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!)

We live just on the edge of the Cotswolds. It's a beautiful part of the world. If I can make any recommendations (particularly for the South Cotswolds) @Bimblesalong please let me know. Hope you have a lovely time.
Grey and windy here today. Been for a walk around a local lake, dd4 was excited to find some conkers. Came home and made Welsh cakes with cranberry and white chocolate. Not sure how many chocolate chips were eaten before they made it into the dough!

Just realising that I don't know exactly where the Cotswolds covers and having to google... but I used to have friends who lived really close to Blenheim Palace and family near Bath, so I have been round there a bit, though not for years.

The fluffy tree looks fun @RainbowZebraWarrior

Quiet day here, had a slightly soggy walk first thing then I've mainly been reading and napping. Did an Ocado shop to arrive tomorrow and noticed I now have the Christmas stock showing up, but didn't spot anything particularly exciting. I did order some of their Apothecary range diffuser refill, as I tidied up the entrance hallway downstairs yesterday (decided that the pile of leaflets and post for people who obviously haven't lived here for a while could go) and found a couple of empty diffuser bottles. I can't have them in the house because the liquid is bad for cats, and my cats would absolutely knock them over, so nice to be able to spread a bit of scented joy to the stairwell! I'm also looking forward to getting some figs and blackberries, the much-praised M&S stain removing wipes, and some NVN spicy instant noodles.

Just back from Apple day which was a great success, and went and snuck a visit to the hairdresser on afterwards which was way overdue and very needed.
I now fancy a fluffy Christmas tree too. I think the Dogs would eat it :(

Pleased it went well and that you managed to sneak a visit to the hairdresser too.

Sorry to bring the thread to this level, but Mr Darcy would likely hump the fluffy Christmas tree, as nowt fluffy escapes his grips unfortunately!

We also had a rather soggy and windy walk today. I am currently trying to beat the sunset by sitting outside, but the darkness is approaching fast.

We are back from Northumberland and have unpacked and the washing has commenced. We are just enjoying some of this delicious charcuterie : https://www.charcuterie-hereford.co.uk/product-page/4-cuts-hamper. Definitely ordering some for Christmas!

Tomorrow is drying said washing and waterproofing my winter boots. This will obviously herald the arrival of a late heatwave but it needs to be done!

Tomorrow will also involve batch cooking shepherds pie and attempting to make a red thai curried butternut squash soup . Hopefully like the gorgeous national trust one I had this week. I will also make a batch of cheese scones and try freezing some. Fruit scones survive freezing quite well but I have never frozen cheese ones before.

Thank you for the Cotswolds love and offers of help. Appreciated.

I grew up quite near there and in the school holidays would take the “spook special” free bus from our town to the Morton in the Marsh weekly market. North Cotswolds but still pretty. My dad’s aunt and uncle had a shoe stall so it was good to see them. I recall a few trips out to Bourton on the water and suchlike. Hoping for good weather!

I’ve met with a college friend today, nearly 40 years on. We met in Manchester as she was dropping g her child off for uni. Lovely to talk of good times, pay phones, handwitten letters, typewriters and cassette tapes. We had a lovely time around a Lowry exhibition. A good use of spoons.

Ah Bourton on the water. I had been going to mention there. What a stunning place, but what a nightmare it must be to live somewhere so rammed with people in summertime.

It's sooooo dark! I woke up thinking it was maybe 4am. Sunrise isn't until almost 7am today. When did that happen? It's really snuck up on me this year I say that every year

<goes back to hide under the duvet>

Didn’t the residents of Bourton on the water stage a sit in on the Green recently to protest against all the tourists? It must be a colossal pain. I live somewhere that’s recently become a hit with the instagrammers but nowhere near that scale and even here it’s annoying. You can’t go out for a bun without someone in the corner talking into one of those wee fluffy clip on microphones or arranging their teapot aesthetically to film.

I’ve no plans for today except for slow cooking a huge beef brisket for today and to make other things with during the week. And Laundry. Endless Laundry.

I can imagine they probably did. It just swarms with folk in summer and it can't be fun not being able to go down to your local pub as it's constantly full. Ditto Diddly Squat.

I feel a bit like that about Tynemouth as it's been the place everyone wants to hang out at for a while now. Just come back from the market and I am just so sick of endless people and cars. Also, we now have two "Irish Taverns" (why? Why are they even a thing outside Ireland?? Is it just to appeal to the stag and hen brigades?) in the main street. The main street is only about 250 metres long and it's just full of pissed people every Fri / Sat / Sun night. I'm pleased I live a couple of miles down the road and not actually in Tynemouth, beautiful as it is.

The Instagrammers also get on my wick at Whitley. A couple of times I realised I was on cam in the background against my will over the summer whilst some knobhead squealed "Imma at the beeeeeeach. Yas Queeeen!"

