Watching Barbara making Christmas Cake – giving it a stir and making my wish. Postman delivering the latest Laithwaites Wine missive. Hearing from Laithwaites MD Glenn in the Gloucester DC (Distribution Centre).
He says: "first day of Christmas (November catalogue) and I’m in Gloucester serving bucks fizz and mulled wine to the call centre team; the marketing team are on the phones taking orders; everyone is dressed up in some amazing outfits (occasionally I don’t know where to look!); the phones are buzzing; the orders are flowing in; the new Christmas cases are flowing off the packing lines; ........brilliant."
Getting excited tweets from sons. Tom: "if this day were to be my last I don't think I would mind." And Henry: "no tweet can explain how happy I am now." They’re in Rioja on a trip with 'TonTon' (Jean-Marc) who feels their wine experience needs broadening. Cannot help reminding them how SOOO boring they found wine trips when they were young!
And they've been at that notorious 'Poire' distillery in the Pyrenees. Affects the mind, that stuff.
Anne is just off to north-east Italy, having just returned from Argentina whilst collecting some amazingly rich new Portuguese reds on the way home.
The other buyers are similarly out and about – now's the post-harvest moment to get there first and grab the best.
Len 'the Professor' Sexton emails about the WSET wine exam results: "last year we had two entrants in the Top 30 (Cat Lomax taking away the top Scholarship).This year we also had two members of staff selected - Tim Bayley (one of the Bounders) and Arnaud Rubin (from the Swiss German Customer Service team). Both won a scholarship. No mean feat!"
And all credit to you, Len.
I like this time of year. Of course, normally I'd be running around everywhere like a mad thing myself. But actually, sitting in front of the fire tapping away on the machine isn't bad at all. It’s grey out there.
The geese are making a racket. They may as well have their fun … not long now!
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