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!)

I would love to replace our doors (they are crap) but money still tight at the moment (when will the end of the tunnel appear?!) so have settled for buying draft proofing stuff which I absolutely have to do soon (along with the bulbs and lawn!).

Tbh it's all a bit difficult at the moment. H is away most of the time until Xmas so most of the house/children stuff is on me. It shouldn't be exhausting, but it is. Work also super-busy at the moment. It's like having two jobs and I don't really have enough in me to do one.

Oh well, just keep swimming.

Out back door is rotten wood, so needs to be replaced because we are fairly sure that our insurers wouldn't pay out a claim if anyone broke in.

Oh gosh. I can see daylight round the sides of mine too and the rain comes in underneath if the wind is driving it that way. It then swells and sticks. Such fun! It's next on my list...

It's an utter nightmare. I have an idea of what stuff costs, but it's never what I think. Most doors these days are a couple of grand fitted I think. I am reckoning on 2k per window plus vat. Any more, and it won't be doable for me. It has taken me 14 months to save a thousand pounds from earnings from my scarecrow festivals and christmas markets etc. The rest will have to be borrowed.

I'd also love a porch, but fear I would need a lotto win for that!!

This is always what I worry about. Same as my 'garage' which is falling down. I worry in case the roof were ever to come off in a storm.

I hear you and I'm sending hugs.

It is exhausting. Property is always a worry and a cost, and kids take all of our emotional and physical energy. I've been a single parent since DD was a baby, and I admit I get really envious of the couples in my street who earn a really good double income and are always jetting off on holiday and getting extensions done. One of my neighbours showed me photos of their beautiful new extension during the summer. (He's always moaning about being skint). He said "You should do it. It only cost us £45k" Yeah mate, I'm a disabled single parent on PIP 🙄

Just keep swimming indeed x

Just sharing a little bargain. These tins are £1.50 in B&M. They are really big (like a large utensil holder) and I am thinking I might use one to hold some gardening hand tools and the other one I might use for growing Greek basil in or something.

Also, I have been trying to get ahead and get my Mum's Christmas cards sorted. Couldn't resist this one (I have told her she can send it to me!) It's from Whistlefish

I love Whistlefish! They have a lot of 'Christmas village' themed cards, I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. Having said that, I bought RNLI cards this year with a local illustration because I wanted to show support for them.

Oh I bought aaaaallll the village ones. I've just gone through them (I divide them between Me and Mum) and they are totally gorgeous. I have local cards too that I send to friends and family abroad. Sadly, I used to send beautifully snowy Sycamore Gap ones, but we all know what happened there. Few more years and it will be photo-worthy again.

Those cards are lovely! I was thinking of getting RNLI ones this year too, and maybe a couple of their Christmas decorations, they've got some nice seaside themed ones.

I've been tipped over the edge by the neighbours today - yesterday and today we've had really loud bass-thumping music from about 3pm-6pm (my colleagues could even hear it when I was on a Teams meeting with them). Tried knocking on their door but they didn't answer (possibly couldn't hear it over the music), so have left them a note saying that they perhaps don't realise how much the sound travels, but it's been really loud on various occasions (e.g. music and loud voices, didn't mention the squeaky bed) and there are people trying to work from home/ hear their own TV/ just relax quietly. Also mentioned that there are more viewings for the empty flat this week and it won't give a good impression if the building is noisy - I think they know we all have the same landlady so hopefully won't be wanting to upset her (they don't know that it's actually me helping out again by showing people the flat - they may think the landlady will be round.... 😈). I feel quite anxious about it all - I hate confrontation - whilst knowing that I'm in the right.

Started watching The Reluctant Vampire, it's quite sweet!

I too was shocked at the price of news doors and windows for our old house. We had to do the door as the old one was knackered , but we settle for having our old white PVC window frames spray painted black and it looked great for a fraction of the cost. The windows themselves were ok though in terms of the glass and that.

I feel for you @MichaelmasDaisiesAndAutumSunset. When the DD’s were 3 and 4 then H went to work away for four months in run up to Christmas leaving me with nursery, DD1’s first term at school, a full time full on job an hour and a half away, christmas prep and a house to pack up as we were joining him in the January. He waltzed back in on Christmas Eve just as the moving truck was going round the corner. I was shaking with exhaustion and spent all Christmas in bed with the flu. It nearly ended me. Please ensure you ask for and take any available help or shortcuts you can and try to rest when you can.

