The Year Round Nigel Slater discussion thread part 6

[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

N.B. The Christmas Chronicles thread proper will start in late October, ready for the book beginning on 1st November (seems a long way off, but will be here before we know it!)

Excellent bargain there @RainbowZebraWarrior!

I went back to the gift shop and picked up St Eval sea salt tea lights, a box of the orange and cinnamon St Eval mini candles and a gorgeous gold coloured holder for them.

Now I am back at the holiday cottage planning a strategy day for the history CIC I'm a director of. We started something online 3 years ago and it's grown massively. One of our online posts got over a million views, we are selling out history events in under two hours and we have brought a 17th century building back into public use - but we've never really had a strategy! We need to think about what we want to do next. We've just landed some funding to run craft skills workshops for 18-25s but that was a whim and not by design. We're passionate amateurs in need of a bit of strategic rigour! So that's my job for the day

Hope you don’t mind me joining, I’ve been lurking here for a while!
I’ve been challenging my inner Nigel today, just made beetroot and horseradish soup with mackerel and Gruyère toasts for lunch. Felt nice and autumnal.

Oh that sounds fabulous @petitpasta!I have a history degree (which I never use) except to go down internet rabbit holes about obscure figures from the Wars of the Roses and random women in Tudor England. Do you need volunteers?!

Welcome welcome @ranoutofquinoaandproseccothat sounds more nigel than Nigel for an excellent thread debut :)

Mackerel and gruyere toasts sound utterly delicious.

A very hearty welcome to you. Lovely to have you here!

Wow that all sounds amazing. And you definitely did the right thing going back to the gift shop! 😀

Doesn't look like my butcher has his Christmas rang online yet. I did notice however that they are having some Special Evenings coming up. An hour learning butchery, a 2 course meal then take away some of the meat you butchered. £250 per person. I stepped away from the website at that point.

I've decided to go with Randall's Scotch butchers online. We can get a great value meat pack, I can add on some fruit pudding which I adore and is so hard to find elsewhere, some butteries for my Mum and half a dozen Mother's Pride Scottish plain loaves which we all love. Again, can't find it anywhere else, so everything we want from one place hurrah!!

@piscofrisco I remember your lovely apple day from last year. Crikey that's come round quick. We will be wassailing before we know it at this rate. I bought the cider last year but never got round to blessing the trees with it!

There is so much chat I want to catch up with here! @piscofrisco hope the apple day goes well, your post has just reminded me that I had planned to volunteer to help at our local one in a couple of weeks so I've just sent that email.

Was it someone here who mentioned the Cookbook Shop in Edinburgh? I'm up here for a few days and paid it a visit today, what a fabulous shop. Spend a very happy half hour or so pottering about and reading bits, ended up buying a book about the science of fermented foods and a pickle tea towel

Afternoon all (or evening? It’s grey out there …). I have briefly put the heating on as it’s so damp today and my joints are not brilliant. I must review our coal stores and order accordingly. I am taking a moment with a cuppa and a very large and lovely choccie biscuit from one of the localist artisan bakeries. It’s been a really busy couple of weeks and next week is also so (although partly at my own behest in going away for a couple of days as I have a giant birthday to celebrate!).

Good luck to everyone with ongoing child at university situations. I’m meeting a university friend tomorrow who is now dropping her own child off at a neighbouring uni. I hope the rain stops before then.

@petitpasta well Jel of that ticket price and even more Jel of the concert attendance. How lovely. We are pushing on with learning Belshazzar’s Feast with our choir. Last night’s rehearsal was better than last week’s and I trust that our Musical Director knows that we have it in us!

Hello there @ranoutofquinoaandprosecco welcome to a cosy corner. Your name sounds like my nightmare!

@ElegantDress see if you can book a meal at the mash place (makars mash). I think it gets booked up online weeks ahead but they do walk ins. You go along and leave your phone number. They’ll tell you how long for a wait (can be a couple of hours) and will text you when the table’s free. I think you only get a short while to get there but the food is good.

Afternoon all and welcome @ranoutofquinoaandprosecco, your lunch sounds wonderful.

Your organisation sounds really interesting @petitpasta

I wish I'd studied more history, we had terrible teachers at school so I dropped it as soon as I could. I've really been enjoying all the radio programmes (on 4 and 4 extra) surrounding the Bayeux Tapestry - both factual and dramatisations.

I had a NVN outing to B&M for cleaning stuff this morning - resisted the candle aisle! Then a walk in the park where the trees are showing some tiny hints of autumn. Smoked hummus (from Waitrose) and lemon & thyme flatbreads (from the Co-op) for lunch.

Been for a massage this afternoon and I'm not sure what oil she used but I smell great, lemongrass, rosemary and something I think. Then to the newest local cafe for cake to bring home (there were only two slices left so they gave me both for the price of one!).

@Bimblesalong thanks that's just round the corner from where I stay (this is a regular trip) and always has a queue outside. But I'm not a huge fan of mash or the sort of meals you eat it with.

