Countdown to Christmas
I don't say anything even slightly inflamatory about those who shall remain nameless, instead I tell you about the Green & Blue countdown to Christmas.
I don't say anything even slightly inflamatory about those who shall remain nameless, instead I tell you about the Green & Blue countdown to Christmas. Green & Blue Countdown to Christmas
I am still totally behind. The Tuscany trip blog lies unfinished although not at all unloved or unconsidered. Christian – I swear it will come.
So will Christmas, you are probably thinking and indeed, Christmas may very well come first. But don’t give up hope.
As my last posting was apparently ‘hysterical’ (thanks for that forum member) but also semi libellous -hence it’s sudden disappearance , I have resolved to try to do happier postings from now till the end of the season. An accurate (as accurate as I can be without another flurry of legal letters) portrait of this business at a crucial time. Just while we are sort of on the subject, an incredibly heartfelt thank you to everyone who did manage to see that posting and who were so incredibly supportive. When things are really difficult, it really does mean an enormous amount.
So, at the moment, we are open, thank God. It has been very touch and go and is still slightly more go than we would like, but we are trading and will fight tooth and nail to keep it so. We are having to serve food on paper plates with plastic cutlery in the bar as we can’t use our dishwasher at all, which many people complain bitterly about and, as we are not really as busy as I would expect, it is definitely having an effect. As many though, have been absolutely lovely and very understanding and we are incredibly grateful. And to those who think that a 50% discount is fair given the situation, well, I hardly know what to say. We are loosing enough money because of what is going on as it is and it costs us far more to keep buying these plates and utensils so while we are more sorry than you’ll ever know that it has come to this, there is no discount on offer.
To the matter in hand – today felt in many ways like the start of the sprint to the period of intense and utter madness that is the festive season in the western world. IA different start in a way but then this is a different year and there is something more sombre about it. That may just be me but I don’t think so.
I woke up with a cracking hang-over and Jude woke up still drugged. I had my first Friday night off in ages last night in an attempt to alleviate some of the misery of the past few weeks and against all my better judgement, got drunk on bad champagne. I knew it was a mistake before, during and certainly after the whole event but clearly I still have not learnt. It was a good evening in other ways though, so worth the pain today.
Jude was still feeling drugged after a tooth extraction yesterday, poor man, so we were a glorious pair. I was puffy and he was dopey. Today was the day of the Rosemead School Christmas Fair as well as Fabulous Fred’s Fiesta in the Lane shop. Fabulous Fred is a favourite supplier of ours with a range of the most incredible biodynamic wines which we are very passionate about and he did a day last year (God, I can barely even remember last Christmas in our small shop which was very successful, so this was his 07 outing.
The day did not start well – we were running late and then had a navigation issue which nearly led to complete disaster in South Norwood (where ever that is). Luckily, we realised our mistake just in time and got mildly hysterical in West Dulwich instead. I had to drive Jude, Giselle and a car full of wine and display stuff to the School, the sort of journey my car makes quite frequently these days, each time with less enthusiasm. The left hand back wheel goes quite flat every time we load it up that much and this, together with the fact that one of the back door handles has been ripped off along with the other minor bumps and bruises means that we certainly don’t look terribly slick rumbling and wheezing to a halt in that.
We did a fantastic summer fair for a local group and although today was a much smaller affair, it had that same real community feeling. There were lots of homemade cakes and sweets and bizarre bric-a-brac, the hamper display, elaborately constructed, slumped apart every time a child ran past our stand and we did not really sell much wine but then that was never primarily the point. Being part of some sort of community is, what ever that means these days.
I whizzed back to Lordship lane to see Fred and help get him settled in. He had bought his assistant along as well as some sensational wines, including a few new ones. The red from Rousillon is so incredibly good that we listed it long term immediately. Completely biodynamic, it is also made without sulphur and is intense and pure and delicious. Just having him here, makes it feel like Christmas and that was a happy part of the day. We were open and selling incredible wines, even if we weren’t madly busy – all was right with the world.
