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!)

Sorry to hear that @RainbowZebraWarrior I hope things improve soon.

@piscofrisco I remember how self-conscious I was when I had my brows done, they do fade!

@Bimblesalong enjoy the wedding!

I have just booked myself onto a Gospel singing workshop in Winchester Cathedral which should be fun, a few people I know are also going, there has been chat on whatsapp.

DD is coming home from uni for part of each of the next three weekends for various reasons, I have just been on the phone with her making sure I have all the dates written down as she will need picking up and dropping off variously from her house, the station etc. This is partly because she is working some Saturdays at a venue halfway between home and uni and we have been looking at trains and realised there are (unreliable) bus replacements on some of the days so it is easier to come home the night before and go from here. We are taking advantage of her being back the weekend of the 24th to go and see the Ghosts film together, looking forward to that.

I have been driving around the countryside quite a lot this week and have been struck with how vividly green everything still is, after the summer of drought and yellowness. The trees are starting to turn and I think we are in for a stunning display from sycamores everywhere. It is so mild still. Yesterday was a cold start at 8ºC but today started at 17º again and got really warm by lunchtime, when I went shopping I stuck a hoody on over my teeshirt and was far too hot in it.

We have pumpkins and squashes agogo on the farm. The only things that have behaved as they should during the long hot growing season.
A Balmy 23 degrees today and still very green of leaf mostly though some things have dramatically turned this week it seems.

Eesh, the horse is indeed from that charity @RainbowZebraWarrior but because he was already on the transport truck and his placement broke down my friend and I went halves on the donation towards the transport. So a big but not runious outlay should it all go awry. We’ve seen various videos of him (but of course we can’t know what he will be like until he comes). If nothing else he will have somewhere safe and warm to live but all being well we can get him back to happy hacking about the place at some point. I’ve just bought myself a grooming kit that would have very much pleased my 14 year old self (the grooming is in fact my favourite bit so he can expect to be very well brushed as a minimum).
Sorry you are not feeling back to health. It’s a horror of a recovery period I found.

Your Winchester cathedral thing sounds brilliant @leporello. And how lovely to have DD home a bit. I don’t think DD2 will be home until Christmas now.

If anything the ‘brows may get darker even tomorrow before they start to fade a bit. Had to wear a hat with a long peak today as they are currently a bit much!

Sorry I meant @ElegantDress

Will we see a picture of the ‘fit @Bimblesalong? It sounds very stylish! As does your lovely dress @leporello. I’m due to go to black tie party next Friday and haven’t got a thing to wear to it, and I’ve just spent all my money on a questionable gee gee 🫣

Vinted is your friend! But be quick.

I have also just had brows done and feel strangely glowery every time I see my reflection.

Fingers crossed for the horse, @piscofriscoand yes to Vinted for your fancy outfit.

I've seen publicity for that gospel workshop, @ElegantDress, it looks great. I'm planning a little expedition to Winchester before Christmas, Dd1 is interested at looking around the uni and I want to see the Hospital of St Cross which recently came to my attention and looks gorgeous.

Hope the worst of the covid horror is passing now @RainbowZebraWarrior, thinking of you and sending Nigel candle and nourishing soup vibes. Take care.

I hope you feel better soon @RainbowZebraWarrior. I had such a weird smell/taste phase with covid where lots of things smelled chemically, especially bread. I thought my toaster was melting when I used it but it was just the heat combined with the weird chemically fumes smell 🤷

Fingers crossed all works out well with the horse @piscofrisco

Feeling colder today, it's rather nice. Not got much in the way of plans except a massage in the middle of the day. I made a lamb and butternut squash stew/ soup yesterday, very much enjoying that.

@piscofrisco thirding the Vinted recommendation. I got my last ball dress from there, worn once, RRP was almost £200 and I paid £30 and got £25 back when I resold it!

I actually have a small vinted balance atm but have nothing to buy. I'm really pleased with the things I picked up over the summer that I don't feel I need anything at all. Although some autumnal weather would be welcome so I can wear the lovely cord dresses and orange cashmere coat I bought! 21C yesterday, ridiculous!

I bought a lazy meal from M&S yesterday in my way back from a work meeting in Coventry. I picked up some chocolate wafer cylinder things with peppermint filling at the same time. What a disappointment! Barely any peppermint taste and not very chocolatey either. Even DS declined a second one and he would have hoofed the lot down if they'd been nice. Ah well, at least I was able to stock up on baking brie as it was discounted...although I suspect this also means it's been discontinued which is sad.

A busy weekend here. Hoping to see a longstanding friend who has a brain tumour and is having surgery soon on Sunday. We've also got a leadership day at a charity I'm a trustee at and I had a session sprung on me yesterday so I urgently need a plan for that...by 9.30 tomorrow morning!

We have an ancient hedgerow across the road from our house which is usually full of berries at this time of year but it's a much reduced show this year and I do wonder what our birds are going to eat to get them through the winter. I presume this is due to our very hot summer.

Has anyone else heard doom laden predictions of a bitterly cold winter?

