WINE & DINE WITH ANGELA LANSBURY

 I noticed the huge two handled cup used by the person next to me in Costa under Sainsbury's in Hendon, NW London. The cup is for a large drink. Massimo. Favoured by people who want to occupy a table for an hour or two or more. Whether for meeting friends, or, more usually, working at a laptop.  Why ait working in Costa, or any cafe? Some people may be working from home, but to get away from distractions of family, noisy children, crying babies.  Or out of the office. Or between meetings in the area. We were waiting for deliveries. Or for appointments with tenants and letting agents. Or to wait for cleaners to finish cleaning a flat. You can buy these cups on line. The one from Costa was on ebay, used, at about twelve pounds. Several more at that price, in heavier porcelain. Lots of cheaper ones in light weight plastic. For invalids, or the elderly. An Amazon. Useful Websites for two handled cups Small cup https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boscul-Independent-Disabilities-Spillages...

 A Fine Wine Lunch at Conus restaurant Cornus is a fruit. Look it up on the internet. Cornus is new but got its Michelin star fast.  BYO The Champagne Charlie song was about the man who started this wine Okay. Doubly okay. Mushroom canape, or gougere, which means in pastry. Compliments of the redtaurant. Extra. Amuse bouche. I have had five amuse bouche.  Useful Website on Cornus Restaurant https://cornusrestaurant.co.uk/

  Several were on sale in the huge Hendon branch of Sainsbury's. It has a big underground car park with wide spaces.  You can take a full trolley up or down the sloping moving walkway. Why don't they have those in airports.  Trolley and Pedestrian Slope I found the downward one quite scary to walk down. You step on to it. Your feet are at an angle. Whoosh - you are moving. Fortunately you will soon be at the bottom,, ground floor. this brings you  

 The club meets regularly every month on Wednesdays and in 2026 Valentine's Day fell on a Saturday, so the club enjoyed tasting wines on the Valentine's Day theme in advance - and in time to be inspired to buy some for Valentine's Day. Angela Lansbury at the Central London Wine Society meeting. The Central London Wine Society met at a Civil Service Club meeting room for a meeting on the theme of Valentine's Day. We told the story of St Valentine, quoted Chaucer and Shakespeare on the subject. We tasted wines whose labels featured Romeo & Juliet, Champagne Jean Valentin, Sanct Valentin, and Château Valentin. Our starter wines were two sparklers, a Prosecco and then a Champagne. The Prosecco was a Prosecco Brut, but not to dry for me, 11%, maybe why it had less of a kick than the Champagne which followed which was 12.5% alcohol, and more pleasing to most of those in the room.  (I am a Prosecco drinker, easily satisfied.) Photo by Angela Lansbury. Please share links to...

  Left Trevor Sharot, member of the Wine Writers |Association. Right  Thibault  Lavergne, of  The Wine Story Club based in Little Hadham, Hertfordshire. Verulam wine tasting club meets in St Albans, Verulam is the old Roman name for St Albans. Being a member of the wine club gives you the opportunity to taste new and old wines. The cost of joining for a year is low, only £10.  Members and their guests have the opportunity to socialise with about fifty local people, enjoying a Saturday night meal tasting a small measure of half a dozen or more wines. In the picture you can see on the table the two wine measures. During the meal you are entertained by a talk about the wines. The cost of a meal with a chance to taste half a dozen or more old wines which have had time to intensify their flavours, wines at prices which some of the people attending would only pay for wines for special occasions. My husband is a wine educator and a member of the circle of wine writers....

  Food prepared to match wines at the Haberdashers Hall, near Spitalfields Market near Farringdon station in London. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. The Italian chef at Haberdashers Hall was asked to devise seven dishes to complement and compliment seven Italian wines from Zonin at their Zonin1821 event. I had to pass on the prawns as I have an allergy. However, I got feedback from my husband Trevor who has WSET level 4 diploma, and is wine educator, jointly runs a wine tasting group in central London and a fine wine lunch group meeting in London Restaurants. He is in a member of AWE, the Association of Wine Educators, and the Circle of Wine Writers.