I love those tins and that card @RainbowZebraWarrior. I’ve also got the RNLI cards @leporellofor the same reason.

A day that started in thick fog and ended up sweltering again whilst we herded up some new sheep to check their teeth.
it’s meant to be colder tomorrow I believe. I’m going to Leeds for the day with Dh as he has a work thing, and I am tagging along to look around as I don’t think I’ve been back for more than an hour or so for a gig, since I was at uni there. I think it will have changed immeasurably.

DD2 and DSS2 have what looks like Covid. Just waiting for everyone else to get it. Though I’m convinced that’s what I had, and I am probably patient A in this house. Next I will probably get the Russian plague knowing my luck. That poor scientist.

Sorry about the neighbours @martha79. I’m very noise sensitive and it would really stress me out too.

Doors are a theme. I’ve got a joiner round to sort out some dodgy bits on my garden room. I asked him to look at our draughty front door and really, it needs replacing. I told eh this years ago and he is still resisting as it matches the doors on the other houses along our cottages (also over 100 years old). It is tiresome!

maybe I should get your door guys out to give me a quote @Celiathebanshee 😬😵‍💫

Ah @piscofrisco thats crap re the Covid. There’s a lot about. I’m going in as few indoor places as I can at present but I know it’ll get me at some point.

@martha79 thats rubbish behaviour from your neighbours. Hopefully they’ll sort themselves out or you will need to escalate it to LL

my friends in Barcelona managed to walk down and up the mountain to get supplies today. The roads all around them are flooded and caved in. There are plans to fix the track to their place up the mountain as they can’t drive out and obviously have medical stuff and food to sort by car. Fortunately it stopped raining long enough today but my friend sent me pictures of the many trees across the tracks he used on one of the “prehistoric routes” to the town a couple of hours walk away. What’s going to happen about the landslip on their property, they don’t yet know - no idea how the insurance adjuster will reach them. I guess they’ll have to wait until the very many roads are fixed.

Gosh I had no idea about Barcelona @Bimblesalong

Sorry about the lurgy @piscofrisco, we have a couple of people off at work with covid, there does seem to be a surge at the moment.

Don't know if the neighbours have seen the note yet - I stuck it to their door then hid with my headphones on for a bit - but it's quieter and they're having what sounds like quite a subdued conversation, so possibly. Probably complaining about me ruining their fun!

@RainbowZebraWarrior You are a temptress, I am not, repeat not, looking at Whistlefish... back in the 80s I worked at Camden Graphics, we were dotted around Camden Passage with the warehouse backing onto the Canal in Islington, so I love cards, posters and graphics, in general... so no, I am not looking... much.

I have had a number of arty things arriving for post hysterectomy, including a new set of water colours, pens, pencils and papers... as I am useles at art, but I have book marked a number of art lessons on Insta to play with. And, because I always used egg cups for water when I painted as a child, I might have found my nursery set from 68 yrs ago...

Meant to share this earlier, not my photos but from a social media post from the local walled garden 😍

Very happy to share details (or maybe wait until we’ve had it fitted!) but I don’t think the modern composite door we are installing on our unsightly 1970s house will really go with your lovely old cottage. You probably need a skilled joiner … or to get together with your neighbours and all go modern together!

@Celiathebanshee oh pants! Yep, bespoke joinery sounds scarily expensive. I shall envy your warm frontage whilst I work it out!

@BimblesalongI used a company called Past Times (I think they are national) to renovate my old listed front door. They sort of retained a sliver of the original door and built a new one that looked the same but worked better around it. Hella expensive though.

Barcelona looks insane-your poor friends

Thats such a coincidence @LatteLadyI used to live just off the end of Camden Passage way back when.The Camden head was my local and we still sometimes go on a Sunday for a stroll along Upper Street and a bit of lunch at Gallipoli if we are in London.

Our house goes on the market today, at the worst possible time for house selling. I don’t think it will be bought for a long while if at all, but I suppose you never know.

up early with the Doggo’s and it feels pleasantly chilly for the first time since May!

Pisco - I am amazed you are still alive! We may do a lot of "movie afternoons". It's not the best but it's also not forever. I'm just dreading late November which is traditionally when everyone gets ill.