Oh! That reminds me. There was a lady in Sainsbury's the other day recording a radio show. As in, she was shopping, and scanning her shopping whilst music played loudly on her phone speaker and every couple of minutes she would holler "Hey everyone, that was Fleetwood Mac. Coming up, it's the big quiz, then we will be talking to Rosalin about colonic irrigation" or some such. It was mad. Everyone was staring and laughing. I stood with a few of the staff (I used to work there) And just said What the AF? The world has lost it's collective mind!

That also reminds me of a date I went on with a local radio DJ about 8 years ago in a lovely Thai restaurant in Tynemouth - which is now an Irish Tavern - He just bellowed constantly and fired questions at me like I was a contestant on a radio competition "RIGHT MY FRIEND, what are we having to drink / for stater / main..." I had to shout back at him to tone his sodding Tony Blackburn act down and said no to a second date. I received a toes curling text from him later that night saying "what part of I Really Like You do you not understand?"

Got two notifications this morning of Lotto wins. One was £3 on Thunderball and another was £1. Looks like my plans for a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere are on hold for another week.

I shoved a half leg of lamb in the crockpot at 6am, so it's a slow cooked dinner for me too. I'm just waiting for the roasties to do their thing then will pop some round to Mum's on our way to the woods.

Is it not half term yet....?

saw this vase for sale yesterday in an antiques stall. That mauve shade of purple is my favourite colour so had to have it. It has a bit of age to it as it has the potter maker and number on the bottom along with W.germany. Later on I found out I had won in the premium bonds the exact amount I paid for it so seen it as a bit of a win.

That's lovely @CrushingOnRubies and how nice that your winnings paid for it!

😂 at your descriptions @RainbowZebraWarrior but it is annoying, people are so loud and performative. I've not encountered a lot of the influencer types, except for a weird experience in spring a couple of years ago, where there's a big patch of cherry trees behind the station and I stumbled across a lot of VERY dressed up youngsters (being sort of fairy princesses in enormous dresses) posing amongst the blossom. I was going home from a long run and reckon I ruined quite a few photos with my sweaty self in running gear 🤣

So far today, I've met my new upstairs neighbour/ rescued her from being stuck outside as she was having trouble with the front door. Ocado have been and I've tidied said front door area and refilled the diffusers (I got 'Restore' which is cedar, eucalyptus, geranium and lavender and smells like a lovely spa). All overlooked by our little stained glass window which makes me smile when it's sunny.

Twas meant to be! It's hard to see on the photo, but is it lustreware?

My charity shop bargain today is these two little brass bowls. They are small, like dipping bowls, but really really heavy. £1.25 each

I'm back from dropping DD off at university yesterday. It went well - her room was clean and very nice, the halls she's staying in are spacious with a really nice kitchen/dining room/sitting room per flat and then bigger common areas and little study nooks and a gym on the ground floor. Her flatmates seem very nice so far, and she has reported that the bed is extremely comfortable. We had a mooch around the local charity shops where there were some great bargains - I got a lovely cardigan/jacket and DS found a backpack which he needed as his schoolbag broke.

None of this is particularly Nigel, but I'm planning my meals for next week so might look for some inspiration from him for that. And I'm off for a swim in a lake.this afternoon, which feels in the spirit of the thread.

I have never been to the Cotswolds, but I mostly associate the place names with Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynnne Jones which had a huge influence on me as a bookish child.

quite possibly it is an iridescent glaze on what feels like a stoneware pot. It’s certainly got a bit of weight to it and a solid base

Performative but with zero sense of self awareness seems to be the new thing!

I love a stained glass window @martha79 and is that the M&S Apothecary range? I am just sitting here looking at the 'Restful' wellbeing fragrance thinking to myself ooh. Where did you come from? You're rather nice! I imagine it came out of last year's M&S advent. Iirc they do a mega half price deal on a big Apothecary hamper around the end of November.

Ooh, I've just remembered this stone I found on the beach earlier in the week and retrieved it from the car. I knew when I saw it that it would make the ideal quirky candle holder as it had an almost perfectly round indentation. One of my rolled beeswax numbers fits like a glove.

Free household ornament!

@CrushingOnRubies , that vase is lovely, and looks magnificent with those flowers.

@martha79 I use the Restore hand soap. I have a big refill pouch and use it in foaming dispensers so it lasts for ages.

That all sounds so exciting for your DD @UnimaginableWindBird I never did uni. I did further education much later in life. Enjoy your lake swim. The wind is crazy here so I hope it's nice and calm where you are!

Woods time for us now. I hope all the leaves don't blow off the trees before they have a chance to properly turn. I have totally given up picking my pots up (and my garden bin!)

Lovely bowls, candle holder, vase and stained glass! All reasons why this thread is lovely!

