The Dirty Dozen - London, 23 April 2013

[Axel P]

Both guests are confirmed and will be attending.

Axel

[Axel P]

I will also bring an additional bottle. Shall we let people guess with all Ports or shall I provide the origin in advance?

Axel

[DRT]

By email Axel asked me if he could bring a +1. The answer is yes and the first post has been updated.

[Cynthia J]

Hello Gentlemen (gentle cough... sorry, tickle in my throat!!) Would there be room for one more at the table by any miracle? If so, let me know what sort of wine I should bring, or I am happy to chip in financially to the general good. Thanks.

[Axel P]

CMaG will be attending, too.

Axel

[DRT]

Hello Gentlemen (gentle cough... sorry, tickle in my throat!!) Would there be room for one more at the table by any miracle? If so, let me know what sort of wine I should bring, or I am happy to chip in financially to the general good. Thanks.

The last place at the table is now yours!

I will be letting people know soon how much the cost of each seat will be. There is no need to bring any wine.

[Cynthia J]

Thank you!! See you (and y'all) then.

[jdaw1]

Seven unknowns from an auction lot; and some (≈5) bottles from a mystery donor; and two from Axel (thank you).

Problems:

• The description ‟dozen” is becoming inaccurate. Except that a ‟baker’s dozen” is thirteen, so surely a ‟TPF dozen” is fourteen? Solved.^” 

• In which the placemat naming theme(s) might have to become more conventional, rather the names of characters in a famous film. How about 1→7 for the auction; a→e for the donor; and Axel’s α & β? Or seven hills of Rome (Palatine, Capitoline, Aventine, Cælian, Esquiline, Viminal, Quirinal), five books of the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), and the two types of Port (Mature VP, Immature VP)? Or maybe swap the last for ♂ & ♀.

• There is also the perennial problem of table space. Rob will be away, so might not be able to work his magic. Fourteen fits on one A3, snugly, so that will have to be it.

”  Wine merchants, take note. when we order ‟a dozen of !”, please deliver 14 bottles totalling 10½ litres.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I like the idea of the proposed names for the first 12 ports, but find the last two less evocative. Instead of "mature port" and "immature port", how about "Saint Peter" and "Saint Paul", being the two patron saints of Rome and therefore linking your themes for the first 12 ports?

[DRT]

Or we could use the names of some currently topical ships?

[DRT]

the Dirty Dozen will comprise eight of the twelve bottles purchased by Tom some time ago on behalf of a subset of the team plus four of the bottles that were given to me by a kind benefactor a few weeks ago.

Shall I ask the two industry guests

a) to attend
b) to bring something nice?

I will also bring an additional bottle.

Seven unknowns from an auction lot; and some (≈5) bottles from a mystery donor; and two from Axel (thank you).

I think jdaw1 counted the bottles quite late at night. My reading of what has been agreed is:

8 bottles from Tom.
4 bottles from me.
2 bottles from the guests.
1 bottle from Axel.
15 bottles in total.

[djewesbury]

I like the idea of the proposed names for the first 12 ports, but find the last two less evocative. Instead of "mature port" and "immature port", how about "Saint Peter" and "Saint Paul", being the two patron saints of Rome and therefore linking your themes for the first 12 ports?

Yes that would be perfect.

[jdaw1]

I think jdaw1 counted the bottles quite late at night.

Ooops.

15 bottles in total.

Then we need Rob’s magic. Rob?

I like the idea of the proposed names for the first 12 ports, but find the last two less evocative. Instead of "mature port" and "immature port", how about "Saint Peter" and "Saint Paul", being the two patron saints of Rome and therefore linking your themes for the first 12 ports?

Unhelpfully similar abbreviations. IIRC, in Genesis God claims © on ♂ & ♀.

[djewesbury]

May I just point out that I am replying to your posts while DJing a night of music from all over Africa? I'm sort of inordinately proud of this effort of amazing multitasking, even whilst I recognise the futility of that feeling. But somehow the biblical exegesis is fitting well with the music.... Twelve Tribes of Israel. The plagues of the pharaoh. And so on.

Has anyone ever thought of doing a '40 days in the wilderness'-themed tasting? I think we should.

[Cynthia J]

Has anyone ever thought of doing a '40 days in the wilderness'-themed tasting? I think we should.

lol... Would that be a 40-day-long tasting? And applauding your wildly creative multitasking, well done!

[DRT]

Has anyone ever thought of doing a '40 days in the wilderness'-themed tasting?

A splendid theme for the next time RonnieRoots returns from the deserts of Oman.

[RAYC]

I return on Sunday 21, so can do placemats.

[DRT]

May I just point out that I am replying to your posts while DJing a night of music from all over Africa? I'm sort of inordinately proud of this effort of amazing multitasking, even whilst I recognise the futility of that feeling.

You should take comfort from the fact that you are not multitasking. You are executing a series of linear tasks: start track >> read/post on >> start another track >> read/post on >> start another track >> read/post on >> start another track >> read/post on >> start another track >> etc.

Fear not, your masculinity remains intact.

[jdaw1]

I return on Sunday 21, so can do placemats.

Thank you.

[jdaw1]

The list of attendees in the first post includes DN, JNdA, and ‟AP's +1”. Please could the placemat maker (me!) be told relevant details about the third of these, assuming no overlap with the first two.

[jdaw1]

New draft of the placemats.

• Completely redone, hopefully in accordance with instructions received from DRT.

[RAYC]

Is that on a single page of A3?

[jdaw1]

Yes.

[DRT]

Completely redone, hopefully in accordance with instructions received from DRT.

Not quite.

15 circles on A3 numbered 1 to 15.

Subtitles for 1 to 8 to be DDa to DDh.

Subtitles for 9 to 12 to be SEa to SEd. SE being the initials of the guy who donated the bottles.

Subtitles for 13 to 15 to be the initials of the people bringing the bottles. Axel, Dirk and Joao.

Could you please change the order of the subtitles to correspond with the above and set the parameters so that they appear as:

1 4 7 10 13
2 5 8 11 14
3 6 9 12 13

[jdaw1]

Updated draft of the placemats.

• Slightly redone, hopefully in accordance with instructions received from DRT.