WEALD NEWSLETTER
Summer 2005 from Malcolm Valentin - Commandeur (Weald)
Greetings! - not only to all noble Chevaliers, Chanionesses of the Grand Ordre de Saint Bacchus, but also to the increasing number of ‘extra’ readers of this little Newsheet. So far the Summer of 2005 has been more than kind - in this part of Sussex there are hosepipe bans and horrific pictures of water levels in our local reservoir at an all time low, as are my ponds! But, it is still ‘fingers crossed’ for good weather on Barbecue Day on Sunday August 7th, from mid-day onwards - as if you hadn’t already been reminded! The most recent event in everyone’s minds must be the Sixth Annual Magistral and Weekend, held on June 4th/5th at Hickstead - and environs. I was promised articles by several people which have not been forthcoming - except for a long report that Francis Jacob (the Grand Chancelier of Belgium) has presented to the Belgian Newsletter. Some of this has been included below, with grateful thanks to him and apologies for my ruthless editing. Members may have gathered that I feel that the position of Commandeur of The Weald Connetablie should be limited to three years, on the basis that members might feel that a change in ideas and input would be a ‘good thing’, since the time served by Cedric Westerman, then followed by me, should set some kind of precedent . This I proposed at the Grand Council meeting held in Lyon late last year and it was agreed that I would then formally hand over to Phil Smith at the 2006 Magistral, to be held in Dorking. I must admit retrospectively to mixed feelings, since most Commandeurs are promoted for as long as they feel fit to ‘command’, but perhaps many of the activities that I had tried to suggest were not as popular with members as I had hoped them to be. Phil will bring a fresh approach to things. Despite worries beforehand, the recent Magistral attracted the best numbers ever, with four Belgian, seventeen French, eight ‘Trou Normande’ visitors and fifty UK members and guests with four new members joining our Connetablie - we welcome Brian and Anne Coote, Colin Redshaw and Mike Whittington to the ranks. The only slight disappointment of the weekend itself being the disproportionate number of Weald members to the visitors from afar attending each of the other events. Nevertheless, a good time was had by all, with the meal at Rowfant being praised very highly. Oh - and we even made a profit! My especial thanks to John Rudolph, Mike & Fran - and Phil & Jenny for sorting out my cock-ups! Malcolm
DIARY DATES : Summer Barbecue - at Beeches Barn. Sunday August 7th 12.00pm English Wine & Food Fair - at the English Wine Centre, Alfriston. Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th September Chapitre Magistral - Rheims, France - 22nd October Day trip to France (late September) - tba Christmas Chapitre Meeting - tba VIIth Weald Chapitre Magistral - Dorking - 10th June 2006
Le 6e Chapitre Magistral du Commanderie de Weald From a report by Francis Jacob to ‘EcoBacchique’ We arrived in Dover on Friday 2nd June to ‘bloody fog’! so abandoned plans to see Rye, etc and arrived at Hickstead to a warm welcome from John & Rosemary Rudolph, Malcolm & Barbara Valentin and Phil & Jenny Smith. On Saturday morning, by bus to Horsted Keynes station to relive the memories of those who still can recall ‘that certain odour’, those wooden carriages and the old seats of the steam trains from all those years ago. Some thirty-odd participants enjoyed the trip, enhanced by a picnic and entertained by ‘cheminots déguisés en arlequins’ (beautifully put! - Ed!) who danced on the platforms. The Chapitre Magistral took place with some 79 participants. Promotions made included Jack Muncer as Grand Roy d’Armes, Barbara Valentin as Grande Dame d’Honneur and Angela Muncer as Dame d’Atour - and four new members were inducted. Subsequently - the banquet was as delicious as ever, accompanied by Spanish, Italian and Australian wines, and we award 16.7 points out of 20 for the menu and the service! The evening continued in a happy and joyful manner, enlivened by a singer, and closed, as is the habit - with a tombola. After the meal I, and our Grand Connetable, Theo Peeters, addressed a few words. Just like Christopher Columbus discovering a New World, Theo admitted that it was the first time that he had set foot in England, but the welcome had definitely overwhelmed him! ‘Now I’ve been here, I will certainly return!’, he said. Then, in the name of the Comite Belge, he and I presented Malcolm and John with banners of the Grande Connetablie de Belgique. On Sunday, we met at Wakehurst Place - an C XVIth manor in ‘Kew’s Country Garden’, for an excellent tour by an enthusiastic guide who made us appreciate spectacular and exotic flowers and trees - one being a very rare pin Wollemi , a species once thought to have been extinct and known to be in existance two million years ago. To close the weekend we reunited for an excellent lunch at the imposing manor of Rowfant, once frequented by Winston Churchill for similar pleasures! Dear English, French and Belgian friends - such magnificent memories we have of these days spent together! Many thanks . A bientôt a Dorking! Un an passé si vite ...