Very productive day here: 8 portions of shepherds pie, 4 lunches of thai red curry butternut squash soup, 8 breakfast portions of blueberry and almond baked oats, 11 pairs of shoes waterproofed, 4 pairs of shoes waterproofed and 4 loads of washing done. I'm just enjoying a moment in the garden as it's a perfect temperature for sitting out- well it is if you're a half Irish, alabaster skinned, menopausal woman with a very narrow comfortable temperature range...🤣

It is Apothecary @RainbowZebraWarrior - I also really like the Warmth scent, might swap the diffusers to that when they run out, for winter.

@UnimaginableWindBird it's such a nice scent. I've got Wild refillable handwash at the moment but am a bit fed up with the limited scents (and they discontinued my favourite), so I might swap over once my current stash runs out.

That's an impressive day @petitpasta!

Wow that is a proper Nigel lunch! Sounds delicious.
I missed the mention of the cookbook shop in Edinburgh (and just went to the excellent secondhand book shop in the grass market, and to toppings when I was there last weekend!) - will add to my list for our next visit.
Love the Lowry, @Bimblesalong and happy birthday in advance of your big day! When I was a teenager (very long ago) I saw the northern ballet company’s Lowry ballet and it was fabulous. They should revive it.
I’ve been CLEANING today as we have friends coming for dinner/overnight on their way back from dropping their child at uni. We know him well but her not very well at all only that she is very fancy (but nice!) so probably not used to dust and clutter - and our spare room has not been occupied for some months so was all dust and clutter. Well I’ve just heard that only he is coming for various reasons - she’s been held up (can’t bear to leave the child). Still, I have much less dust than I did yesterday and that has to be good. And I made a huge veggie lasagne and now there will be lots of leftovers.
Into hospital for a shoulder op tomorrow so any good vibes (and leftovers that don’t require attention!) gratefully received.
Beautiful vase @CrushingOnRubies and @RainbowZebraWarrior I don’t even think Irish taverns are a thing inside Ireland because surely there they are just taverns 🤣
We went to our local tavern (not Irish) last night as it was reopening after a change of management. No significant changes to report except there was loud 80s pop music also people now seem to be allowed to vape inside. Hopefully just teething trials which will both ease back again soon! I like karma chameleon as much as the next woman but I also like to hear the person I am sitting next to. And with that, I realise I am properly and officially old 🤣

Good luck for your op @Celiathebanshee

I have Nigelled...

Thanks. Are those massive blackberries or tiny figs?

Apologies for not being around so much... am sorting out the last of the toms before I raze the bed, they have been so good this year. Went up to the Farmer's Market in Blackheath to buy a few more Violas for the window boxes and then planted Hyacinths and Muscari in new terra cotta pots after lunch... got some lovely cheeses from the Sheep people and the Welsh people as well as tasty pies from the South African Pie Lady.

And I am going to try and shove this in nonchalantly, I was diagnosed with Endometrial Endometrioid Cancer Type 1 this week... bit unexpected as 90% of post menopausal bleeding is something and nothing, so a haze of scans etc, this week. One of the hospitals I was sent to, was Queen Mary's in Sidcup (the scanner in our local hospital was being repaired) and they have a wonderful display about Harold Gillies and Tom Kilner who revolutionised Oral and Plastic Surgery and the vast majority of my nursing career was spent in Oral & Maxillo-Facial Surgery, so I was in my happy place!

However, when I got home, I discovered that my door lock decided to jam, fine I thought, I will climb through the kitchen window, but I was on a garden chair that wobbled and ended up splayed on the patio... I spent several moments deciding whether to shout for help and then realised that someone might tell me off for trying to do this. About 10 mins later, one of the other flat dwellers appeared (there are four flats here) and climbed through to let me in... My shins, elbow and pride are somewhat bruised. Am now awaiting the decisions of the MDTs about treatment, post hysterectomy.

In prep for my lying abed, I have purchased another unfinished quilt, which should be done for Christmas and I also bought some watercolours and brushes, but I have suddenly realised that I have no egg cups. Anyone who grew up in the 1960s will know, that egg cups are integral to painting at home, so am currently choosing some from e-Bay to fill the gap... but it will mean that I shall be able to keep up with early Nigel reading.

What lovely glass @martha79 and a great choice of fragrance - I love a restore candle. Those figs are gorgeous!

@UnimaginableWindBird that all sounds super. It’s reassuring to know the dcs are in decent accompaniment. I hope the swim was good - is the water still holding summer heat?

Thanks @Celiathebanshee I must admit, I took someone to task for vaping in the same area as me in our local pub. I don’t need any more cancer!

so very sorry to hear your news, @LatteLady It sounds like you’re prepping well for the treatment. This thread was such a haven for me when I was going through my operations and chemo. Take it steady. 💐

We have garden centred, purchased spring bulbs and some brightly coloured violas to cheer the garden as we go into autumn. The dahlias are finally doing their thing although did not get going as they should do to all that heat.