ThePortForum.com

This is looking spendid

Glad to see you back here Ghandih - have you recovered from the trauma of tiddling your wink?

Falling asleep in a kitchen? I have no idea what you're on about

Ronnie, did you get flights sorted?

Derek

We can be at Stansted around 19.30-19.45. Is that a decent time?

Perfect

I'll be there as well!

Marvelous

OK UK guys, its a late start to accomodate the Netherlands contingent but well worth it to have them join us. Tom, how late do they stay open at The Bell? Any chance of negotiating a lock-in?

Derek

Right then. It appears to be taking shape. I'm not a definite, but near as damn it. I just cant confirm until I get the following day off work.
But am I right in thinking, it sounds like a late night/early hours of the morning, tasting, to accomodate our Dutch friends? I'm up for that.
To think of, New friends, (In my case, like Stevie & Simon), Port I've not tasted before, and a twist, like Outdoors, or starting late, suggests a fun night.

Any possibilities from Sideways, Michael or AJFeather (Or any of you other guys)??? If there's a chance, throw in your problems like transport, or cost, and we'll all try to accomodate/assist?

Alan

Any chance of negotiating a lock-in?

I've known Anne for many years - will probably be lunching there tomorrow - will discuss...

Tom

Updated List:

• Uncle Tom
• AHB
• Conky
• KillerB
• Ronnie Roots
• Lady Roots?
• Stevie Kooij
• Derek T.

Possible attendees:

• Simon Lisle
• The Yanks (incl. Jdaw1)

Tom, let me know what comes out. I haven't booked tickets yet.

The Bell is booked for wednesday December 12th!

For food they have a good standard menu, but I had a brief chat about possibly doing some fillet steaks that night - perhaps 12oz. I didn't firm a price for this, but I think it will be in the region of £16-£20 (complete with usual trimmings)

They will need to know the numbers for this in advance though.

In addition to the list of attendees compiled by Derek, we can add my friend Keith Gould to the list.

KO time? - 8.00pm??

Tom

RonnieRoots wrote:We can be at Stansted around 19.30-19.45. Is that a decent time?

uncle Tom wrote:KO time? - 8.00pm??

I'n not sure how those two quotes can be compatible? That's why I've been refering to a late start, and going into the early hours.

Alan

I think the times are compatible on the basis that 08:00 is the commencement of pre-dinner beer drinking and the TPF Netherlands Branch will arrive shortly thereafter either in a cab or by one of us picking them up at the airport.

Derek

Derek, you can remove the ? from my name. Count me in!!

Alright, the flight is booked. If all goes according to schedule, LadyR, Stevie and myself arrive at London Stansted at 7.36 PM.

I sure hope we still have plenty of time at The Bell, because I'm looking forward to some serious port tasting!

From touch down at Stansted (travelling light) to arrival at The Bell (by taxi), expect to take about half an hour only.

So how about 8 for 8.30?

Tom

Derek T. wrote:Ronnie (and LadyR & Stevie),

The Bell is within close range of Stanstead and Luton airports. I could also pass East Midlands airport en route. I would be happy to collect and return you to the airport if it helps logistics.

Derek

Derek, does this offer still stand? It would be greatly appreciated!

Derek T. wrote:I think the times are compatible on the basis that 08:00 is the commencement of pre-dinner beer drinking and the TPF Netherlands Branch will arrive shortly thereafter either in a cab or by one of us picking them up at the airport.

That is some serious pre-dinner beer drinking that Derek has in mind:- 08:00 through to 20:30. Serious even by the standards of the Cambridge University Tiddlywinks Club.

I'm not sure that I will make the entire warmup session but I will be there for the port 'n' steak session. (Hoping Tom will be able to provide me with the number of the nearby B&B.)

