How Laithwaites happened. Part four

So by the end of 1970 'Bordeaux Direct' was fun. But no way was it what you might call 'a business'.

I had to get real sometime. I did, but actually it was done for me.

My Dad finally cracked and threw me out of the family home. Fair enough. That helped concentrate the mind.

But the big thing was meeting Barbara again. We got on much better this time! Became 'an item' in fact. She lived in Westbourne Grove and had the big job of producing the weekly TV viewing figures for advertisers, but, after I begged, she gave it up (Mad!) to come and sort me out. Accounts? What accounts? Didn't know you had to do accounts.

I did find us premises: Arch 36! Under the railway viaduct at Windsor and full of coal dust ... but only £5 a week. Luxury! (There were no little 'starter premises' for new businesses in those days. There was nothing - period - for small businesses in those days.)

People liked the roughness of the Arch. I did tastings most nights ... for any groups that wanted: Rotary, WVS, Amateur Winemakers Guilds, the Police ... I talked to 'em all. Like when I'd done the tastings in people's homes, they seem to like me just telling them where I went to get my wines, why I chose certain wine farmers over others, and just burbling on while they sipped. It made for a few jolly evenings. I still do this. There's no stopping a real wine bore!

I 'borrowed' a caravan so we could work in the warm and left Barbara behind while I went off to Bordeaux. The furious owner of the caravan came and took it away ... papers strewn everywhere ... and same day an equally furious Town Planner came and said we were all illegal and he was going to shut us down. Barbara coped. She sorted it. She stayed. She always does and she still is. Thank the Lord.

It wasn't all bad. The engineering works next door let me have this huge empty packing case and it was the work of a moment to install a desk, chair and viola: a lovely office for my girlfriend/manager! You should've seen her face!

But mostly we traded quite happily, breaking even, enough to pay for our flats and eat. Get a good sale and we'd be straight across the park to see Peppino at 'La Taverna'. He's still there and we still go.

I began to travel further afield in France aided by Monsieur's belonging to a group of quality-conscious winemakers. 'Race et Fidelité' was their cry; they went all out to win lots of medals which was how they won customers. I learnt that with wine quality is not enough; from them.

At last I had a 'range' of wines. I also had long lovely drives: to M. Hauss in Alsace; M. Meunier in Burgundy; M Roux and M Rivier in the Rhone; M. Dubernet in the Midi and others. I learnt so much.

And I thought life was pretty good. I thought I'd about achieved my ambitions. I'd settle for this. I saw lots more exciting wine places to visit and I had never expected to earn. And I had someone to do the hard bits for me.

We formed a Limited Company in 1972. Barbara became Managing Director and I was happy to be Chairman. I have never 'run' my Company; Barbara did for 20 years.