INVESTING AS WELL AS INGESTING

 

We're going to invest in some shares. Now, before Robert jumps on to his high horse and condemns us for being white middle-class privileged wealthy folk- which makes a change from his calling us Labour voting Socialists - let me say that we currently don't have investments and are going to buy the minimum number of Palliser shares so that we will be eligible to go to the AGM meetings.

Mike is a shareholder and Geoff is also interested in buying some.

The reason that we have chosen Palliser is because we feel we have a connection to that company.

Many years ago Geoff and some friends and family started up a vineyard venture in Martinborough that was named Pinnacles. We joined in as shareholders and I helped to do some vineyard work with Geoff and Roger. After a few years, when the vines were bearing fruit it was time for further investment into a winery and other infrastructure. The shareholders, at a special general meeting voted to not further invest but to sell the vineyard instead. This was because, after 5 or 6 years, people's personal situations had changed - retired, having children, needing to renovate houses etc and they needed the money. The vineyard was producing exceptional fruit that we sold to other wineries and went on to be gold medal winning wine. The vineyard was sold - to Palliser- at a very attractive profit over our initial investment. Palliser kept the name 'Pinnacles' as the vineyard name and there is a nice roadside sign there.

Having shares will keep that connection going and will give us a nice excuse, along with Mike, to get to Wellington every year at AGM time. We've been thinking of buying these for some time but I've been a bit slack and did nothing about it. Mike reminded me that the AGM is on November 8th so today I approached a share trading company to see about buying some. I think that I'll be too late for this year's AGM but, with luck it could be a future yearly event for us.