet looks fiendish @Bimblesalong! Savage house is right up my strasse I think .

hope dads appointment went well @RainbowZebraWarriorand the logistics worked out.

no chairs thrown today but my colleague did get headbutted quite hard by a lamb that we were rescuing from some brambles. His eye was going black by home time. Dangerous work farming.

Despite all rational thinking on this I have decided to stay at the farm for now. I love it so very much there and whilst I could have seen myself in the other job, I couldn’t see myself being happy in it. I’ve had so many hard unhappy jobs that I don’t want to leave one that is the opposite. Im
very aware that im lucky to be able to make this choice. When I had finally decided (which was this morning) I felt totally lighter. Which tells me it’s the right thing.

A Happy Friday evening to us all. I’m going to watch Canada in the World Cup and drink some wild strawberry liqueur my friend made (god knows how) with a Cremant top, because why not?

How did the house viewing go @martha79 ?

Good to see you again @LatteLady I will catch up properly with your post when my head isn't so scrambled. I do love home made lemon curd, mind. Even better is Lime Curd. Last time I made it was in 2001 for Masteechef so it's long overdue for a re-run.

Don't blame you on that decision @piscofrisco Sometimes it just isn't the time to make a leap into the unknown. Hope you enjoy Ascot and the sun shines for you. Wild strawberry liqueur sounds lush!

That looks gorgeous @Bimblesalong as do all your knitting and crochet projects ❤️ I had Savage House on my list since seeing the trailer a month ago, but it is only showing at my cinema at 3.20pm every day, so clashes with school pick up. Tuner is on at midday next Tuesday, so I am safe as houses timing wise.

I got home after juggling Dads appointment and picking DD up to find my next door neighbour tidying her garden. We agreed that an old rose bush of mine was encroaching on our party fence, so I went straight in and got my tree saw and sorted it out. Nice lady, but nightmare daughter. Said daughter arrived home in her car and pulled up on the their driveway. Promptly crashed into a large planter. She got out of the car and started taking about overhanging branches. I told her to just do what she needed to do. She knocked an hour later and proudly showed me that she had cut down half of my shrubs and annihilated my much loved Christmas tree. She then started talking about cutting down the rest of my front garden. I said No Thank You. It's all there for a reason (bees and butterflies) She then asked how much I reckoned it would cost to replace the lot with AstroTurf (WTAF!?) Again I said NO. She was completely hammered and that can't have just happened in the hour since she got home 🤔 I told her I needed to sort dinner etc and eventually got rid. Sure enough, she has knocked three times since. No doubt even more pissed as a fart. I have ignored. She is a bloody nightmare!

I thankfully had my time out at the beach this morning. I cannot begin to explain my love for it's wild beauty, and my gratitude for the breathing space it gives me. I took some more photos, but they really don't do it justice. I have decided to take my towel down next week and have a paddle. I am also going to put my headphones on and play Greek music and pretend I am on holiday haha.

Photo from the beach today. I was the only person there, but was replaced by another solo soul once I got back up onto the Prom to take this pic.

@piscofrisco I was wondering what you had decided about the job. It’s good to hear you are very at home with your decision. It sounds challenging but so satisfying. You deserve a full and sunny Ascot day.

@RainbowZebraWarrior that beach is stunning. My Ds1 is heading down to Cornwall for the week, so I will have beach yearnings plentifully in my phone! Good Lord re the neighbour’s daughter! She’s lucky you didn’t take the saw to her car.

@RainbowZebraWarrior the ❤️ was for the photo of the beach.

🤬 this is for inebriated vandal neighbour.

beautiful bench @rzw.But your neighbours child! What a knobber. I’m sorry she has massacred your shrubs. I am livid on your behalf

Stunning beach @RainbowZebraWarrior could be somewhere tropical with that white sand and blue blue sky.
We're back from a wet and windy week in Wales. Not quite the weather we had hoped for but we had a nice time and dd4 loved being at the seaside. She made it her personal mission to collect every shell on the beach so I have a great big bucket of them cluttering up my utility room (DD had never heard of a utility room when we moved in and she calls it the New-tility room which I think it will be forever known as now!)
Well done on making the right decision for you @piscofrisco it sounds as though your job makes you very happy.

Morning all.

Pleased you enjoyed your Welsh holiday @Markknopflersheadband I am loving New-tility room!

I'd love to see some of your quilts @LatteLady I love quilts and have a few. Not made by me, sadly, my talents to not lie in sewing.

We are off into the city centre today. Mainly to go to DDs new favourite Pokemon shop. Then, I have promised to watch an Avengers movie with her then we are doing some tidying and crafting. I am just wondering what to prep for dinner. I fancy somwthing different. All in all, nice day planned, and the nutter next door had better not disturb it!

I have been awake half the night raging about her. Haven't had a proper look outside yet as I was too angry last night. I could honestly swing for the woman. She is impossible to deal with when she goes through spells like this. (Neighbour is in her early 70's and the delinquent, malingering freeloading pee-head daughter is 49 btw)

Hope everyone else has nice things planned today.

No one would blame you if you did @rzw!
i hope your day takes your mind off it a touch. I suppose the problem is that you will be re triggered by it every time you see it at first.

I wish we had a new tility room. We have a sort of washing machine area currently full of the recycling. Your DD sounds adorable @MarkknopflersheadbandI so miss mine being that age.

I am up early to go to a friends wellness event thingy-sort of guided mediations and such, that she is running to raise money for a church roof. Not my thing really, (though I do enjoy a sound bath-just not into breath work and things of that ilk largely because I can’t turn my head off for long enough). After that we are going to a nearby shopping outlet sort of place as DH discovered yesterday, (I’ve been telling him for three weeks), that he has to wear a suit for Ascot to get into the bit we are going to, and the DSS’s have grown out of all their clothes. Plus I’ve seen some silk shorts I want from M and S (which undoubtedly they will not have or won’t have in my size because that’s always the way).

Lovely Saturdays to us all

I've just been outside and yup, my neighbour has massacred my Christmas tree. There is also a massive gap in the hedge where their bay window can now look into my garden. Funny, they have been saying for a while that they 'can't see up the street' (Nosy Parkers) I've just watched her on my front camera. I don't know she was there or I would have stopped her.

16.41 and she is drunkenly staggering around my garden chopping aimlessly at anything and everything. Every time she stops to look for something else to chop, she is swaying from side to side. She will dress it up as "trying to help me" but she is just a total liability. I have only just started speaking to them after two years of not speaking. And the mother wonders why...

I am going to call around before leaving today and tell her she does not ever go in my garden again. I also need my hedge trimmer back which she took last night 🙄😡

Oh my actual goodness. That’s so awful. I mean it surely criminal behaviour isn’t it ? I’m so sorry this has happened to you. What a violation of your home :(

That's so awful @RainbowZebraWarrior - I'm very angry on your behalf!

@piscofrisco glad you made a decision on the job and it sounds like the right one for you. Happiness is very important.

I have yet to see a house with a newtility room - I would like one! Yesterday's house was nice (though a bit difficult to see under the huge amount of stuff the current tenant had in there) and I had made an appointment with the letting agent to discuss further - then I checked their reviews online and they are appalling. It's always a risk with landlords/ agents but seems unwise to go into that. So - onwards... not going to see the one I had booked tomorrow as they've snuck the rent up in the meantime.

Not entirely sure what I'm doing with my weekend now! It's very rainy and blustery out but I actually quite fancy walking in that so may venture out in a bit.