Why, oh why, oh why can't someone take theatre bars in hand? Perhaps the quality of the wine isn't the point, and I should get over myself, but why can't there be interesting wines in theatre bars? Chelt Fest of Lit last night. Great time, excellent poetry slam, loved all the finalists but the wine was duller than the water running down the hill outside my window, making its way into the Stroudwater Canal. There was no choice, apart from colour, and an option to have Hardys wines in a plastic cup/lid contraption.

At least it's not in the hose system along with the coke and fanta any more.

I know the reason, in fact. In the over-busy, under-staffed bar during the interval, there's no time to ask and no time to tell, so it is easier to just have a red and a white from Chile that doesn't offend anyone.

Would the Cheltenham Town Hall like to be a destination for wine lovers. Probably not. They're processing crowds not aiming for customer loyalty.

I've answered my own question. How refreshing!

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mel

The availability of Stelvin makes BYO-in-handbag a distinct possibility.

Actually, they do those in 25cl bottles don't they. Perhaps I should do a tasting of little bottles, for those wanting to smuggle.

How was the dinner? Good food? Anything scary? And your wine, did it go down well, or did they put it in a pile with the Hardy's VR that someone brought last time.

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mel

You are forgiving - Mel

Air Fance sell decent small plastic bottles of stuff on the plane. The French railways, and spanish in the buffet car sell half decent stuff as well.

I dunno - The theatres around Straford, sell very decent cask conditioned real ale !

We can only hope that he Brit palate does not dumb down - There is hope.

I have never been inside a Macdonalds. Planning applications for them should be dismissed

How was the dinner? Good food? Anything scary? And your wine, did it go down well, or did they put it in a pile with the Hardy's VR that someone brought last time

Yeah, as Mel says - how was that 2001 Rioja Grand Reserva received ? As well as culinary delights that WE would have enjoyed. I'd better not say what I had last night - Ba might be a bit Hung.

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Duncan

Food ,as always, was excellent. (Have to say that as they may be joining this happy band, and will certainly be lurking (maybe already done so)).
Baked mushrooms, walnuty stuffing; osso bucca, cheesy 'tatoes, baked cougettes and tomato thingy; proper cheese, bikkys and red fruits. As I can't face any red, I got to down most of the PC Chablis, and we had some beer and auslese with the cheese. A little white Bourgogne with the manic piano playing, and so to bed.

Delicious.

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mel

Amen to that...

Yum Yum - Ba, you should have asked us for wine recs for high class vegie menu - That was a Walnut nut roast, Ba

My dear Misses would have loved that - She has been a full blown vegetarian since before we met !

All the once living luxuries I get, she faithfully does for me - My dear misses is great and less squeemish than the folks who get their meat out of a polystyrene pack - I do all the gutting and filleting.

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Duncan

Do you know? I sometimes fancy some gutting and filleting, but it's nowt to do with fish!