THOLT 3

The Herf in Old London Town - February 20th 1999

by El_Ingles. Additional material - Peter Embling.
Photographs ©1999 El_Ingles/Andy Wright/Tom Anderson

Most pictures can be expanded by clicking on them

The meeting place was The Churchill Bar and Cigar Divan at the Churchill Hotel at 9 Portman Square.

11 am, A Jaded Ian Pepper and Keith Rowson who had started the night before, were the fist to arrive, shortly followed by Kevin Timmins, Peter Embling and Paul Dixon. Coffees were served and the first of many cigars were fired up. The herf had begun.

Keith and Kevin
Keith & Kevin
Peter
Peter enjoying the first of many
Ian
Ian after a heavy night

Leaving the cigar Bar at about 11.45 we got a Taxi to Dunhills at Jermyn Street, were we met some more herfers, J B and Susan Mafu. whilst we were there, Andy Wright arrived, hotfoot from the Davidoff shop where one nameless individual, lets call him ‘Pedro’ had told him to meet us!

Admiring the stock
Admiring the stock
J B & Susanne
J B & Susanne
Llewelyn Hill
Llewelyn Hill with some vintage cigars

Llewelyn Hill, one of the managers of Dunhills kindly gave us a talk about the Keep (where they store Customers’ purchases) and showed us some vintage cigars (to you – offers in the region of £ 20,000 will be acceptable!) One of bits of information Llewelyn told us, was that the Keep is kept at 80% relative humidity, as opposed to the accepted 70%. This is because of the way the lockers were designed and the way the contents were stored . He also told us the estimated value of the contents of the keep.

Llewelyn also told us of an incident when a customer actually brought back a humidor into the shop's walk-in humidor with a weevil inside it. Needless to say he quickly ushered him outside to deal with the problem! It was Llewelyn's opinion that a single hole in a stick merely indicated that a beetle had been trapped in the filler of the cigar during manufacter and was trying to escape! He told us that in his experience the beetles eat the wrapper out of choice, so damage is more obvious than a single hole. He also suggested that a good way to tell if a box had been affected was to look at the base of the inside of the opened lid to see if there was a line of powder-like dust on that crease.

After about a pleasurable hour and a half and a few purchases by some of us, we took taxis to The Terrace in Kensington for lunch.

The Terrace Restaurant
The Terrace Restaurant

The Terrace is a small cigar friendly restaurant. Whilst we were a smaller than expected number, we were warmly received. There were about 3 or 4 other tables with diners, but when we fired up, they quickly finished of their meals and departed.

We all had the set menu - Lasagne of goats cheese with tomato and black olives, followed by Chargrilled chicken breast with rosemary potatoes and pomery mustard mayonnaise. The desert was a choice of chocolate tart with anglaise sauce or Hazlenut parfait with hot chocolate sauce.

It was at this point that J B brought out the cigars that were sent to him for the Herf by Drew Newman of CigarFamily. Thanks alot Drew, maybe we'll see you at one of these herfs of ours one day? They were Robusto No 7s (41/2"x50) Maduro in a box of 10 and Dominican No 2 Centennial collection (71/4"x48).of Questa Reys We fired them up. The general impression was that whilst they were smooth, well constructed, they were no match for Havanas. A good breakfast cigar perhaps?

J B Relaxing
J B Relaxing
 
Tazador
Tazador

About 4 p.m. we went to Tasador (no longer open). This was the shop that Paul Farron who some of met at TOBACCO in Dublin) recently opened. We were due to stay there for drinks in the back room, but unfortunately for us, it had also been booked by some of his customers; and business has to come first!

Peter in the Shop
Peter in the Shop
El (David Bailey) Ingles

After a quick look round, we went to The Elephant & Castle pub opposite the Terrace Restaurant for a quick couple of beers and The Cigar Quiz which is now a tradition of THOLT and TOBACCO

It was time to go to Che in St James’s Street.

El_Ingles doing his impresion of David Bailey (Badly)

Here, Karl & Bruce Yeo, Graham & Janette Taylor and Richard Page joined us. Che is one of the newer Cigar bars in London., with plenty of cigars modern and vintage. Anything you see is for sale at a price.

Peter & Jannet
Peter & Janette in the cigar lounge
The Cigar lounge at Che
Admiring the stock
Keith
Keith
JB & Ian
JB & Ian at the bar

Bruce, Ritchard Graham & Karl
Andy
Andy
The bar at Che
Back...
The bar at Che
....To Front
At the Bar
Loadsofmoney
Susan & Janette
Susan & Janette
Susan & Andy
Susan & Andy

A few drinks later, Peter, invited Pia, Silvia, Ashleigh and Bernadette to join him, they declined, I wonder why? but they joined us to have their pictures taken!

Pity they left Pity they left Pia, Silvia, Ashleigh and Bernadette
Pia, Silvia, Ashleigh and Bernadette

It was time to go to the traditional THOLT "End of Herf" place, Little Havana.

9 pm is not a good time to get in to the place. People were queuing. When we got to the door, we were told that it was couples only! After some "discussion", we were shown up to the V I P Area. Since this was nearly empty, it was perfect for some serious herfing. We ordered some pitchers of mohitas and mellowed.

Little Havana
VIP Area of Little Havana
Getting the drinks in
Getting the drinks in
JB, Keith & Ian
JB, Keith & Ian

Susan, ??, JB, Andy & Ian

?? & Susan
J B
J B
Susan
Susan

?? & Keith

Tom

Tom & Kevin

Now that's what I call a Cigar! -Andy & Kevin
The Pilot & JB
Y'know JB, in an hour's time I'm flying to Cuba!

Kevin & Ian

No, honestly they're mine!
Smokey
Smoking! Keith with Tom distracted, but why?
And just why is Andy taking that photo? Did we have entertainment?...
 
 
 
I Think Not!
 
 
 

Honorary THOLT3'ers, Venasa and Anja

Venasa and Anja

Anja

Anja & Keith

Good Ash

I Wonder...

Deep in thought

Go-go dancer?

Romeo y Julietas

Now what's he doing?

That's my Mobile Number...

Peter, Venasa ,Anja and Andy

Where's the other hand, Peter? or should we ask Andy!

Tired?

Since Hugh (Romeo) Swift did not turn up, Peter, stepped in for him. He found Anja and Venasa, and spent most of the time with them!

About 11.30 I had to leave to get the last ‘tube’ home and I seem to remember JB and Susan leaving as well.

'Peter and Andy were last seen practising thier Spanish and German at least unto 3.30 in the morning, but that's another story ;)

 


 

Those attending (in full or part) included
Kevin Timmins
Kevin Timmins
Susan Mafa
Susan Mafa

??
Graham
Graham

??
Tom Anderson
Tom Anderson
Ian Pepper
Ian Pepper
Andy
Andy
Keith Rowson
Keith Rowson
Peter Ebling
Peter Ebling
Paul (El_Ingles) Dixon
Paul (El_Ingles) Dixon
J B
"J B " Mafa
 

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