I just bought one of these calendars. I really don't need another one, but I couldn't resist it. https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESdgHrOzAVvYtvxsr2QnfsUjPoH7Jh2XvmVxhImP8fV8znbhep5XkvLml8UwjbCNiH1B44WXQDEnupp61LeiHFDR8V5Hg9f2Xj-kASMacAYz1gvgkDCLSxO15j9W3FOG6iuMgEys0x3Kp0rOQYjTFrFwMWH1Rtz7o

movie afternoons are a winner. As for us were mini spa days where I would do the girls a little natural face mask and stick cut cucumbers on their eyes and they would lie down for half an hour 😂

They are lovely, and I am very tempted! Although DD usually buys me a Snoopy one and Mum gets me Emma Bridgewater's.

My window quote has come through and I can afford it! I could cry as I finally feel like I've done a responsible adult thing in saving all my pennies for over a year, and taking my head out of the sand as to the fact that my disgusting old ones were / are making my home damp, and therefore making me feel miserable. I would have done it ages ago, but kept putting off thinking it would be just one more thing that was yet again beyond my means. Hurrah for Sensibly Priced Things for once! (Same amazing family company that did my roof last year, so in good hands; not a cowboy)

@martha79 I am so angry on your behalf. Inconsiderate neighbours are the worst and it is so upsetting as it can feel so personal that they just don't give a f*ck. Sending hugs and hoping you can get something sorted via landlord or whatever.

I found two new Denby colonial blue mugs in a charity shop this morning for £1.50 and this adorable Swedish glass Kosta Boda vase for 75p.

Really need to put the iris bulbs in the ground if I can. It is damp and cold (9 degrees 🙄) but I am going to try.

Sorry, need to catch up with other posts as feel I have missed stuff.

Is it the Year in Britain one @sueelleker ? I'm getting a few on the link but that one is really lovely.

I feel like I'm in the start of a farce this evening. Neighbours were hammering earlier, which seemed like an unusual response to being asked to be quiet. But then they went out and I heard them very deliberately creeping up the stairs when they got back and whispering about having to keep quiet 😂

Was expecting someone to view the other flat at 6pm, but at about 5.15 I heard the upstairs neighbours go down and answer the door and then talking to someone about a viewing. Obviously they didn't know I was doing them, so they went off to text the landlady and left these people standing in the hallway. So I thought I'd better go and rescue them - was a young Eastern European guy (student here on a degree apprenticeship) with his parents, who didn't grasp that I wasn't the landlady and kept trying to impress me with what a lovely, polite young man he is. He doesn't drink or smoke and is very quiet apparently! Then they were asking about how to sign up to rent the place and it turns out the landlady had said viewings were this evening but hadn't actually confirmed with them, they'd just turned up!

Then the 6pm lady came and she was really nice - took to her straight away and I would like her to be my neighbour. Only thing is she asked about noise from the other flats, and I didn't want to say "upstairs have been a nightmare" so I said they've only just moved in, there's a bit of noise obviously with moving furniture and stuff but I think they'll be OK now they've settled (because I absolutely will set the landlady on them if there's any more nonsense. She texted "I owe you one" when I told her the story of the people with no appointment and to confirm 6pm lady had been, so my already strong position as a tenant is extra good now).

Gosh it's getting dark early - this is an added complication of the flat viewings as a few people have wanted to come late evening but the electricity is off and because it's pre-payment (and the emergency credit has run out as far as I can tell) nobody can actually top it up even though the key is there. So anything from about 6.30pm would have to be by torchlight!

Anyway, apologies for the essay! I have been mostly NVN so far this week, but I did get some really nice sourdough bread today and have been working my way through the gammon I cooked the other day.

@martha79 that is pathetic and juvenile from those twits of neighbours. At least the new possible lady sounds lovely and the parents of the young man sounded very sweet.

Sorry to hear of possible covid your neck of the woods @piscofrisco and also to hear of your house gping on the market. I didn't realise you had decided to sell. Hope you are ok about it as I thought you hoped to return.

3 degrees here, and it seems the nurse I saw on Monday has passed me whatever lurgy she admitted she had to me. I'm going back to bed between the school run, as I'm not coping well with my everyday pain and fatigue as it is.

Almost Friday.

Hugs to all.