NWR Simon Beatty R.I.P.

A delightful companion. Generous with his wines, but also with his thoughts and opinions. I learned much from him, sometimes on an inebriated train journey after a good lunch or dinner, and wish I had had the time to enjoy more meals with him. So delightful was his company that I once forgot to leave the train at my station in Yorkshire, as he was travelling home to Newcastle. A real loss to our band of North country wine lovers. We will raise several glasses to him at our next lunch on 28th October.

RIP.
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By pure coincidence, I've been sat next to or close to him several times over the last year at various lunches and dinners and had just started to feel like I was getting to know him. To my untrained eye, there was no evidence of his illness so I was shocked when he explained his situation to me. I was even more taken aback by his quiet determination to carry on enjoying himself for as long as he could and without even an ounce of self pity. I really feel like I've been robbed of a burgeoning friendship and can only imagine how much his loss is being felt by those who loved him.
 
Incredibly sad news. I haven't see him for years which is a real shame. He was such a lovely man and incredibly generous as many have mentioned. I will always fondly remember many long afternoons at Rochelle Canteen with him and many others from these pages. He introduced me to the place, and I became a regular at RC whenever he came down for a visit. Rest in peace Simon.
 
Bobby Chandra said:
Incredibly sad news. I haven't see him for years which is a real shame. He was such a lovely man and incredibly generous as many have mentioned. I will always fondly remember many long afternoons at Rochelle Canteen with him and many others from these pages. He introduced me to the place, and I became a regular at RC whenever he came down for a visit. Rest in peace Simon.
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Those Rochelle Canteen days were great, weren’t they?
 
Tremendously sad news. Simon had put up a remarkable fight in the unequal challenge Cancer so often presents, I'm pleased to see he passed peacefully at the end.

Simon was someone, like so many here, that I only ever encountered at WIMPS events, over very many years it has to be said, where he was always warm hearted, engaging and of course generous, both with his wine and his time.

As well as these many laudable qualities he could often be ferociously Hirsute!! And may well be most fondly remembered by some for his, sometimes, explosive Barnet. :D

Rest easy and drink well you lovely man.
 
So very sad. It was by all accounts a tough fight for him but he battled bravely through and was able to share many of his fine bottles, always so generously, to the end. I met him long before I had heard of Wine Pages, at the Rochelle Canteen, inevitably, when he sent across various wines to our table to share even though he knew none of us. He left us with the healthy remains of a magnum of 1978 Bordeaux (VCC I think).

A very fine and remarkable fellow.
 
Simons passing is indeed a very sad occasion. A friend to so many here on the forum. It has been really moving reading peoples memories. Simon was probably the most instrumental person in my fine wine journey, giving immense help and guiding me along the way. He also became a close friend during those years. We first met just over fifteen years ago and his welcoming nature, enthusiasm for sharing all things vinous (especially Burgundy) and egalitarian attitude towards both sharing and inviting meant that through him I met a good many people on here and enjoyed so many remarkable occasions.

Two memories come to mind that seem to encapsulate him. One going back to a period ten or so years ago when at practically every lunch or dinner he would in the event of a faulty bottle (or simply at the end of the meal) always seem to have about his person a Rousseau Clos St Jacques 88 or a Raveneau Le Clos. His green wine bag that was always about his person and seemed to carry four, five or even six bottles was always on hand to provide extra liquid lubrication and he always batted away any suggestion that he was being too generous. That attitude really never changed. His taste always seemed so ahead of its time and yet even when Burgundy prices became rather ridiculous he never stopped bringing mature wines from a host of top domaines. Determined as he was to share, share well and do so abundantly with a great many people as so many have already attested.

The other memory that springs to mind was at an occasion of a friends 40th birthday party held in Eastnor Castle when after dinner (and much drink) we retired to the billiards room. Simon disappeared momentarily before entering the room with a magnum of Dujac – vintage and vineyard quite unremembered I'm afraid – in one hand and a broad sword in the other. We gathered he had picked both up from his room!

He will be greatly missed.

I am in process of helping his partner and family arrange the funeral and will do my best to PM people in the forum with the details and will also seek Tom's permission to post a thread with details. I think there will also be a few "do's" at Noize in his honour as well as he has left wine for such occasions. Even in death he wanted to ensure we were well lubricated when we gather to remember him.
 
Lovely words @Gareth Germain - i too was also amazed at his never ending supply of Rousseau CSJ. That was right at the start of my Burg journey and his passion for such wine really opened up that world to me.... I also recall a rather splendid Roulot Mersault he brought along to one of the Cambridge dinners we had with the Cellartracker crowd. He was always so eager to share, never with any showiness - a kind man who wanted others to experience what he had worked out years ago!

I was also lucky enough to share a (far too) long lunch at Rochelle Canteeen with him - there were some rather exhalted wine industry people at our table and I felt a little out of my league but he was charming, welcoming and after 5 mins I felt right at home. He will be missed.
 
I was sad to read about this just now. I met Simon a few times over the years - he was excellent company and actually first introduced me to Chave (with the 85), now I come to think of it.

Indeed on that note, I recall later arranging a 88-91 Chave/La Chapelle dinner, 7 or 8 years ago, to which he brought the 90 Chave and I think also the 78 Blanc as a surprise… but he fell fast asleep halfway through the main flight, yet was most unperturbed upon awakening - for these were wines he knew all too well and if anything he was just disappointed to have missed the banter with friends!
 
Matt O'Connor said:
I was sad to read about this just now. I met Simon a few times over the years - he was excellent company and actually first introduced me to Chave (with the 85), now I come to think of it.

Indeed on that note, I recall later arranging a 88-91 Chave/La Chapelle dinner, 7 or 8 years ago, to which he brought the 90 Chave and I think also the 78 Blanc as a surprise… but he fell fast asleep halfway through the main flight, yet was most unperturbed upon awakening - for these were wines he knew all too well and if anything he was just disappointed to have missed the banter with friends!
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That is probably my other really fond memory of Simon. His ability to nap at most lunches and dinners yet waken and just carry on as if nothing had happned.
 
Matt O'Connor said:
I was sad to read about this just now. I met Simon a few times over the years - he was excellent company and actually first introduced me to Chave (with the 85), now I come to think of it.

Indeed on that note, I recall later arranging a 88-91 Chave/La Chapelle dinner, 7 or 8 years ago, to which he brought the 90 Chave and I think also the 78 Blanc as a surprise… but he fell fast asleep halfway through the main flight, yet was most unperturbed upon awakening - for these were wines he knew all too well and if anything he was just disappointed to have missed the banter with friends!
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I also remember this well - I think it was when I first met Simon. You describe it beautifully. My going into bat for La Chapelle was treated with great courtesy and patience but it didn't convince :)
 
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