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@leporello Winchester was the first uni I looked round with DS (it wasn’t a proper open day because of covid restrictions, just walked round, we were both very taken with it, but it is, I would say, subject dependent, strong in many of the vocational subjects, perhaps not so much in the traditional academics. DS decided against because the course wasn’t right for him, but I know a few who have been there. You must go to St Cross, I had a mooch round a few years ago late in the day in November, it was very atmospheric.

Also re the workshop, I have attended a smaller one by the same leader and he was very good, so I’m really looking forward to this.

The workshop sounds great @ElegantDress - I think I might try something like that next year, rather than the more traditional choral ones, for a change.

I've been for my massage and came home via the Danish bakery (there's also a cinnamon and cream cheese one but it got a bit squished in my bag).

One of my earliest memories… I must have been 3.5 years old. And a man was playing the didgeredoo outside Winchester cathedral. I was fascinated by it. Never heard a noise from such a pipe before

it’s finally half term. Not much planned except rest and catching up on house work. Which gets left behind when it’s a full working week and full on weekends.

@ElegantDress
St Cross looks beautiful. DH is hoping to retire in a few years and we regularly plan where we’d like to go away to. Lots of European city breaks but the UK has some gorgeous places to visit too.
Alaska is at the top of my bucket list and Vietnam has always been at the top of his, which is where we’re going in March. Feeling a little bit anxious as it’s completely out of our comfort zone! We’re going in a group tour so that takes the edge off.

Having a lazy morning, just taken in the food delivery, now I need to get off the sofa and walk the hell hound.
Looks lovely and bright outside. Hope it’s not chilly as my usual dog walking jacket is still soaked from yesterday’s deluge.

Hello all.
I’ve been between reading Nigel Slaters book
and listening to it on audio book.

can someone please remind me of the bell tower website he suggested on christmas Eve/christmas morning? I can’t find that part.

Hi there. It's R4's Bells on Sunday I believe. I think if you go on it on Christmas Eve, it will show which services / bell ringing is coming up on Christmas morning.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006sgsh

Thank you so much @RainbowZebraWarrior

How are you feeling today @RainbowZebraWarrior ?

I managed to eat 2 slices of toast with marmite last night (I had made a lovely seeded loaf just as I became ill, so sliced it and froze it) It was delicious and I didn't feel sick. Today I was up at 5am as I had a sudden urge to scrub and oil my wooden chopping boards. That's a definite sign of feeling better I'd say 😆

Thank you for asking, my lovely ❤️ Traitors has helped energise and entertain me these past couple of nights and DD and I adore Miranda, so pleased to see her doing so well.

Hello all

Hope everyone is ok. I have missed quite a bit this week so sorry as I'm not great at remembering stuff atm.

Just to say that I will be starting this year's CC thread on Friday 23rd. As always, it gives us all time to prepare and read the intro (or in my case, prize my beautiful signed copy away from DD who is currently using it to press autumn leaves in!!)

Along with that, we only have a couple of pages left on this thread, so I will be preparing a new 'year round' thread for us all in the next few days. I know last year some preferred to just stick to one or the other. No pressure - as ever - to post or keep up with either. Either / both / neither / whatever, nice to have the choice anyway. It's a busy time of year for most, and it should be a grateful distraction and not a stressful obligation.

Happy Saturday all.

Exciting! Thank you as ever for keeping us Nigelling. And glad you're feeling a bit better.

It was lovely hearing Miranda talk a bit about her illness/ recovery and how much she's enjoying being able to do this.

I'm currently trapped under a cat (charming photo where you can see she's purred so much she's dribbled on the blanket). Set out for a walk earlier but it's SO windy, it was really hard work and I gave up and came home, then was immediately squished 🐈‍⬛

Hopefully it'll be a bit less wild out there tomorrow, planning a wander and brunch with a friend in the morning.

Forgot the photo!

Could I join you all please? I just got a new bookshelf and found this book. I love it and every year i mean to try the recipes and have a little read a long. Then life happens and I end up forgetting.

I am very much embracing autumn this year and enjoying the changing colours with our toddler.

Its a little early but does anyone have a recommendation for a garland to go down the stairs. I've wanted one for the last few years but never found anything that actually looks good in real life.

Thanks for the reminder of the CC start date. I had forgotten it but didn’t want to ask again!
So good that you’re turning a corner @RainbowZebraWarrior
Your cat is one majestic feline @martha79
I used to have a black cat as a child whose fur would also turn reddish. She was so lovely but unfortunately ran away. I remember being so upset and not being able to understand. Cats really do lead their own lives.

Hello and welcome! I think we can all identify with life getting in the way of our intentions.

Try Cox & Cox for garlands. Their stuff is pricey, but gorgeous. I think you can get 25% off christmas decorations with code XMAS25 for the next week or so, or try signing up to their newsletter and they should send a code.

https://www.coxandcox.co.uk/christmas/?awc=4746_1792237946_9c10d8c3eb863059cc5730eb9e6b3bcf&source=aw&sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=282949&utm_campaign=Affiliate_Window_Sale&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_source=Atolls+UK#0bb2/ai-mobile/m=and&p=2&q=christmas+garland