A Word from Bazza / March 2018 Round-up

[Bazza]

Hi Folks,

It's that time again where I finally get around to getting my sh*t together to post another of these increasingly infrequent regular roundups.

So, with the last of the snows finally behind us (can someone in Kildare please confirm?), and the mild disappointment and airing of grievances on close family that was Christmas past a distant memory, we can finally leap forward with full gusto into the holy season of Lent.

Since the year is only picking up momentum following our extended winter, there's scant pickings on the ground regarding upcoming events, but there are a couple of significant ones that we'll touch on shortly.


Past competitions / Events
17th February/3rd March 2018 – the Nationals
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/members-only-area/2018-national-brewing-championships/  [members only thread]
A highly successful competition all round. Ran like clockwork, and congratulations to one of our Belfast members, Bazza, who single-handedly scored gold in every single category, even the ones he didn't enter. That's some feat for someone who, I understand, suffers from a debilitating lack of tact and grasp of reality.
(can someone tell me what the hell Bobby Ewing's doing in my shower?)


Future Competitions/Events
24th March 2018 – the Nationals – Urban Brewing, Dublin
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/members-only-area/2018-national-brewing-championships/  [members only thread]
New date for our latest attempt at staging this competition. Only a plague of locusts or a falling Chinese space station will make us push this date out again. If you're interested in stewarding or judging on the day then check the threads or follow up with Kellie or Slugtrap, respectively. There will be a series of novenas happening around the country in an effort to make this date happen, so check your local parish bulletin for details.

12th May 2018 – Brewcon – Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin 
Discounted member tickets can still be purchased here:
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/members-only-area/brewcon-2018-reinvent-the-classics-nhc-member-ticket-sales-are-go!/

General ticket sales are here:
http://www.nhcconference.com/

This is shaping up to be an excellent event. With presentations from Mitch Steele (Stone/New Realm), Dave Carpenter (AHA, Zymurgy), Fergus Fiztgerald (Adnams), Rich Kilkillen (Brewdog) and more TBA, what better way for the discerning home brewer to spend the day than amongst this embarrassment of brewing knowledge?
Don't forget, when buying your ticket you can still purchase Dave Carpenter's new Lager book for only €18, and for a further €20 you can bring a friend or loved one along to the club night^*.

Buy now to avoid disappointment.

^*In the interests of health and safety, admission can ONLY be permitted on presentation of a valid ticket. No exceptions.

19th May 2018 - Garden County Brewers "We're Not Bitter About Brexit" Traditional English Ale Competition - The Harbour Bar, Bray, Co. Wicklow
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/competitions/gcb-we're-not-bitter-about-brexit-traditional-english-ale-competition/
Drop off and entry close is 11th May so still plenty of time to enter this one. Should be a class event.


Other Topics
NHC Merchandise
Any more takers for the next round of NHC glasses? We need at least 40 before we can proceed with the order:
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/new-board/nhc-stem-glass-order-batch-2/

Please add your ideas for future merchandise items to the following thread:
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/chit-chat/merchandise-ideas/

Club Membership / NHC Groups / Competitions
Membership is still only 10 euro.
Let us know if you need any help growing your club, organising a competition, or anything else you think may be of benefit to your brewing group and club-wide, and we'll help make it happen.

Affiliate Discounts
There have been enquiries on the forum about where the discount codes can be found. Please continue to take full advantage:
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/members-only-area/membership-benefits-2015/

Member Group Buys
These seem to be quite thin on the ground in recent months so I just wanted to remind you that, as an NHC member, if you have any suggestions for group buys of homebrew-related equipment then put them forward. As a naturally frugal bunch of oddballs, we homebrewers love a bit of the ould discount, even if it's for something we don't even need; as long as we saved money on it that's all we need.


Lastly...Bazza's final thought
The start of the year has been a challenging one, to say the least. I know this wasn't the most ideal situation for a number of the competition entrants, but we appreciate everyone being so understanding about the late postponement of the Nationals. We really did try up until the last minute to make Saturday the 3rd happen, but around 4pm the evening before, we had to make the decision to pull the plug.  Major factors behind this decision included uncertainty over the delivery of the entries to the venue, uncertainty over the venue even being open or not and, of course, most important of all, the well-being and safety of all involved.

As always, please use the forum for all your questions, tips, notifications, write-ups, etc.

So let's get this year kick-started with a number of great events already happening, and plenty more to come.  And never forget what the sadly-departed Mark E. Smith once said:

"If it's me and yer granny on bongos, it's The Fall"

...well, it cheered me up, and that's the main thing 

Cheers,

-Barry


P.s. If I've omitted or wrongly stated anything above, please let me know and I will correct.
P.P.s If it's helpful inspiring quotes you're looking for, maybe Google Nelson Mandela or Joey Essex, or something