Archive for November 2011
Brighton Beaujolais Bash – Day Three
A quick trip to the wine shop to stock up on Beaujolais Nouveau and then onto the auto route for our 500-mile return journey.
Sue and I did a few extra miles, as she kindly directed me into central Dijon by mistake. It’s always nice to spend time in a busy city centre traffic jam when you only have 300 miles to go. Anyway, I promised Sue I would not mention this, so enough said.
We arrived back home at 6.30pm, a little tired, but having thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
And as for the wine, it’s not half bad. It cost about £5 a bottle, and I’ve already auctioned one off for £20 for the children’s hospice (my thanks to Melanie Adams from Brewers).
Tim Cobb and Melanie Adams
I will have a debrief with the Chestnut team and start thinking about what to do next year.
Tim Cobb
The Brighton Beaujolais Bash was a charity event on behalf of Chestnut Tree House.
Brighton Beaujolais Bash – Day Two
Up bright and early, a quick breakfast, then it was off for a tootle around the French countryside. We came back to the hotel mid afternoon for a tour of the neighbouring vineyard and a bit of wine tasting. In the evening, we all bundled into taxis and headed for the nearby village of Belleville sur Saone to join a traditional celebration dinner to greet the first wines of the season.
We joined 180 villagers and were made to feel very welcome. The compere got to know our table quickly and enjoyed practising his English on us. We reciprocated by experimenting with our dodgy French. We seemed to understand each other, especially as the wine started to flow.
The local Elvis impersonator!
By 11pm the lightweights had left and it was a hardcore of six who stayed on for the dancing. The locals performed some strange variations on line dancing, so Angelo, Sue and I decided it was time to show them how the professionals do it. While my efforts were pants (a bit like watching your dad dance at a wedding), Angelo strutted his stuff big-time. Respect!
Tim Cobb
The Brighton Beaujolais Bash was a charity event on behalf of Chestnut Tree House. Click here for more information.
Brighton Beaujolais Bash – Day One
So, armed with my faithful Tom-Tom and my even more faithful wife and her map, we set off from The Grand in Brighton at 6.15am on Tuesday November 15.
Our eight car convoy comprised:
Andy Cheesman and Leonidas Allkanjani in a Bentley
Mike Holland and Jemma Garrett in a BMW
Robbie Raggio and his son Elliot in a McLaren
Angelo and Linda Cavallo in a Jaguar
Essam Barakat and Peter Robbins in an Aston Martin
Clive and Jacqueline Perry in a Maserati
Guy Clinch and Kerstin Jagfeldt in a BMW
Tim and Sue Cobb in a Volvo. Well somebody had to drive a Volvo!
The drive to Folkestone and the Eurotunnel was fairly uneventful, except Angelo and I missed the crossing. A car driver in front of us had forgotten his passport and delayed the two of us. When one of Angelo’s passengers suggested we might be allowed to pass, the customs officer decided Angelo and I deserved a special security inspection for another five minutes.
Having found no traces of Semtex on either car, we were allowed on our way. Phew!
Some Brighton Beaujolais Bash Team Members
After 480 miles, we approached our final destination and were greeted by the sight of Andy’s Bentley stuck in the middle of a roundabout. Thankfully, Andy had taken out comprehensive roadside recovery insurance the previous day and so was soon in good hands. Bentley dealerships are few and far between in rural France, so the car was shipped off to Lyon and finally Geneva. (From there it made a more leisurely return to England a few days later.)
We all checked into the Chateau Pizay hotel in the tiny village of Pizay, near Macon. It’s a great place and I would recommend it.
The events of Day Two to follow tomorrow…
Tim Cobb
The Brighton Beaujolais Bash was a charity event on behalf of Chestnut Tree House. Click here for more information.
Brighton Beaujolais Bash – We Did It!
1,000 miles, 84 hours, and nearly £4k for the Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice!
Last week, eighteen hardy souls took part in the first ever Brighton Beaujolais Bash to raise money for the children’s hospice. We had fun, excitement and some great memories.
The event was made possible by the generous sponsorship of City Cabs, the support and commitment of Chestnut fundraising stalwarts Mike Holland and Robbie Raggio, and the organisational skills of Cobb PR.
The idea was to recreate the heady days of the 1980s, when Brits would race down to Burgundy and collect the first Beaujolais wines of the season. They would hurtle back to England and then drink the wines at special breakfast events along the Sussex coast.
It was a standing joke that the English were the only people who would drink the early wines, which had a reputation for being a trifle unpleasant.
Keep your eyes peeled on our blog over the next few days for our daily diary of everything that happened on route to the Beaujolais!
Tim Cobb
Sweeney Cobb sighting at Essensuals in Brighton
Like many men, I like a close shave. And yes, I am talking about a razor and shaving cream. A wet shave is the only way to start the day. But it’s a very personal experience. So when the boss of Essensuals, Sam Thomas, asked if I would offer my face and neck for training purposes at his new Shave Academy, I did not bite his hand off.
Over the coming weeks, he mentioned it a few more times and wore me down. I agreed.
On Tuesday Nov 1, I sat in the leather salon chair and offered up a prayer. But there was no need for fear. Hot towels, an examination of my skin and bristles, and we were ready to rock.
Out came the charmingly named cut-throat razor, and we were off. My razor man Mike Bulmer was very calming. He told me about my skin (taught, little elasticity), my moisture levels (too dry, should look after myself better), and the type of bristles (normal, but patchs of in-growing).
More hot towels, a cold towel to close down the pores, more lotion to identify any elusive bristles, and a few more delicate scrapes.
An hour later and we were done. My skin felt alive, tingly and fresh. It was a great experience and I would recommend it to anybody (although probably more suited to men!).
If you are like me, and have never had another person touch your neck with sharpened steel, give it a try. It is a leap of faith, but an enjoyable one.
For the sake of transparency, Essensuals is not a client. They are a great crowd and made me feel very welcome.
Essensuals, 6 Prince Albert St. See Sam and tell him Tim sent you.
To visit Essensuals Brighton’s Facebook page click here
Or follow them on Twitter: @EssensualsBN1
While you’re there, why not follow Cobb PR on Twitter: @wearecobbpr
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