On a promise

Well actually a bit better than that.

Some days ago I mentioned having a bottle of port tucked away that I hoped one day to open in the company of ex colleagues Paul, Phil and Nigel (aka Bliper Nogbad).
Nigel mentioned this in an email to Phil and this week while in hospital, Phil wrote to say he was up to the challenge and we ought to work on it for 2015. He remembered having the same bottle but having disposed of the contents some time ago.

Phil & I first met on Tuesday 1st September 1981, my first day (and birthday) with a new company, Monday having been a bank holiday. I had been transfered to a sister company after 5 years of being based in London. Bristol was the HQ of this division but I was home based in West Sussex covering an area in the central south. Phil was a Bristol lad and if my memory serves me well started his post school life following his father working at Filton airport on various aircraft related projects. At some point he gave this up for the eating, drinking and sleeping business. On larger projects and especially during my early months of training, would often meet up with Phil.

Over the following years Nigel & Paul joined the team and the four of us went through many periods of change and reorganisation. Around 1990/1 we all went our seperate ways but always stayed in contact especially the other three who regularly met up for their summer cricket week. When I get around to back bliping, I am sure I will more fully describe these three very special people, so very different but united through a common bond of humour, respect, ideals, interests and most importantly, love of a pint. I have a lot to thank the three of them for their support, loyalty and laughs.

Back in the early 80's it was seen as a positive to stay with an employer and get long service awards at 5, 10 years etc. I still have my Royal Doulton "Berkshire", six place bone china dinner service given for 10 years service. We also got Christmas presents from our employer, in the early days mainly crystal glass sets, each year a different set of glasses from the same series or a decanter. In the mid eighties things got a bit tight and there was great disappointment when one year we "just" got a simple bottle of port.

The Blip is of that bottle and I have been hauling it around Europe from place to place, waiting for the right opportunity to open it. Researched it this evening and see a bottle can cost up to 60 Euros - the 1978 vintage though can get closer to 300! I had dug it out of the cellar and cleaned it up a bit and was a bit annoyed at the white paint mark that must have happened during one of the re-decoration jobs when moving. Had a quick go at scratching it off but couldn't be bothered. Later read that this finger mark is put on bottles of vintage port to mark which side is up, the bottles should be kept lying and in the same position, not turned.

Can't imagine I have managed to provide ideal storage conditions in the last 30 years but in our case, it's not what the stuff tastes like that matters. Simply getting together would be a dream come true. If we happen to do it in Munich, I know for sure I won't be going home that night, so guys remember I need a hotel room too!