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It has been suggested that we set 13th December as the date for our Christmas tasting this year, if this date works for The Bell and Uncle Tom. On the assumption that it does, the following people have expressed an interest in attending (in order of expression):

1) Dirk Niepoort
2) Industry guest 2
3) THRA
4) AHB
5) WS1
6) RAYC
7) CMAG
8) JDAW1
9) JGH
10) RLC
11) PW
12) AP

Reserves
1) DRT

numbers will need to be limited as In previous years due to the size of the venue

I would like a spot this year if possible please, or reserve again if already full; thanks.

Me, too, please

Thank you for adding me to the list.

Thanks, Alex, is the date finally confirmed?

Axel

The date is subject to Tom and the Bell confirming. However, I have booked my room at the Saffron Hotel.

I can confirm that The Bell is booked for the evening

just booked the Saffron Hotel

Hi as I know longer live in London can I please go on the list, suspect a reserve now
Thanks

Christopher wrote:Hi as I know longer live in London can I please go on the list, suspect a reserve now
Thanks

Now on - as a reserve

For those needing to adopt, I have two interesting candidates:

1) Cockburn crusted port, bottled by Avery's in October 1928. Level: top shoulder

2) Unknown vintage port. This was part of an eight bottle stash sold by Christies as 'Believed Dow 1945' Six of the bottles are certainly Dow, and consistant in appearance with being 1945, but two others were different and looked much older, with no visible markings to reveal their ID.

Bottles have pale green glass with many defects in the glass itself, typical of that used 100+ years ago, but they could be re-used bottles. Level: mid shoulder

- Please PM me if interested.

AHB wrote:

Christopher wrote:Hi as I know longer live in London can I please go on the list, suspect a reserve now
Thanks

Now on - as a reserve

I gave my place to CMAG a couple of weeks ago due to my diary disaster. Please add me to the reserve list.

Dirk Niepoort has just confirmed that he will make his third successive (or is it fourth successive?) appearance at the Bell as a guest this Christmas, subject to nothing else cropping up in his diary that he is not able to reschedule.

First draft of the stickies, tasting-note and vote-recorder sheets.

• The new fashion is for the TN sheets to have a faded echo of the glasses’ circles. That echo is present, but not that being echoed. Should the echo be zapped?

jdaw1 wrote:...to have a faded echo of the glasses’ circles. That echo is present, but not that being echoed. Should the echo be zapped?

I don't understand the question.

But I do observe that 26 ports is likely to be a few more than we manage between the 10 of us.

AHB wrote:I don't understand the question.

New-style TN sheets have a faded circle.

That faded circle is a copy, faded, of that on the glasses page.

But there isn’t a glasses page!

AHB wrote:But I do observe that 26 ports is likely to be a few more than we manage between the 10 of us.

To simplify the distribution of stickies, I’m choosing a multiple of thirteen.

jdaw1 wrote:But there isn’t a glasses page!

Ah! Now I understand. I vote to keep the faded circle.

Hi,

I am terribly sorry but I have to opt out due to my mother being seriously sick.

regards

WS1

WS1 wrote:Hi,

I am terribly sorry but I have to opt out due to my mother being seriously sick.

regards

WS1

I'm very sorry to hear that. I do hope your mother recovers from her illness.

As intimated to some by email earlier this evening, I cannot commit to attending this event so please leave me on the reserve list and try to fill the vacant seat with someone else.

The target size is ten. We had twelve. So eleven remaining does not cause a need for a reserve.

I plan to print tasting mats (and labels) early next week.

Could someone (JDAW?) please remind me which Avery Label type I need to use.

Thanks.

Please check all OK.

The bottle labels are A4, 2×4. The glass labels are A4, 5×13.

Hello,

may I cheekily ask if there is any chance to get my seat for this tasting back? Since I am in London over this period and have to go to the dentist in Woodbridge, Suffolk on Friday the 14th I could stop over in Audley End.

