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Bonhams, in its description of lots [url=http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?screen=lotdetailsNoFlash&iSaleItemNo=4140969]1074[/url] and [url=http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?screen=lotdetailsNoFlash&iSaleItemNo=4140975]1075[/url] in sale 15946 on 26th November 2008, wrote:All the bottles in these two lots have been signed by Rt Revd Graham James, Bishop of Norwich, to be sold in aid of his chosen charity, The Magdalene Group. It is not clear which Bishop gave the office a bad name by failing to pass the port but the current incumbent believes that it might have been Bishop Bathurst, a Victorian bon viveur, who would have been the most reluctant to part with the decanter.

Cockburn 2000
each label signed by The Bishop of Norwich
6 bottles owc

Andy V. not allowed to bid until he passes Elocution 1.0.

I would love to go in with someone to secure one of the lots! I would be happy with 1, 2, or 3 bottles.

Let me know if anyone would like to split one of the lots!

Glenn: how are you planning on getting the bottles from the old world to the far coast of the new?

I’m willing to share a bid at modest cost slight overpayment to help The Magdalene Group (‟a charity offering support to prostitutes and those at risk of becoming involved in prostitution”) is worthwhile, but the signature isn’t that valuable to me.

fyi, after discount i was buying these (unsigned) at $36/.75L

I'm slightly tempted to pitch on these, but will probably leave them for others - the estimate is about 100% over the odds - hard to guess what they'll sell for..

Tom

Tom was slightly tempted; my temptation was less than that. I’m out.

At some point I'll be travelling to Dublin again, though the frequency of my trips has dropped due to the current economic problems affecting everyone. My hope would be that whoever joined me in purchasing would be able to store my bottles until that trip, which would likely be some time in the first half of 2009.

I rarely get more than a month's notice before one of these trips, but when the next one does occur I will be deliberately planning at least an overnight (and more probably a weekend) in London in order to do some Port shopping at BB&R and also to exchange some bottles with DRT.

The signature itself isn't worth much to me - after all this isn't THAT Bishop of Norwich - but I'm more than happy to contribute to the the current Bishop's favorite charity in order to aquire such a humorous conversation piece.

Besides, owning some of these bottles would then give me a unique answer should I ever forget to pass the Port...

If no one else is interested in bidding with me, would someone be willing to bid in my stead? I'm unfamiliar with Bonham's and would feel more comfortable if a "local" were able to act as my agent. I realize that even the low estimate is high, but I'd be willing to pay that rate for these bottles. (If it gets bid up beyond that I'll just pass on 6... I'd go to the high estimate on half of a lot.) I can wire the money this week if necessary.