January 24, 2007
road trip dates confirmed
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My dates for my Stormhoek Valentine’s Roadtrip have been confirmed:
February 2nd: Inverness, Corstorphine [Edinburgh].
3rd: Newcastle, Durham, Tadcaster.
4th: Blackpool, Bidston Moss [Merseyside], Horwich, Warrington.
5th: Stockport [Manchester], Altrichham [Manchester], Redditch [Worcestershire], Cardiff [Wales].
6th: Yeovil [Somerset], Bournemouth.
7th: Purley, Gatwick, Chichester.
8th: Sandhurst, Bursledon, Cirencester.
9th: Reading, Newbury, Abingdon.
10th: Barr Hill, Royston, Watford.
11th: Aylesbury, Ipswitch.
12th: Cheshunt [Herts.], Colchester.
13th: Pitsea [Essex], Twickenham.
14th: Brooklands [Surrey], New Malden [Surrey].
[UPDATE: Tour Map is here.]
You can download a more detailed itinerary here: [Word Document].
Cut and paste the postcode in the Word doc into Google Maps or Mapquest to get super-precise directions. If any bloggers want to meet me in Tesco’s while I’m there, or maybe a drink in the evening, just phone me on my mobile on the day +44 (0) 770 309 9462.
We knocked down the final number of stores I’ll be visiting by about a third, sadly. In the end we decided we wanted to spend more than ten minutes in each store, so there was really nothing else to do.
If this goes well, there’s already talk of doing something similar in both Germany and the USA. The virus spreads.
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A wee chuckle to start your day off right etc.
we need a trans-Atlantic rode trip next!
Bah, nothing in London, then?
A road trip with such a defined schedule isn’t a road trip! Grab some friends, gas up the car and just drive… now that’s a road trip.
“now that’s a road trip.“
yes, one where nobody gets paid.
jeeze, sometimes i think my readers forget i do this professionally
Ah Barr Hill — that’s close enough. If you fancy a beer in Cambridge that evening (and even a curry) let me know.
Nige
It’s pretty funny when Royston (Cambs) and Stockport (Gt. Manchester) are the two closest to me, and both are about 120 miles away, lol. Have a good time! Purley was my home store for quite a while. It’s full of wannabe snobby ladies during the day (probably an ideal crowd really).
love your creations. inspirational! sensational!
Hugh, I’ll see you in Pitsea Tescos on the 13th with my shopping trolley perhaps. Do I assume from the fact that you’re going on to Twickenham that you won’t be hanging around in Essex for a drink?
Excellent stuff — looking forward to seeing you on the 9th! Any specific times, or just easiest to call you?
London is covered to a degree — New Malden (near Wimbledon), Watford (North London), Twicks (richmond)
Awesome Hugh! Have you any idea what time you’ll be in Altrincham? If you are spending the day in Manchester are you planning on making an evening of it too?
expect the Clayton clan to find you at Bidston Moss Hugh
Pitsea eh? That’s an interesting choice for your Essex location, considering you’re in this to sell more wine. (Pitsea is next to Basildon ie, where they drink mainly Bacardi Breezers or Stella.)
Still, great for me — see you there! I’m not a blogger, I’m a blogee but I do know a nice pub in this rather dodgy area.
nothing in London? Am sorely disappointed.
No Glasgow then?
I budget about 2 hours per store. I like to shake the hands, kiss the babies, of course (everyone from receiving to check out), but also do competitive analysis. Count facings, record pricing, chat up people to see what is selling and what they’re thinking about delisting (big opp there).
Hey it seems that Tesco online is unaware of Stormhoek? Perhaps you might like to look into that…
“Sorry, we couldn’t find any wines to match your search for stormhoek.
Please try searching again.“
Just thought you might like to know…
Cheers,
Nigel
Yep, as monkeyleader says lets have a meet up in Bar Hill or maybe if Hugh has time in Cambridge that evening. You are welcome to stay over at mine in central Cambridge
Hugh, if you fancy a bloggers dinner/beer after the Tadcaster stop then let me know. After all Yorkshire is the UK capital of blogging:
http://www.stuartbruce.biz/2007/01/yorkshire_is_bl.html
Re wines not available online or in tesco yet: the Stormhoek Cartoon Series Rose launches exclusively in 50 top Extra stores for the first time this weekend and the Stormhoek Sauvignon Blanc 2006 and Stormhoek PInotage 2006 launch in March in many more stores… You won’t find the wines online until mid March but they’ll be in store!
So its not going to be that easy to get a bottle of this wine.….…Which is a Great shame .
Hurrah! A reason to live in Abingdon! I think an evening drinkette is called for (and I’m so going to be a HM groupie at Tesco).
Hey, “Ernie” just got home to Finland
Just wanted to say that it was a pleasure to get to know you.
Dang — 1 stop in God’s Country (Yorkshire to all them’s except Stuart) and there I am with 5 kids and 10.5 grandchildren gagging to find out if this weirdo from Cumbria via Madison Avenue is truly barking mad or whether their dad is a bare faced liar. Oh yeah — might sell some Stormhoek…doh!
Seriously — sounds like hell.
I’m just down the road from the Brooklands store — but what time will you be there? The 14th is a work day after all.….
Do you have a time yet for your trip or will I have to camp out at Barr Hill all day
May try and pop along to the Newcastle one…
Hugh — do you have approx times for these visits. 3 in a day looks challenging given the drive between them — or is it a 10 minute gig in each one! Hope to make Cirencester on the 8th … D
I’d be up for the Cambridge geek dinner / beer / social thing, it’s easier to get to than London!