HobbitMiles wrote:Gentlemen, may I suggest that everyone pours themselves a decent glass of port.
Actually nothing to do with disorder, but having recently been in Oporto, I did purchase an excellent bottle of Warre's port there, which I look forward to drinking over Christmas. Warre's is a favourite of mine, not only because it was the first Anglo-Portuguese port wine company (founded in 1670) but also because a member if its family, Captain William Warre (Major in the Portuguese Army) is a hero of mine. Warre was born in Oporto, but educated in UK (at Harrow), destined to join the family port business but found it not to his taste (excuse the pun) and joined the British Army (23rd Light Dragoons) instead. In 1808 he joined Beresford's staff and, being bi-lingual, personally translated the British infantry and cavalry regulations into Portuguese so that their army could use totally British procedures. As Soult was driven out of Oporto in 1809, Warre was sent to organise an ad-hoc force or Ordenanza (Home Guard) to try to prevent them crossing the Miserella bridge). He held them up for a time but could not stop the entire French army by himself. He was awarded Portuguese medals for his efforts. His memoirs are a good read.
There is a commemoration bottle of Warre's Port on sale now for the liberation of Oporto (it was laid down in 2009 but drinkable now), with proceeds going to the British Help for Heroes and the Portuguese equivalent of Ligeros dos Combatentes, since our oldest ally (from 1350) is still fighting beside us in Afghanistan today.
Rod
