Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:No I shall NOT be putting anything up on "Flog it"

The "Experts" constantly over-estimate the values of items, and raise the expectations of the clients.

I recently sold some possessions at two auctions and, despite Commissions and VAT, was quite happy.

How did we get onto this ???

You started talking about Provenance !!

Sorry --- old and confused after two long bouts under general anaesthetic, I am told it will take a month to wear off.

What a glorious excuse !!!

I usually blame alcohol.

(Not a lot different !)

I agree --- but TBA has restored me this evening, with a stiff W.& G.

Recently, I had run out of Tesco's Own, and was observed by my younger (53) Son, adding Ginger to Glenfiddich 12 year old -----

He remarked that I "Should be hanged ! "

I quite agree....

Ditto

PS look closely at the label on Tesco's own whisky (and Sainsbury's for that matter). They colour it with caramel.......aaarrgghh! Better to spend just a bit more and get the real thing?
(We are a long way from a Victorian school desk with the CH provenance!)

kerrensimmonds wrote:PS look closely at the label on Tesco's own whisky (and Sainsbury's for that matter). They colour it with caramel.......aaarrgghh! Better to spend just a bit more and get the real thing?
(We are a long way from a Victorian school desk with the CH provenance!)

Just shows what a drop of the "good" stuff will do to the grey cells.

The tastes for blended whiskies (Scottish type) are the subject of copyright or whatever they call it. They are a blend of cheap and IMHO nasty grain whisky which makes up the bulk plus anything up to 40 different malt whiskies; the final result can be described chemically. It is no use saying one cam of this, two cans of that ......... because each malt varies from year to year so blends are made up of different constituents (or proportions) each year to achieve the required taste. Some of the malts used can be old and expensive. If you drink malt or brandy or poteen etc. you will know that the older the spirit the smoother it is and young (8 year old malts for example) are often harsh. I SUSPECT that the supermarkets are using caramel to disguise the harshness of the grain whisky and that of very young malts.

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:I agree --- but TBA has restored me this evening, with a stiff W.& G.

Recently, I had run out of Tesco's Own, and was observed by my younger (53) Son, adding Ginger to Glenfiddich 12 year old -----

He remarked that I "Should be hanged ! "

I agree. You should learn to drink responsibly.

While on the subject of "The Water of Life" ---

In Egypt in 1952, I was commanding "C" Company of the East Lancashire Regt.
Some bright spark had bought a case of "WIXEY" (Sic) which I had to destroy (For obvious reasons !)

Before the assembled troops, I smashed every bottle -------- !!!!!

I don't think I would have won any popularity contests ---- but I might have saved a few lives !

kerrensimmonds wrote:PS look closely at the label on Tesco's own whisky (and Sainsbury's for that matter). They colour it with caramel.......aaarrgghh! Better to spend just a bit more and get the real thing?
(We are a long way from a Victorian school desk with the CH provenance!)

If you don't like the caramel, then you don't have much choice of whisky. You'll have to buy from specialists like Cadenheads or the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Most, if not all, commercial blends and single malts use caramel - to adjust the colour, not the flavour.

As for Glenfiddich ... don't get me started. After 45 years in Edinburgh, I can easily be mistaken for a whisky bore.

With ref to M Sergeant I understood, in the early fifties, that Sergeant was one of three French brothers who were all notable athlets. It was rumoured that our Sergeant had been in the French diving team for the Olympics. He certainly judged the inter-school matches from time to time. In addition his father-in-law played the double bass in the orchestra. I remember a comic rendering from him of the Carnival of the Animals. He looked French-black jacket and very smart white beard and Moustache. I also think that the Old Parc des Princes in Paris was named for the brothers. Might be all rumour. JHG Saunders