Alex

Alex, I can always trust a Southern Jessie to see a problem in a 12.5 hour drinking session before a good night out

Ronnie, I am a man of my word and if you want me to be outside Stanstead Airport with the engine running, 1st gear engaged, the clutch half out and the front wheels spinning ready to speed us off to The Bell at 19:45 I will be there

Tom, nice one - big steaks, lots of port and a lock-in - the Miracle of Christmas

Derek

- big steaks

When I discovered the N31 with Tom Chadwick, the restaurant's biggest fillet was a 9oz - so we had two each..

Shall I line up 9's, with some people going single, and others going double bubble?

Tom

That sounds like a good plan. Just out of interest - what would be the triplicate equivalent of a double-bubble?

Triple-pipple?
Treble-pebble?
Treble-trouble?
Threesome-down-boy-no!

I am soooo looking forward to this! Best start training my liver.

uncle tom wrote:

- big steaks

When I discovered the N31 with Tom Chadwick, the restaurant's biggest fillet was a 9oz - so we had two each..

Shall I line up 9's, with some people going single, and others going double bubble?

Tom

Tom,

We are talking nearly 3 months away here.
In a month or so, when numbers are pretty much finalised, and concrete plans can be made, surely we can ask your good friend to go out and get what we want?
Or alternatively, you can go and get the biggest, juciest fillets in the world, and ask them to cook them and put their mark-ups on them.
I know this is only a minor point, but I didn't get to my current athletic state eating rabbit food! I also know from experience that giving steaks to some of our guys is like giving sugar cubes to a Donkey!

Alan

Thanks Derek, it's much appreciated!

Steaks, yum!

I'll do a head count for the steaks a few days beforehand

Tom

We can now add Chris G + Guest to the list of attendees.

Hopefully we can also add Chris to our list of members sometime very soon

Derek

Very good. This is shaping up to be quite a memorable offline already!

If you havn't met Chris G. yet, he is a great guy and can drink with the best of us.

Updated List:

• Uncle Tom
• AHB
• Conky
• KillerB
• Ronnie Roots
• Lady Roots
• Stevie Kooij
• Keith Gould
• Chris G
• Guest of Chris G
• Derek T.

Possible attendees:

• Simon Lisle
• The Yanks (incl. Jdaw1)

This has turned into a major league Offline. 11 confirmed attendees and a lock-in. We now need to turn our attention to what we will be drinking.

The suggested theme is "The Unknown Shipper and his unusual friends". The suggested cost for wine is £50-75 per head. The Unknown Shipper part os self explanatory in that we want some bottles that even the owner does not know what is inside. The unusual friends is intended to draw some wierd and wonderful ports into the line-up. We are not talking traditional VP's here, we are looking for people to throw in some gems that you just can't buy.

Anyone with anything strange that could fit this theme please email or PM Tom. Anyone who would prefer to just contribute cash and let others find the oddities please let Tom know.

Given the number of attendees I think we are looking at a substantial number of bottles here, possibly as many as 20. This just might be the biggest tasting of unusual ports ever assembled

Derek

To the attendance list add eternal joker Ray 'cookie' Cook, who was present last year, and badly wants to be here again...!

I'm thinking of a whip of £60 each (for wine - 90% port) for those who have got beyond Cruz Ruby on TPF, and £75 for others - less auction value of accepted contributions. Anyone unhappy with this - please PM me

The Dutch contingent have advised me that their duff '66 at the last Crusting Pipe offline has been replaced by something different, - which will be winging its way to me - I will deduct the postage from their whip, and will also find a modest bottle from my cellar to return to the merchant for his responsible reaction, and personal enjoyment!

At this point I'm thinking of about a bottle and a quarter of port per attendee (roughly - erring on the side of largesse..!)

The line-up (so far..) looks likely to include at least three wines that are pre WWII..

Tom

Wednesday 12th December, at The Bell, Royston Road, Wendens Ambo, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 4JY? Maybe I should find an excuse to cross the water. If I were able to do so, where might accommodation be available?

What's the maximum number of people we can comfortably accommodate at an offline? I have a couple of friends I have been trying to persuade to come to an offline for ages and the Christmas one might appeal to them.