Edinburgh is the right place for Autumn I think. Have a lovely time @ElegantDress
Two slices for one is the win @martha79. DH has got a too good to go bag this afternoon which was basically bread and two scones. So now we have four loaves of bread which I’ve no idea what we will do with. Some bargains are better than others. The Bakewell tart candle is Yorkshire candle co, you were right.

Where are out off to @bimbles?Lovely birthday trip is just the ticket

all is ready for Apple day but I’ve got an early start in the morning to feed Animals beforehand so I’m planning on a very early night with season 2 of Mobland (and I will not brook disturbance)

In antipation of being home for deliveries I have scoured Vinted and purchased some tan leather boots (BNWT £18, still on the John Lewis website for £79), an orange cashmere and wool M&S Autograph coat (looks in vgc, only £7!) and a silver grey velvet dress (Monsoon £8 BNWT!). Also bought 4 Mr Fitzpatricks sugar free cordials as I love them made with hot water in the winter. They have added a sugar free ginger cordial which I am keen to try out. All very autumnal purchases. The cordials feel very Nigelesque and will be perfect to accompany the CC readlong thread when we get going.

Nigel’s insta claims his new book is ‘taking shape’ klaxon

A vomunteer strategy is one of the things we need to work on! We have lots of offers but we want everyone to have roles that mean something to them. We have a interesting Tudor woman nearby - Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. Her part in the War of the roses is very interesting.

@petitpasta the purchases sound lovely - I must pick some of the cordials up somehow (I know they can be purchased online, but must look for local stockists).

@piscofrisco down to the Cotswolds and then to visit mum and have a family meal. I’m looking forward to it - and also to being home again after and enjoying autumnal activities. Auditing the coal and log supplies this weekend - particularly since there are apocalyptic peepings in the news about stocking up. But this is the Nigel thread, and no such thing shall enter!

Nigelesque squeaking re the new book - maybe a plume of white smoke from a Trudon candle?

I’ve got alot of respect for Margaret Beaufort-she was quite the woman, but I’ve always had her pegged as having done the Princes in the Tower in, (not personally obvs, but being behind it), so as a person who has a weird crush on Richard 3rd, she is my natural historical enemy.
If only she’d just shacked up with Jasper Tudor (who oddly enough was born in the bishops summer palace that was literally opposite my old house) she would have been much happier in my view.

The Trudon candle burning in the darkness shall be the sign of imminent publication!

Ive only ever been to the Cotswolds twice, and loved it. The area I live in now styles itself as ‘the Notswolds’ (because it does in fairness look similar in the villages and such but with less of the price tag, or the SoHo farmhouse-though we are soon getting a Nobu version of the same thing allegedly), which always makes me laugh.

He posted "that book won't write itself" on 1st Feb, so he's been working on this for quite some time! It's going to be a good 'un!

Love the idea of white smoke from a Trudon candle signalling the New Book.

Love the fact that that he still goes to see opening Toast performances. Also loved his little video of the cheesecake love.

Begging any of the theatres near me to Please schedule in a Toast performance.

Tired. Cold. Need tea. Wish cat had opposable thumbs and was suddenly magically able to make a brew. Might just shove my coat on and go to a café.

Happy Saturday all

@Bimblesalong enjoy the Cotswolds, my DS was at uni in Gloucestershire and I had some lovely visits to the area when dropping him off and picking him up, I miss it.

Thank you for welcoming me all and I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who loves a good history program!
I’ve got a shepherds pie cooking for tomorrow lunch at the moment and then this afternoon I’m off for a walk with a couple of friends which should be lovely.

I also love the Cotswolds. Been donkeys years since I've been!

I had a bacon and brie sandwich and a Costa mocha sitting in the sunshine and conker picking under my favourite trees. There is now a brass plaque on one of them where one of the school Mums is remembered. She passed away of MND last summer. It also has a big wide yellow ribbon tied around it and is adorned with dozens of sunflowers. A beautiful tribute for a wonderful lady.

I often forget that we have an amazing outlet place in our village. One of those places you drive past every day, but barely notice. It's literally two streets away, and usually quiet early on, so I called in there. They have an incredible candle selection and the kitchen ware Dept is just a complete haven of must have bargains! The Christmas shop was also 'open' and I have ended up with a bit of a christmas list which I shall be passing to DD.

Among other things, I got a new pudding bowl after the one I ordered from Vinted last year went astray. I also admired this crazy NVN fur Christmas tree. It made me go "Ooh" as I passed it and I had to stroke it! A snip at a mere £300

Also love the Cotswolds. Lovely part of the world. Have family from around there so been a couple of times.

off for lunch with a close friends. Then bracelet shopping with do. Lost my favourite one that he got me for Christmas a couple of years ago and he said he’d buy me a replacement.

@RainbowZebraWarriormy dog would adore that Christmas tree she likes fluffy things

Bath and unwind have a 3 for 3 offer on Christmas gifts with code EARLYBIRD.

They sell St Eval among many other lovely brands like Neom and Aromatherapy Associates. The seasonal St Eval candles are included in the offer. As is the St Eval advent calendar!

Free delivery over £25

Thought it might be useful.

www.bathandunwind.com/christmas-2026/