Christmas Tutti Fruti - Fourth Bottle (A3), 26th-28th March 2014

I opened this bottle on Wednesday after our final regular WYSO rehearsal before the concert on Saturday, and we finished it on Friday while eating 'Tuna Surprise'; the surprise being that we managed to eat it without too much help from the cats. In between times we were in Peterborough for Uncle Henry's funeral. He died a couple of weeks ago and I thought it important to attend. He and Roy put me up one evening many years ago and I had an entertaining and wine-fueled time, watching videos of Roy's drag act in the 1970s.

Roy, of course, was devestated at the funeral. He is old and infirm and cannot have expected to outlive Henry. All very sad. Still, it was an opportunity to see Claire's extended family and to celebrate Henry's life.

Peterborough Crematorium

Blackberry Wine - Twelfth Bottle (B5), 22nd-23rd March 2014

I drank far more of this bottle than was sensible on Saturday night. Richard & Linda were here, and it was a wonderful evening, so I just kept filling my glass. The wine was delicious and slipped down easily, but let to a poor night's sleep and that horrible feeling of dizziness on waking. Ordinarily this would not matter on a Sunday, but today I was playing bassoon quartets with Amy, Simon & Chris in Kirk Deighton Village Hall at nine, so it was an early start. In fact, two hours of bassoon playing was an effective remedy and I had a splendid time. Four bassoons make a terrific noise.

(We didn't have a drum kit but this is one of the pieces we played)

Obviously, this is not us.

Prune & Parsnip Wine - Second Bottle (B5), 22nd March 2014

Prune & Parsnip is probably my most medieval of wines. This fits with tonight's meal, which according to the recipe book - Londoners' Larder - was authentically Chaucerian. Richard & Linda were here and Claire took the opportunity to experiment. We started with a pea and mint soup, and this was the most normal course by far. Next was a spinach and currant dish with pinenuts, accompanied by a fish, rice & almond blancmange - which was odd. The main course was an onion and dried fruit tart - and this verged on the 'pudding' scale. The pudding itself was an apple omlette, and this was close to savoury. It was an interesting meal. Prune & Parsnip went well as it is neither savoury nor sweet and I can imagine peasants trying to make do without grapes to create a suitably tasty wine.

Crab Apple & Strawberry Wine - Third Bottle (3), 19th-20th March 2014

Thursday was a long day. I spent much of it in London at a conference for lawyers working in house-building. That sounds remarkably dull, but really it wasn't. The talks were all well done and mostly both useful and interesting. The thrill, though, was being in London - and I do feel like the wide-eyed country boy in saying that. But I saw St Paul's, Tate Modern, the Globe, the Old Bailey and Tower Bridge. Despite my northern prejudices, it is an amazing place.

By the time I got home I was exhausted, but not so much that I refused a large glass of crab apple & strawberry wine. This has a slight fizz, is a wonderful colour but is just a little too dry. Still, it was welcome after a busy day and a crowded, hot train journey.

Pineapple Wine - Second Bottle (3), 15th-17th March 2014

This bottle was not as good as the last, but that may have to do with differing expectations - and it was far from awful. It did for the whole of the weekend and into Monday too, which is rare for something drinkable.

On Saturday and Sunday we returned late from concerts and mostly wanted to sleep rather than get sloshed. Saturday's Music Club was the longest ever - running past ten. I would like to complain bitterly, but in fact most the music in the second half was well done. It was only the orchestra in the first half (and in which I was playing) that I would have cut.

Sunday was an Airedale concert - Bruckner's First Symphony - whch is loud and tedious.

Bruckner

Crab Apple Wine - Thirteenth Bottle (C3), 14th March 2014

Mostly I am on the mend. My cold has improved, I am neither shivering or feverish and my desire to flop into bed is only moderate. However, the gum around my one remaining wisdom tooth has flared up again and if it is no better on Monday I will go to the dentist. It has to come out - this is becoming too frequent. Tonight I have tried to numb it with gin, followed by crab apple wine, and this is only partially successful. How very irritating. Still, once this one goes, I have no more wisdom teeth and my mouth should remain pain-free.

My dentist's

Rhubarb Wine - Tenth Bottle (A4), 14th March 2014

I have been threatening to take a bottle of wine into Work for over two years now. But my wine is too precious to feed to colleagues. Finally, though, I agreed to bring in a bottle of Rhubarb as a prelude to tonight's 'Work Night Out'. Except four of us (out of nine) have been ill this week and have stayed away from the planned night of carousing. The wine was slight consolation, and everyone who tried it said nice things. Carol was most enthusiastic and for that got rewarded with a second glass. Lily said it was much better than expected, and Simon and Debbie both commented on its strength. Only Martin refused a glass, but he is the most ill of all of us.

Many of my colleagues