However, we are getting close to numbers which would mean we get a small sample pour of each port rather than a decent glassful to drink and enjoy over the course of the evening.

I think on that basis, I will not invite my two other friends.

Alex

I think we have just about hit the limit for a meaningful port tasting. I would prefer not to reach the stage where we each have a thimble-full of 30 different ports to taste

That said, this was an open invitation and anyone reading this is welcome to join in.

Derek

For B & B, the Toll House at Newport will be very convenient

http://www.bedandbreakfast-directory.co ... p?id=33389

The Bell's restaurant can seat 12 comfortably, or 14 at a squeeze, but we do have the option of eating in the bar area, and using the restaurant to sample the wines, so more could be accommodated.

Alex makes a good point about spreading the wines too thinly - we are probably close to capacity now.

Tom

So it sounds like we are reaching a natural limit of 12? Is that too many? I hadn't thought about how that will translate into a glass. I also wanted a decent glass from any bottle, so you could revisit it through the evening.
There may be the odd withdrawal. I, for instance, expect to be there, but I have to go into work in a few weeks, and see what shifts they have lined up for me. If it's not already day off, I'll try and take one, but if a few have beaten me to it, I'll struggle. The odds are with me though, so fingers crossed.

Alan

LadyR and I will be chipping in money, the £60 whip looks fair to me. A group of 12 seems like a fair size to be able to have a wide variety of ports and still fill decent glasses of each one.

Derek T. wrote:I think we have just about hit the limit for a meaningful port tasting.

Include me out.

RonnieRoots wrote:LadyR and I will be chipping in money, the £60 whip looks fair to me. A group of 12 seems like a fair size to be able to have a wide variety of ports and still fill decent glasses of each one.

Lady Roots needa nother post to be able to qualify (She's still Cruz Ruby). Send her back in here to do some of her Tasting Notes, they always add a little something.

I already notified her. I'm Dutch remember...

Would this one do it????

OK OK, I'll dive into my archive to see if I have a nice tasting note somewhere lying around.

Looking forward to this OL. Hope this time I can remember what we've drunk.... Can't really recall the previous London OL...

KillerB: WE ARE OUT OF STILTON

KillerB: WE ARE OUT OF STILTON

Crikey. I still have some of the Gouda-esque stuf. It's great but I can only eat so much at a time.

I had remembered that you were Dutch which is why I thought that it was so important.

Don't worry, we didn't eat that whole chunk all by ourselves. We made a lot of people happy with it. And indeed, for the time the cheese lasted, almost everything we ate had something with stilton in it.

I'm sorry but I'll have to miss this one.I really wanted go if it had been a Thursday or Friday I would have gone.I'll send Tom something through the post to at least be there in spirit.(brandy that is).

Simon Lisle wrote:I'm sorry but I'll have to miss this one.I really wanted go if it had been a Thursday or Friday I would have gone.I'll send Tom something through the post to at least be there in spirit.(brandy that is).

What a shame. We'll squeeze you in, so if anything changes...

Unfortunately, with dates, we can't please everyone - I look forward to meeting you another time Simon - your modesty speaks volumes..!

Tom

Thank you Tom for your kind words We will meet hopefully quite soon.

What does the current guest list for the Xmas offline look like? I've just booked my overnight stay in a splendid little hostelry a couple of miles from the Bell (almost within walking distance!) and I'm now all set for the event.

Alex

Updated List:

• Uncle Tom
• AHB
• Conky
• KillerB
• Ronnie Roots
• Lady Roots
• Stevie Kooij
• Keith Gould
• Chris G
• Guest of Chris G
• Derek T.

Possible attendees:

• Members who have joined since 27 Sep 07

Confirmed Non-attendees:

• Simon Lisle
• Jdaw

Looking forward to it...I will miss the (pre-)Christmas dinner of the company I work for because of this offline, but if I have to choose between a party with or without Port: easy! See you all soon!