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 don't seem to have the wind quite so bad today @martha79 A Moderate breeze apparently which is nowhere near as bad as the 30 to 40 kmph Fresh breeze we usually get. The naming of the winds on the Beaufort scale and inaccuracies in weather forecast drive me nuts (Gosh, how typically British)

I have just realised that whilst sunset is not until 6.05pm this evening, this time next week it will be at 4.30pm 😱

This is precisely why I need Nigel. I feel like kicking and screaming that I want my light evenings back, but by the time I am a week into the CC not only will I have forgotten how bereft I was, I shall be positively embracing the cold and the darkness although maybe not the wind so much

Great news that you're feeling a bit more like yourself @RainbowZebraWarrior . Excited for 2 Nigel threads! It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Beautiful cat @martha79 , my mum had one just like that, Miss Fluffy Fifi. She was a character.

Welcome @HedgerowD , your name alone is very Nigel!

I'm in emotional pieces after dd2 came home to sing at a Thanksgiving service for a local dignitary who recently died. She sang I Know That My Redeemer Liveth from Handel's Messiah. Some of us were setting things up while she did a run-through with the organist - everyone stopped in their tracks and started crying! It's incredible to me that this is the little toddler who used to yell CBeebies theme tunes in her pushchair non-stop - a lady once stopped to say 'You need to join the school choir when you're bigger'. A prophecy!

Just bobbing in to wish everyone a happy weekend. My Horse arrived at 5am this morning and it has been a long and happy day. He has all four legs and was quite sprightly for a horse that has travelled from Malta. Time will tell how healthy, (physically and mentally) he is, but for now he is warm in his new coat and being fed some eye wateringly expensive recovery mash as you can see every single one of his ribs bless him. He is very timid and of course not used to the cold, English speaking, grass, or much else so we will go very slowly with him and enjoy the journey.

I was up and out at 3.45 so I’m off to bed in a minute.

Will try and catch up with y’all tomorrow as I have a lovely spa day on the cards with some women from the local new women’s group (after going to see to the ‘oss early doors-fortunately it’s in the same direction!).

23rd is nearly now! Exciting!

Oh @leporello that sounds so joyfull ❤️

And so glad to hear that your lovely new horsey arrived safe and sound. I hope he goes from strength to strength and turns into the happy hacker you and he deserve. Sending much love to you both ❤️

Ooo thank you for the cox & cox code got my eye on some baubles on their website. Even more tempted now

funny Saturday here. Lazy morning after starting to feel better woke up not feeling great again. DP car is broken again (always a bit stressful) so he was tinkering with that. And needed a part in a town further down the coast so went for a walk on a beach we don’t normally go to. And the fresh air has done us both some good I feel.

@RainbowZebraWarrior so pleased to hear you are lifting. Covid is horrid.

@martha79 what an amazing photo. Gorgeous cat.

We are incubating giant food babies on our sofa after a lovely all-day wedding reception with free-flowing champagne, followed by an Italian meal our eldest treated us to. Marvellous to see our friend and his bride, so well suited. He’s in the forces, so there was a ceremonial sword arch by his colleagues - quite a few moist eyes.

@leporello that is spine tingling. How lovely.

oh Lordy, a thread horse, very pleased to hear he has safely arrived, @piscofrisco

Gosh, I thought it was dark and with a chill in the air when we came out of the wedding venue. Of course, with the hour time change it’s going to be evening so much earlier. Not too many weeks until the equinox (hopefully!) and lots of cheery nigelling to be done to keep us going.

Beautiful in Fife today. Cold when you are not in the sun

That looks gorgeous. Cold and bright here too. Feels like proper winter now. The past fee days have felt more December like to me.

It's so nice being able to think straight again. I woke up this morning full of ideas and have missed that with the fogginess that comes with covid. Made a big pan of soup with some of last night's left over roasted veg plus a load of lentils. Ive also shoved a lamb leg in the slow cooker. Roast potatoes were made last night and bubble and squeak will be whipped up later with the remaining roasted veg.

Made a beeswax candle for DD as we got some reduced fragrance oils in Sainsbury's for 30p - Jasmine and Pineapple flower - Thinking of making another one later for myself. I have four different christmassy Neom blends and they really should be put to good use!

Finally I am going to make cashmere leg warmers out of the arms of a too-small jumper. The body is going to be made into a cushion cover or a hot water bottle cover. Here's me trying the arms on for size. I think DD thought I had finally lost the plot as she waked in to find me casually popping my legs into the arms of a jersey!

Anyway, the market is calling and I have to play catch up with honey deliveries. Extra layers needed today. Have a good Sunday, all.

I am not quite as with it as I thought. I have just messaged my mum apparently saying I have made a huge panic of soup and did she want any. She's replied saying I should enjoy my panic all to myself.

Not soup panic 😲🤣

Nice leg warmers @RainbowZebraWarrior and I love your autumnal bedding.

Gorgeous view @Celiathebanshee

Happy new horse @piscofrisco - I hope he settles in well!

I've been out for breakfast with a friend - found a nice sheltered corner outside to sit. Tried actually being in the cafe but my Long COVID wobbliness is still not very tolerant of hot, noisy, busy indoor places. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to manage this through the winter, perhaps I'll claim to have gone Scandinavian and insist on sitting outside in all weathers. Sure it's healthier anyway.

We've also just got rid of the last of the cardboard packaging from my house, so the only boxes left are the few full of books and sheet music - I'm taking my time to decide on a bookcase because it needs to be a big one so it's quite an investment (also can't face building anything else right now).

Ah glad you had a good time at the wedding @Bimblesalongbut where is the outfit pic?!

