Buzz Aldrin is why I drink and my sex mad Uncle is why I cook
Why...
Are there such tenuous connections in life that lead to extraordinary outcomes?
When I was first employed at Lloydâs of London for Kidnap and Ransom insurance it was during the heady days of the four martini lunchâŠfollowed by a discreet snooze in the afternoon. Then after Big Bang, it was all red braces and Porsches, and the only thing to put in your body was hair gel. As Gecko said, lunch was for wimps. Step forward a wimp.
There was a discreet upmarket cocktail bar and restaurant called the Victory Rooms in the City. So Old School you expected to meet Tom Browne, Mr Chips and Jean Brodie, in her prime.
Now I believe itâs a gym for your lunch break. In my day at lunch time it was manned by the super famous Savoy American Bar cocktail waiter, Joe Gilmore. My first day whilst sitting at the bar trying to work out what to order, I noticed a tiny framed a picture of Apollo 11 resting on the USS Hornet, the recovery vessel after that historic flight.
âWhy is that there,â I asked.
Joe beamed and brought it over. I could now see the signatures of Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin. âThanks. Would never have got through it without youâ it read.
When the three astronauts were asked what they would like to keep
them occupied for the two weeks they were locked in quarantine, Collins and Armstrong asked for various books and music. Buzz said, ââFuck that. If I am going to be locked up I want to be blissful. Get Joe from the Savoy to keep us smashedâ.
Joe poured me a combination of grapefruit, orange liqueur, and a hint of rosewater, topped with Champagne. âItâs called a Moonwalker,â Joe explained. It was heaven in a glass. I owe Buzz Aldrin my love of cocktails.
