Category Archives: Uncategorized

I’m not sure that the label of 1949 Pétrus should look like this… It was tasted (drunk!) by a MW in 2015, who wrote, “Petrus 1949 was mute so another bottle was opened. It was glorious!” I hope that MW … Continue reading

A message from Vic Mills at Project Front Foot: “Hi Stuart, Please find attached a little light breakfast reading with the May project newsletter. You won’t be too surprised to hear that they continue to play on at the Gymkhana … Continue reading

Recently I read Richard Holmes’ history of ballooning Falling Upwards: How We Took To the Air. He tells the tale of S. A. Andrée’s Arctic Balloon Expedition of 1897, which ended disastrously. The bodies of Andrée and two colleagues were … Continue reading

In 1836, Charles Green (1785–1870), accompanied by Monck Mason and the MP for Hastings Robert Hollond, set a major long distance record in the balloon “Royal Vauxhall”, flying overnight from Vauxhall Gardens in London – ten minutes from where I … Continue reading

A message from my friend Vic Mills: “Hi Stuart, Another busy month of news, comment and action from the far pavilions courtesy of the Project Front Foot April newsletter. The icing on the Ras Malai  was the surprise visit by … Continue reading

Who could resist a Christmas Day lunch of elephant, kangaroo, cats and rats (yuk), and antelope with Latour (sic) Blanche 1861 (a good Sauternes vintage), Palmer 1864 (one of the great vintages of the 19th century), Mouton Rothschild 1849 (average), … Continue reading

Following India’s victory over West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on 30th June 2017, the former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who scored 78 not out, was asked by a journalist about how he is getting … Continue reading

A message from my friend Vic Mills: “Hi Stuart, After arguably the weepiest week in the history of the game, it has fallen to Project Front Foot to put a smile back on the face of world cricket. A big … Continue reading

Marcus Brigstocke’s drama “The Red” was recently broadcast on Radio 4. The synopsis read: “Benedict has been sober for 25 years. On the day of his father’s funeral, he learns he has left him an unsettling final request. Benedict’s father … Continue reading

Roald Dahl’s wine-themed short story “The Butler” was recently dramatised on Radio 4. George Cleaver, the Sausage King of the North, sells his business and moves to London in order to enter society. He employs a butler, Tibbs, to help … Continue reading