Im often in a panic of soup myself @RainbowZebraWarrior! Glad you are feeling better.

outdoors is the way to go @martha79there is no bad weather only the wrong clothes. Make. We could invent a sort of dry robe but specifically for lunching in?

Lovely chilly looking pic @Celiathebansheefresh!

and a big hello to everyone else.

The thread horse is doing well. I went to see him this morning early, before my spa day. Here he is, what a handsome fellow.

He is very handsome! What is his name?

His official race horse name was De Troisville (which I think is a character In the Three Musketeers-he is A French horse by origin). But they called him Troy at the rescue so we will probably stick with that. Do you think it too late to change it to Nigel?
I’ve been speaking French to him a bit and he seemed to like It!

@LillianGish how’re you doing? I’m appalled at the damage to Paris and so much also in the area where my friends used to live. This wasn’t done by students. My friend was in Lyon yesterday for a language test and otherwise had to hide in his hotel room due to the riots in the city.

He is magnificent @piscofrisco I used to ride an old boy just like him. I’m very fond of a dappled grey. Nigel is a perfect nickname for the elegant gentleman.

@martha79 , for the sake of rocking the boat, how are the neighbours?

@Celiathebanshee bliss!

Piccies - yesterday and then a lovely sighting on the canal today. A traditional boat, which plies its way up and down the canal selling coal and gas.

@piscofrisco I was going to suggest Nigel - perhaps as a middle name? He's lovely.

@Bimblesalong you look very glamorous and sophisticated.

All fairly quiet on the neighbour front - she's not been back! There's been the odd bit of music but not as loud as before and only in short bursts. I did hear the man from upstairs introducing himself to the man from downstairs yesterday and saying he'd "moved in with my bird three weeks ago but she's fooked off". Charming.

@RipplePlease6 I meant to say I was sorry to hear about your childhood cat. The red fur is very much a summer thing, so I'm thinking the winter coat isn't quite coming in yet, maybe not been cold enough. The other cat has taken over the bed today, came in earlier to find her curled up almost heart-shaped 🥰

Thanks @martha79
That is a stunning heart-shaped cat!
I do miss having a cat but I know that introducing one now would not be a good idea with RippleDog around.
He almost broke my finger when he bolted cat-bound.

Also came on to check how @LillianGish is doing. The scenes in Paris and elsewhere in France are truly shocking. The world is losing it's collective head.

He's a right proper beauty boy @piscofrisco He looks right at home and I bet he puts on weight in no time. For some reason, a little vision popped into my head of him munching on sprouts on Christmas Day. Heaven knows where that came from 😆

Speaking of Grey Horses, our village pub had all it's render stripped off last week and the beautiful, chunky warm original stone was exposed. I've just driven past it and they are clagging on the render again. No doubt they will then paint it battleship grey. So sad and unimaginative. I got really excited when I saw it's original walls as I've never seen them in 45 years of living here.

The fella upstairs sounds like a reet charmer @martha79 no wonder she scarpered! Your Other Cat is also very gorgeous and reminds me of one of our old cats.

Ahh the sun is shining and we found bargain Caithness and Murano paperweights at the market today. I also got a beautiful set of expensive arty paints brand new for £3. Off for our walk soon then popping into Hobbycraft before they close. I have a voucher and DD has taught herself to crochet. She is making heart garlands to decorate the mantle for Christmas.

Sorry the formatting went to pot a bit earlier in my post

We are glued to the TV @Bimblesalong. DS and DD marched yesterday, DH got tear-gassed. It’s very close to where we live, but we are thankfully not on any of the protest routes. DH and DD went down to République today to assist with the clear up. Unfortunately people appear to be gathering again - nothing left to ransack according to DS’s friend who lives round there and couldn’t find anything to eat as all the shops had been pillaged. Couldn’t be less Nigel. Enclosing a couple of shots of the devastation, including DD’s placard from the march (which for non-French speakers translates as Watch out! Don’t protest or you risk being hit very hard! And is based in the Metro rabbit warning not to get hands trapped in the closing doors) And you are correct Bimblesalong, the damage wasn’t caused by student protesters - DS said he marched to Bastille with thousands of students and there was no trouble, despite there being no police (who were all deployed elsewhere).

Gah. Also meant to say what a gorgeous outfit @Bimblesalong and you and DH (?) compliment each other beautifully. Smart as carrots nine times sliced as my old Sargeant used to say.

Well it’s animal central this weekend
Nice updates good to hear people are recovering - I am expecting illness to hit this household soon we are off to get COVID jabs next Friday if we can hold out that long (H and eldest are being flu jabbed at the same time so expect they will milk the after effects)

As everyone else was studying I thought I would get ahead on CC and read the introduction again all ready in time - but jeepers it almost feels like a different season, there is a nip in the air here but not the crisp dark cold atmosphere Mr Nigel seeks out! Our ash trees are still full green leaves!

And our butcher has changed hands and has on their Christmas meat order “forcemeat” I did ask what is “forcemeat”? (It’s not a great name is it) to blank looks from all 3 butchers.

So back to last half a weekend day nagging two teenagers to read/write. For a bit at least.

He is beautiful

My dad made me ride from the age of 3 because he thought horses might come back as a form of transport! (His first job leaving school at 14 in rural Wales involved breaking in horses)

We still call traditional sausagemeat stuffing "forcemeat" here @frozendaisy I always assumed it was because it was forced into the cavities of whatever bird you were stuffing. Either word is rather unpleasant I suppose come to think of it. Rather too descriptive.

Oh my @LillianGish

anger is rising everywhere and whilst on one hand I wish there was more protest in the UK from the young for action about education and housing - this shows how out of control and destructive things get when protests are used as a cover for mindless rampage

hope DH ok

You would think the butchers would know/have been told this