PRIZEGIVING at PLUMPTON Your Commandeur accompanied Basil and Christa Rushton to Plumpton College for their annual Prizegiving Ceremony on a hot June 17th. The prize for being the Top Practical Student in Wine Production was won by Nicola Wakeford, who duly received the silver salver given by the Chevaliers de Saint Bacchus. Nicola is a mature student on the wine course, having decided on this career after several years in the perfume industry - and suddenly realised what she was missing in life whilst on a wine tour in South Africa. Incidentally, the winner of this prize last year, Jason Oke, was awarded a B.Sc. with distinction in Wine Studies. Due to the obvious popularity of their courses, the Wine Department at Plumpton is going from strength to strength and a large new building is under construction. This special prize is one which has been quietly donated over the years by Basil Rushton on behalf of the Order, to whom we should be immensely grateful.
DRINK MORE CLARET, by ordre!
MJV and Basil - feeling somewhat warm!
THE ENGLISH WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL Scheduled to take place this year at the English Wine Centre, situated at Alfriston on Saturday September 3rd and Sunday 4th. Admission costs are £12.50 but if bought in advance, the tickets are £10.00 each. Please let me know if you are interested in going (on Sunday) to take advantage of this discount. This Festival should be an ideal opportunity to ‘promote’ ourselves and we are discussing the idea of taking a stand to bring the Order to greater attention and attracting members.
REIMS RALLY RECOMMENDED Enclosed with the Newsletter to members is a copy of the relevant details of the 116th Chapitre Magistral of the Ordre, being held in Reims (or Rheims, to our way of thinking) on Saturday 22nd October at the ‘Caveau Saint Petersbourg du Champagne Veuve Clicquot’, at a cost of 150€ per person, a price that obviously reflects the prestigious surroundings, making our efforts seem rather cheap by comparison! Nevertheless, by all accounts this is another Magistral and venue not to be missed and already there are several members keen to attend. In addition to the Big Event there are visits and tastings at the caves Clicquot on Saturday afternoon and, on Sunday, a visit with lunch to follow, to the vineyards of Bouzy - lying some 15kms south of Reims - and the home town of the Commandeur de Champagne, Hubert Dauvergne. No mention is made of any jackdaws ... As always, early registration is necessary - return slips must be sent in before September 15th. Fuller details can be sourced from MJV, the St Bacchus website or by e-mailing:
Vive le Service de Santé National Brittanique!! Just a reminder to all who might fall ill whilst taking trips to Europe that, as from September 1st 2005, the Form E111 will no longer be valid and a little blue plastic card, the European Health Insurance Card must then be used. It is also free!
‘Down Under wine sales leave French firms with sour grapes’, led a headline in The Times. Apparently almost one in four bottles of wine sold in the UK now comes from Australia, due to their ‘easy to drink’ grape varieties. Add the rest of the world ... This has led to a slump in the French industry that has particularly hit most of the producers of Bordeaux due, say experts, to their complacency, archaic rules and inefficient methods. For the first time wines with the AOC label are being distilled this summer into industrial alcohol to drain some of the 200,000,000 bottles of excess Bordeaux production now in storage and some 9,000 hectares of vines are being torn up, albeit with hefty EU compensation, to reduce or cease production. The Magistral dinner in 2006 will be offering French wines in the hope of solving some of these problems - but in the meantime we must each do what we can! It also keeps you healthy!
OTHER BROTHERS AT THE BUBBLY ... ! Members of the Grand Ordre du Trou Normande are also to be making a trip to Rheims, during the last weeend of October - a week after the Chapitre Magistral. Their choice is Champagne Ruinart for dinner, followed by visits to other Champagne Houses. Rheims/Reims certainly seems to be the place to go this year! Having established a healthy link with this Ordre - eight members came to our Magistral - their 12th Grand Chapitre Meeting to be held in Fareham on September 24th at the Solent Hotel. If anybody is interested in going, please contact me for details. Such involvement with other Ordres echoes the contacts that are frequently a colourful part of the French Magistrals - and good friendships are often made with like-minded folk, be they sardine catchers, whisky lovers, or whatever! It would be good to establish links with other Orders in the UK as this is something that I am still very keen to establish and any information leading to such contacts will be most welcome.
Membership updates: Members should have received their membership lists, correct to the beginning of the year, but there are some additions and amendments following the induction of new members, etc. Details are enclosed as well as a ‘contact list’, but if there are any errors or omissions, please let us know.
Par Saint Bacchus - aymons nous!
Our congratulations and very best wishes go to Graham Hoare and Stephanie Durham, who were married on June 11th in Hampshire. Their contact numbers and address are unchanged. xxx