It got considerably less right when I whizzed back up to fetch the stall holders and we had another stormy marital/car reversing scenario. Things were piled so high, I could not see out of the rear view mirror properly so Jude had to try to direct me through hordes of milling toddlers into a position suitable for exiting the yard down the tiny side alley. I will draw a veil over this time suffice it to say that the Christmas tree lady now almost certainly thinks that Jude and I are in an abusive relationship (we aren’t, honest) and Giselle said dolefully from the back seat once the manoeuvre had been completed –‘Kate, if I win the lottery I will buy you a chaffeur’.
Back to Lane where is was getting a bit busier and then off to Clapham who had sold our first hamper! Hurrah! An Absolute Abundance hamper with champagne as well. Hopefully the first of quite a few – fingers so firmly crossed it hurts.
This is always the time I start to feel quite sick with the thought that this year, it might not really happen. By that I mean, we will be busy, obviously, but not as busy as we really need to be to see us over all the recent hurdles and give the beginning of the year a flying start. December tends to do that. The real madness actually only happens in the last week to ten days meaning that there is plenty of icy fear in the time leading up to that. And even though I now have two years behind me when it always has happened, I can’t help but wonder.
If anything is going to help it happen though, it is wines like we were showing today – amazingly pure, beautiful wines. We chatted with Fred and will be showing quite a few of these at the Slow Food Christmas Fair on the Southbank from 21st – 24th. which we have been invited to do a stall at. This should be very interesting and a chance to be uncompromisingly hardline hippies. Only biodynamic, many without sulphur, in both bottles and magnums and I am really looking forward to it. Do come along and taste and talk to us if you can.
Back to Lane from Clapham where the cooked breakfasts have vastly improved, thank God. I have been working away in the far corner of the bar which I often do on Saturday nights, expecting to have to move when a table of 30 booked for 8pm arrived.
I have not had to move after all though as they never did. Somehow, I have managed not to call the wretched woman’s mobile and hurl colourful abuse down it but blood pressure is not great right now. We did get a £50 deposit, but that does not make up for the 5 tables of 4 we turned away earlier on. I cannot emphasis enough what an awful thing that is to do to any business, but most especially a small one having a hard time anyway. Someone spoke to her at the beginning of the week at which point she had confirmed she was definitely coming and it would have cost her nothing to call up yesterday or even earlier this evening to cancel. She didn’t though, so on the second Saturday night in December, I am sitting in a bar with a low hum of conversation as opposed to a healthy roar. My hangover suddenly feels infinitely worse.
I think I need to go to bed.
I am still totally behind. The Tuscany trip blog lies unfinished although not at all unloved or unconsidered. Christian – I swear it will come.
So will Christmas, you are probably thinking and indeed, Christmas may very well come first. But don’t give up hope.
As my last posting was apparently ‘hysterical’ (thanks for that forum member) but also semi libellous -hence it’s sudden disappearance , I have resolved to try to do happier postings from now till the end of the season. An accurate (as accurate as I can be without another flurry of legal letters) portrait of this business at a crucial time. Just while we are sort of on the subject, an incredibly heartfelt thank you to everyone who did manage to see that posting and who were so incredibly supportive. When things are really difficult, it really does mean an enormous amount.
So, at the moment, we are open, thank God. It has been very touch and go and is still slightly more go than we would like, but we are trading and will fight tooth and nail to keep it so. We are having to serve food on paper plates with plastic cutlery in the bar as we can’t use our dishwasher at all, which many people complain bitterly about and, as we are not really as busy as I would expect, it is definitely having an effect. As many though, have been absolutely lovely and very understanding and we are incredibly grateful. And to those who think that a 50% discount is fair given the situation, well, I hardly know what to say. We are loosing enough money because of what is going on as it is and it costs us far more to keep buying these plates and utensils so while we are more sorry than you’ll ever know that it has come to this, there is no discount on offer.
To the matter in hand – today felt in many ways like the start of the sprint to the period of intense and utter madness that is the festive season in the western world. IA different start in a way but then this is a different year and there is something more sombre about it. That may just be me but I don’t think so.
I woke up with a cracking hang-over and Jude woke up still drugged. I had my first Friday night off in ages last night in an attempt to alleviate some of the misery of the past few weeks and against all my better judgement, got drunk on bad champagne. I knew it was a mistake before, during and certainly after the whole event but clearly I still have not learnt. It was a good evening in other ways though, so worth the pain today.
