Other 'hobbies' or interests...

[sbthang]

Excellent guys - lots of Rugby-watching, two-wheel-loving, Rum-drinking, rootin', tootin', shootin' Cigar dudes here - truly excellent

Dave - what a fantastic story that's unfolding with your wife...definitely worth a thread of it's own...

Pete - Borough's the place to be, isn't it? As you've gathered already, I'm a total foodie too...the Ginger pig's the place to shop, eh?

Paul - cheese, you say...I so hope your brother has a website - always up for me cheese in my life

Big T - nice selection of hobbies, indeed.

Gary - what did you buy? Who are you buying through? What's your favourite region?

Yeti - sweeeeet Duke - dig the carbon...

[Big_T_UK]

Need some details of what car stuff, shooting stuff and plane stuff people do, to see if we have any toys to have each other play with.

That sounded rude......

[Gary]

"Gary - what did you buy? Who are you buying through? What's your favourite region?"


Steve bought a 6 x bottle case of Chateau Climens 2009 from James Nicholson wines here in N.Ireland, hosted one of the 10 best wine merchants inthe whole of the Uk and Ireland. I'm also hoping to pick up a case of 2010 Climens, 2010 Chateau D'Issan as well as the 2010 Chateau D'Issan second wine before the years out. As well as Bordeaux I am also fond of Californian, Australian and New Zealand wines for a start, but basically will try all Old World and New World wines!

[funnyoldgame]

For me it has to be a round of golf. I can somehow detatch myself from the worries or pressures that life brings and catapault myself into a totally new world. The golf course is the best place to relax IMO (If your having a half decent round that is!!!)

Also love F1. Went to Spa in Belgium a couple of years ago and those guys are worth every penny they earn. The noise is incredible.

[Simon-JG-hr]

Seems I cover many of the same hobbies and interests:

Sports wise: I'm massively into skiing, rugby and sailing. I'm a ski instructor and race coach, so thankfully manage to get most of my skiing in for free (thank God...) Rugby wise, I don't play anywhere near as much as I used to, appearing maybe a couple of times a season for my Old Boys club up in Gloucester (too many injuries and spending time in two parts of the country to play more often). I also refereed for several seasons (as injuries prevented me playing much beyond school) - the highlights were refereeing three age-group county finals, a Lydney v Cinderford Colts Cup match under flood-lights on a Friday night in-front of over a thousand people, and an exchange to the States, where I refereed a top-division match including five players who had played at the World Cup less than a year beforehand. As for sailing, again, very lucky: I've managed to find a boat owner who's a good skipper, enjoyable to sail with, and was foolish enough to make me the Nav/Strategy man for offshore races (meaning, again, I've managed to do something expensive, on the cheap! )

Completely uninterested in football... but then, I am from Gloucestershire, where a round ball induces quizzical looks and mutterings about something being the wrong shape...

Love watching cricket, especially Test Matches. Enjoy watching T20 too, but find 40/50 over cricket pretty pointless. Play a few times a year, if I can.

Otherwise, I love shooting (kind of falls under sport too I suppose) - clays and game are at the top of the list, target shooting a little lower, but enjoy it for different reasons (think we covered that before).

Love whisky, specifically Scotch (not a fan of Irish or American offerings), and have favourite tipples from all the regions. Also enjoy gin a great deal, and am still hunting something which can beat Plymouth Navy Strength. (New bottles for Plymouth Gin out soon, and I've managed a sneak peak... ) Whilst we're on food and drink... I enjoy finding good Bordeaux and Sancerre for under ?15 a bottle, though probably couldn't claim anything like any real degree of knowledge. I'm also a keen cook, taking my lead, for the most part, from the inimitable Keith Floyd.

Finally, anything to do with international relations - diplomacy, security, strategy etc (oh yes, and maritime doctrine - yup, boring git!).

[TJCoro]

Simply Put.





TJ and the Coros


smiley-char067.gif Ray Jay was a factory-trained wrench for Kawasaki back in the 70's


Hey BB! I did not know that!


(Hurumph!) If you ask me...You're Both NUTS!

[M1F2R3]

All carbon....well apart from the tank, picked up the bodywork while in South Africa....really cheap

Thank you though

Y.w.

I'm not sure if you've seen Tron: Legacy but the bike used in the opening scene is so sexy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuCjHXLHGUk

[Simon Bolivar]

Hey TJ, I actually read that one, enjoyed it, liked to think I understood some of it but didn't get the sequel.

[sbthang]

Simon - you've 'stolen' my life, mate...

My original post alluded to the fact that I have only one 'hobby', but I am in fact into so many of the same pastimes of my fellow BOTL, it's almost unbelievable.

