Full marks for disclosure. I think it's a tricky one, always has been. Newspapers in the UK don't have the resources to pay contributors well, never mind their expenses (I earn roughly the same per piece as I did in the 90's, sometimes less). You couldn't do the job without travel or samples though, living in Bristol, I subsidise my frequent trips to London for tastings. The alternative is that only writers of considerable private means get to do the gigs. Not necessarily a good thing either!
Exactly! I'm very lucky to have friends and family there, and that Champagne is cheap and easy to get to. Nevertheless, there's a lot of glitz in Champagne and it's worth disclosing it - I do think readers pick up on it and ask questions, at least to themselves.
What you did should be mandatory and instantly raises your credibility above everybody else's. (It lingered around there before.) Maybe not your tasting skills, but I'd rather take credibility as tastes vary anyway - especially if they're influenced by fancy trips.
Full marks for disclosure. I think it's a tricky one, always has been. Newspapers in the UK don't have the resources to pay contributors well, never mind their expenses (I earn roughly the same per piece as I did in the 90's, sometimes less). You couldn't do the job without travel or samples though, living in Bristol, I subsidise my frequent trips to London for tastings. The alternative is that only writers of considerable private means get to do the gigs. Not necessarily a good thing either!
Exactly! I'm very lucky to have friends and family there, and that Champagne is cheap and easy to get to. Nevertheless, there's a lot of glitz in Champagne and it's worth disclosing it - I do think readers pick up on it and ask questions, at least to themselves.
Hello Mr Hewson
What you did should be mandatory and instantly raises your credibility above everybody else's. (It lingered around there before.) Maybe not your tasting skills, but I'd rather take credibility as tastes vary anyway - especially if they're influenced by fancy trips.
Cheers
I'll take that as least partly as a complement !
Oh, sorry, it was supposed to be a full on complement. Keep up the great work and thanks a lot for everything.
Ha don't worry! Thanks for reading and I'm sure I'll see you in the spring...
Sadly not at printemps. I'm doing a second job teaching now so I can't leave home for the big party - oops, week of hard work.