Please let me know.

regards

WS1

WS1 wrote:Hello,

may I cheekily ask if there is any chance to get my seat for this tasting back? Since I am in London over this period and have to go to the dentist in Woodbridge, Suffolk on Friday the 14th I could stop over in Audley End.

Please let me know.

regards

WS1

There is still a vacancy at the table, so you would be very welcome.

Hi,

super, thanks a lot. I have a bt at Tom's place which should be adequate. Looking fwd to Thursday!

regards

WS1

Am going to wander over the hills to have lunch at The Bell..

..by my reckoning, we need to order eleven steaks - please correct me if wrong!

11 steaks if you have been more successful than me in getting hold of Industry Guest #2.

If you have had no more success than me, it will only be 10 steaks + Jacob's vegetarian steak.

And I'll be interested to learn which vintage port Anne has on offer behind the bar these days, now that the Morgan '91 has gone...

For placemat purposes please could I be told the secret names?

11 steaks if you have been more successful than me in getting hold of Industry Guest #2.

Does that bring DRT off the reserves list?

uncle tom wrote:Does that bring DRT off the reserves list?

Sadly, no. DRT wants to stay on the reserve list but is not available to join us, being committed to a week's Christmas Shopping in London with his better half for the whole of next week.

So there will be 11 people round the table, 10 of whom eat steak. Having a spare seat round the table will be a good thing considering how cramped the space can get.

Updated draft of the stickies, tasting-note and vote-recorder sheets.

• Please check.

Who's printing?

I have labels and could do if required.

Who is taking a train from London and would like to synchronise with me?

Rob, Dirk and I, but we do not know at wich time.

How about you?

Axel

jdaw1 wrote:Updated draft of the stickies, tasting-note and vote-recorder sheets.

• Please check.

Please check.

what time is kick off?

In summary...








Have fun. I am sorry that I will not be there to bleed for the team this year.

jdaw1 wrote:

jdaw1 wrote:Updated draft of the stickies, tasting-note and vote-recorder sheets.

• Please check.

Please check.

Looks ok:
- People list matches invite list, assuming "Industry guest 2" is not present (noted we have one spare 'person' in case on voting sheet and glass labels)
- Am assuming bottle labels intentionally switch between portrait (1-9) and landscape for 10+ ?

The version i can see from my computer omits WS1.

But i have cache issues. (amongst others)

I have checked and printed.

RAYC wrote:what time is kick off?

I plan to use port tongs heated in the log fire at the Bell to open my and Phil's unknowns so that we can preserve the corks. I would hope to get to the Bell around 6pm to give the bottles a chance to settle after travelling.

I need this...

Reminder: take cameras.

RAYC wrote:I need this...

I know what you mean, although I finished work last night about 3 hours before you appear to.

My plan is to be on one of:
• 15:58 from Liverpool Street arriving Audley End 17:00 (my preference), or
• 16:28 from Liverpool Street arriving Audley End 17:25 (which will be more crowded).
Can anybody synchronise with either of those?

jdaw1 wrote:My plan is to be on one of:
• 15:58 from Liverpool Street arriving Audley End 17:00 (my preference), or
• 16:28 from Liverpool Street arriving Audley End 17:25 (which will be more crowded).
Can anybody synchronise with either of those?

Tom - what time are we sitting?

The software parameters used to make the ‘placemats’ have been posted in the thread for them.

jdaw1 wrote:My plan is to be on one of:
• 15:58 from Liverpool Street arriving Audley End 17:00 (my preference), or
• 16:28 from Liverpool Street arriving Audley End 17:25 (which will be more crowded).
Can anybody synchronise with either of those?

I'll be arriving at Audley End at 17:10 (from the other direction); Will be getting taxi to Saffron Hotel and then back to The Bell, happy to share if wanted and timing fits.

Signed, sealed, delivered....

my own DRTesque nightmare scenario has been avoided! phew.