Wine has definitely been a more recent (7 years) addition to the stable of interests:

Bordeaux is a long-term wine for me - an investment in the future, for sure
Californian Pinot's and Chardonnay's
South African reds - Kanonkop, De Toren, Boekenhoutskloof, Constantia, De Trafford, Meerlust, Vergelegen - some of the best producers out there, IMHO
The good and great French Burgundies - too many to note...but all to be drunk
Champagne - from the friendliest to the finest...Billecart, Ruinart and Pol Roger (Churchill's favourite tipple) amongst the best.

Rugby (watching - playing's a thing of the past), Golf and Sailing (I'm not quite yet a navi-guesser, Simon - I'm foredeck's backup PLUS ballast - but I'm learning to sail Dinghy's at the moment, so will improve) are some of my favourite pursuits.

I've loved clay pigeon shooting over the years (especially 'flurry' events - used to shoot in a 3-man team, under the moniker 'FULL METAL JACKET' - great times) although haven't shot for a good 5 years now. Indoor Rock Climbing has also featured quite highly over the last 15 years, with an odd moment of madness outside on real lumps of rock...

Cars Cars Cars...love driving them, owning them, watching them... Bikes too, however I treat them with respect after a crappy accident some years back - hated getting rid of my Kwak, but it had to done - too many nutty car drivers on the road.

Food - now don't even start me on this subject... I'm unfortunate in the fact that I am a complete idiot in the kitchen (without a step-by-step manual with minute-by-minute instructions) but my wife is a genius, thank the heavens... I've a mate that really 'hates' eating food - never has a vegetable on his plate and he finds food a drag - I can't understand him at all. Food is one of life?s greatest pleasures, interacting with sight, touch, smell and taste...good food is great, whereas great food is perfection IMHO.

Apart from wine, like Simon, Gin is a fascination for me - finding the best examples has become somewhat of a mission...and I've recently embarked on the same journey with Rum - early days, but I'm working my way through the Caribbean islands in a booze-filled haze.

I'm also a keen collector - signed, 1st/1st fiction books (Crichton, Gibson, Grisham, Cook and Dick Francis), Mont Blanc pens and Swiss Watches...this last one is my Achilles-heel, as it's soooooooo damn expensive.

Anyways, bit more of an idea as to what makes me tick...plus I like Cigars too

Steve

[Cigar-aficionado]

I can understand the watch bug as well...have always had a thing for noce watches and have gravitated towards collecting Breitlings but has taken me a few years and have just got 3 in the collection, Chronomat Evolution steel and gold, 2010 model Chronospace and just recently a Navitimer Montbrilliant as well.

[Zigatoh]

Hehe, only thing I can chime in on so far, one Breitling Colt... there will be more!

Oh and whiskey... Latest favourites being a Glen Ord 28yr - real tongue burner but loved this one, and recently got a rather tasty BruichLaddich, it's one of the limited 125th anniversary bottlings but can't remember the company this was for... Also not a fan of Irish or American really.

+1 on the Pol Roger as well, brilliant stuff, been a big fan of Paul Goerg for a long time now as well. The fizz they're bottling at Denbies these days is top notch too.

Kind of a car fan but nothing too serious, loving my RX8 anyway watching tho, , top gear only !

[sbthang]

Sweet watches, C-A... I've also had an eye on Breitling for a few years now, but have yet to acquire one.

My collection, thus far, comprises: Tag Link, Tag Carrera, Omega Speedmaster, Omega Planet Ocean and most recently Cartier Ballon Bleu (I know this isn't 'Swiss' but you get my drift...) for me and Tag Alter Ego, Ebel Beluga and Omega Seamaster for the wife. (she's a sparkly girl, so diamonds are definitely her best friend and higher up the list than another watch...)

Next up will be either Cartier Roadster, Panerai Luminor Marina or JLC Reverso Grande Date...or if I'm really lucky a Patek Phillipe Nautilus.

Steve

[Stevieboy]

Wow! Does any members have any interests that doesn't cost a fortune?
Reading, writing, painting for example?!? Most everyone seems to merely collect expensive stuff?!?

(I'm guilty of this too being into collecting Stephen King and Philip K Dick)

[Eddie]

Shooting (mainly practical, but some hunting and formal target), Snorkeling including in the UK. Rock climbing/ mountaineering (but not as much now as I used to due to my accident)

[pauldrums81]

Does your brother have a website for his cheese company?

I'm currently in the middle of building a site for him but it's not quite ready to start online trading. In the meantime if anyone is interested I could email a price list and you could place an order via email & [EDITED].