Well, I think that our move to Shirley Library went rather well, don’t you? It’s remarkable how quickly the venue seemed like home. A great deal of the credit for this goes to all those involved in the running of the library. Everyone has been so welcoming and helpful which has made things easy for us. Everything about the library seems a significant upgrade from our previous home and feedback from all those who attended October’s meeting was extremely positive. Further thanks should go to Barbara for her hard work in paving the way for our move and to the rest of the committee who all played a significant part in ensuring a painless transition.
Last Month’s Meeting
Big it up for Kevin who not only became our first ever presenter at our new home (a record that can’t be beaten) but also treated us to an excellent evening when we journeyed through France sampling some pretty decent wines along the way. Details of all those wines can be found elsewhere on the website but we all enjoyed a most entertaining time.
This Month’s Meeting
We have a new speaker for November and he is Peter Foley, of Village Wines in Bexley. Village Wines was started in 1984 by a family of wine enthusiasts and has developed a high reputation for providing specialist wines at affordable prices. Peter will be bringing with him a selection of Village Wines favourites for us to sample so make sure you don’t miss out on Thursday November 12th.
Wine of the Month – Luis Felipe Edwards, Gran Reserva Merlot, Chile, 1.9% ABV
The history of Viña Luis Felipe Edwards dates back to 1976, when Luis Felipe Edwards senior purchased the Fundo San José de Puquillay estate. LFE has since grown to be the largest 100% family-owned wine company in Chile, with 1850 hectares of estate vineyards and is exported to more than 70 countries. This delicious merlot is bursting with flavours of strawberry, black cherry and plums. It’s perfect for pairing with grilled meats, pizza and pasta dishes. It’s available from Tesco for £10 per bottle but Tesco is currently offering a 25% discount when you buy six bottles or more.
Wine of the Month – Luis Felipe Edwards, Gran Reserva Merlot, Chile
Autumn Agra Evening
A group of members and guests had a super evening of dancing and curry at the Agra restaurant in Eden Park on Tuesday October 13th with music provided by the excellent Clayton who always produces a great night’s entertainment. A huge thank you must go to Tracy, not only for organising the evening but also for negotiating a bargain price with the Agra management.
Coming Up
Next month, December, will be our annual fund-raising event for our chosen charity which this year is Shirley Neighbourhood Care. As reported last month, we’re already off to a flying start thanks to a presentation given to the Selsdon Catenians which raised over £250. Added to that, on Friday 23rd October, a group led by Heather, ably assisted by Barbara, Martyn and Paul and me, gave a further presentation to the Selsdon Probus group who invited us back following our successful visit there last year. This time the theme was “Drinking with the Stars” and featured wines endorsed by Dolly Parton, Gary Barlow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kylie Minogue, Gordon Ramsay and Graham Norton as well as a quiz devised by Heather. Once again, the presentation went down really well with the membership and we raised another £280 bringing our total so far to very nearly £550.
As with previous Christmas events, we will be running a raffle and would appreciate it if those of you who have any item that would make a suitable prize for the raffle would either bring it to the November meeting or let Heather know so we can arrange for the item to be collected.
And just one other date for your diary – for our January meeting on Thursday 14th we will be joined by Surinder Bassi from Meopham Wines as our presenter. I understand from Surinder that he will be bringing a “vanload” of his wines for us to purchase, as well as seven of his wines for us to try.
Christmas Meal 2026
As mentioned in previous newsletters this Christmas we will be going back to The George in Hayes for the SPWC Christmas meal and this takes place on Friday, December 4th from 1900 hours. If you haven’t already signed up for the meal, please add your name to the list at the November meeting. The cost of the meal, for three courses, is £39.95 per person and I attach below the menu and will be asking you all to make your food selections in advance of the evening. As in previous years, we will be asking you to pay for the food in full in advance. Drinks should be paid for separately on the night. And just as a reminder, the bar will be open until 11 pm.
George Christmas Menu – 3 courses for £39.95 per person
This includes a complimentary glass of Moet and Chandon champagne on arrival.
Starters
Starters served with rustic breads (can be swapped to a gluten-free seeded roll).
• Port & Cheddar Mushrooms, rustic bread
• Pan-Fried Wild Scallops, Artichoke purée, smoked pancetta, samphire (£4 supplement)
• Spiced Parsnip Soup, Wild garlic salsa verde, rustic bread
• Baked Camembert, Plum & sloe chutney, rustic bread
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper Squid with Calabrian chilli mayonnaise
• Chicken Liver & Fig Parfait, Pear & ginger chutney, rustic bread
Mains
All mains are served with roasted carrots, parsnips & sautéed Brussels sprouts
• Hand-Carved Turkey with Chestnut & pork stuffing, pigs in blankets, roasted potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy
• 21-Day-Aged 10oz Ribeye Steak, Red wine caramelised onion, triple-cooked chips + £7.50 supplement. Add: Peppercorn sauce / Stilton & white Port / Beef dripping + £3
• Pan-Roasted Salmon, Parsnip rosti, creamed leek, beurre blanc sauce
• Pork Tomahawk with Brown butter mash, greens, caramelized shallots, Bordelaise jus. Add Scallops - £4 supplement
• Pork Tomahawk & Scallops with Pan-fried scallops, brown butter mash, greens, caramelized shallots, Bordelaise jus served with roasted carrots, parsnips & sautéed Brussels sprouts (£4 supplement)
• Sweet Potato & Chestnut Roast with Roasted potatoes, gravy
Desserts
• Christmas Pudding (v) (vgo) Hot brandy sauce
• Chocolate Orange Brownie Pot (v) Rich chocolate mousse, Bourbon vanilla ice cream
• Cheese & Biscuits (v) - Taw Valley Cheddar, Gilot Camembert, goat's cheese, pear & ginger chutney + £2 supplement
• Blackcurrant Crème Brûlée (v) Home-baked sable biscuits
• Blackberry, Plum & Ginger Crumble (v) (vgo) Vanilla custard
Did You Know?
Despite the increase in wine production in the UK and the excellent recent harvests, the majority of our vineyards are still struggling to break even. One of their big problems is the cost of production which has soared in the last few years and we simply cannot yet produce the wine in sufficient quantities to compete with foreign imports. The average cost of an imported bottle of wine is in the region of £7 to £9 whereas still English wines are likely to set you back between £15 and £20 and premium sparkling wines over £30. Whilst exports of UK produced wine are on the increase (up 35% in the last two years), we still only export around 9% of locally produced wine, which means that 91% has to find British buyers. Food for thought.
I hope you all managed to survive Hallowe’en without being attacked by anything nasty and that, if you are going to a firework display on bonfire night you have a great time and stay safe.
Very best wishes
Goff
1st November 2026
