As things speed up here (Gloucester Cellars now working 24 hrs) for me personally it's a bit of a whirl!

The 40th Show was a Wine Rave! Loved every minute of it. Just couldn't walk at the end! (Tired, I mean, nothing more!) Thanks and love to all there.

Don't know how we did it but at dawn the following day we were out in Wyfold vineyard again, helping Barbara and Cherry bring in their Chardonnay. 3 tons of it. Way up on last year. (Not to mention the '07 zero harvest). Tired?  Beyond tired. Zombie.

Monday heading in to a meeting with the whole buying team under London Bridge at Vinopolis but had to divert at Euston to Cumbria; (Mother unwell. But now happily improved). Back Wed for Board Meeting for 2 days, then Friday looking at possible new English vineyard sites with Thierry Lesne; our ex-flying winemaker chum from Champagne. He liked our chalk soils! He loved all the partridges and pheasants he saw. He'll be back.

Last night we had Barbara and Cherry's Vintage Supper in the barn for all or most of their unpaid helpers. All decorated with autumn red vine leaves and berries. Standing by the brazier it was the final, final, end of ends to vintage '09.

Tomorrow we fly to Sydney via Fiji where we are to spend a few days afloat with Barb and my great Aussie mentor; David Thomas. It'll be back to school. But in Fiji so who cares!  I don't know how communications work in the Pacific, anyway my Blackberry will be confiscated. So there may be some silence which Rob my web boss will fill with news from home.

Back soon!

Cheering one for the older customer …

Anyone who remembers the old Bordeaux Direct days will remember the old Coq! My original emblem. A cockerel in the shape of a wine glass. Doodled on the back of a wine label while I was chained to the bottling machine in '66. Stuck it on the side of my van in '69. Coq au Vin, really. (I was once asked if I sold wine or chicken!)

Well, the marketing consultants despatched the old coq to poultry heaven ("too French!") when we changed our name to Laithwaites a few years ago. Or so I thought! Turns out old BD fanatics rescued the dear bird and had him frozen.

For our 40th bash dinner for our winemakers there he was again in all his glory. Inside his block of ice. By midnight he still hadn't thawed so I guess he's back in the freezer. One day.. One day my Coq will return.

Reassuring customers we don't deliver via the Royal Mail

The email I sent out about the post strike seems to have reassured customers. Now everyone realises they can get all our offers and lists 'on-line', and understands we do not deliver via the Royal Mail. Business seems to be as good as normal, even maybe slightly ahead.

The power of this Web fair boggles!

When we had this post trouble last; in the Seventies we didn't have any other way to communicate. That nearly broke us!

My lot are dreaming up all sorts of other ways round the problems. So fingers crossed and we'll all still have a jolly drinks Christmas.