Jude was still feeling drugged after a tooth extraction yesterday, poor man, so we were a glorious pair. I was puffy and he was dopey. Today was the day of the Rosemead School Christmas Fair as well as Fabulous Fred’s Fiesta in the Lane shop. Fabulous Fred is a favourite supplier of ours with a range of the most incredible biodynamic wines which we are very passionate about and he did a day last year (God, I can barely even remember last Christmas in our small shop which was very successful, so this was his 07 outing.
The day did not start well – we were running late and then had a navigation issue which nearly led to complete disaster in South Norwood (where ever that is). Luckily, we realised our mistake just in time and got mildly hysterical in West Dulwich instead. I had to drive Jude, Giselle and a car full of wine and display stuff to the School, the sort of journey my car makes quite frequently these days, each time with less enthusiasm. The left hand back wheel goes quite flat every time we load it up that much and this, together with the fact that one of the back door handles has been ripped off along with the other minor bumps and bruises means that we certainly don’t look terribly slick rumbling and wheezing to a halt in that.
We did a fantastic summer fair for a local group and although today was a much smaller affair, it had that same real community feeling. There were lots of homemade cakes and sweets and bizarre bric-a-brac, the hamper display, elaborately constructed, slumped apart every time a child ran past our stand and we did not really sell much wine but then that was never primarily the point. Being part of some sort of community is, what ever that means these days.
I whizzed back to Lordship lane to see Fred and help get him settled in. He had bought his assistant along as well as some sensational wines, including a few new ones. The red from Rousillon is so incredibly good that we listed it long term immediately. Completely biodynamic, it is also made without sulphur and is intense and pure and delicious. Just having him here, makes it feel like Christmas and that was a happy part of the day. We were open and selling incredible wines, even if we weren’t madly busy – all was right with the world.
It got considerably less right when I whizzed back up to fetch the stall holders and we had another stormy marital/car reversing scenario. Things were piled so high, I could not see out of the rear view mirror properly so Jude had to try to direct me through hordes of milling toddlers into a position suitable for exiting the yard down the tiny side alley. I will draw a veil over this time suffice it to say that the Christmas tree lady now almost certainly thinks that Jude and I are in an abusive relationship (we aren’t, honest) and Giselle said dolefully from the back seat once the manoeuvre had been completed –‘Kate, if I win the lottery I will buy you a chaffeur’.
Back to Lane where is was getting a bit busier and then off to Clapham who had sold our first hamper! Hurrah! An Absolute Abundance hamper with champagne as well. Hopefully the first of quite a few – fingers so firmly crossed it hurts.
This is always the time I start to feel quite sick with the thought that this year, it might not really happen. By that I mean, we will be busy, obviously, but not as busy as we really need to be to see us over all the recent hurdles and give the beginning of the year a flying start. December tends to do that. The real madness actually only happens in the last week to ten days meaning that there is plenty of icy fear in the time leading up to that. And even though I now have two years behind me when it always has happened, I can’t help but wonder.
If anything is going to help it happen though, it is wines like we were showing today – amazingly pure, beautiful wines. We chatted with Fred and will be showing quite a few of these at the Slow Food Christmas Fair on the Southbank from 21st – 24th. which we have been invited to do a stall at. This should be very interesting and a chance to be uncompromisingly hardline hippies. Only biodynamic, many without sulphur, in both bottles and magnums and I am really looking forward to it. Do come along and taste and talk to us if you can.
Back to Lane from Clapham where the cooked breakfasts have vastly improved, thank God. I have been working away in the far corner of the bar which I often do on Saturday nights, expecting to have to move when a table of 30 booked for 8pm arrived.
I have not had to move after all though as they never did. Somehow, I have managed not to call the wretched woman’s mobile and hurl colourful abuse down it but blood pressure is not great right now. We did get a £50 deposit, but that does not make up for the 5 tables of 4 we turned away earlier on. I cannot emphasis enough what an awful thing that is to do to any business, but most especially a small one having a hard time anyway. Someone spoke to her at the beginning of the week at which point she had confirmed she was definitely coming and it would have cost her nothing to call up yesterday or even earlier this evening to cancel. She didn’t though, so on the second Saturday night in December, I am sitting in a bar with a low hum of conversation as opposed to a healthy roar. My hangover suddenly feels infinitely worse.
I think I need to go to bed.
