Special Report

Wirtz, Virginia - With the 30th Annual Meeting of the International Correspondence of Corkscrew Addicts just two weeks away, The Daily Screw will give regular updates of some member's trek to the meeting.

In addition, a number of ICCA members are also members of the Smith Mountain Lake Corkscrew Coveters and the Patpong Corkscrew Club. Never before has such an esteemed group converged together for three meetings in Southwest Virginia.

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On The Way From Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand. Alf Erickson reports:

In a just a few hours Watcharee and I will catch British Airway's's trans-Asian sleeper for London...the first leg on our journey to Virginia. After some English R&R we'll board one of the now ancient Concordes for JFK; after three nights in the Big Apple our third leg will leave us in Fort Lauderdale. The final leg will be by wheels: Five of us in a road-sleeper. Amma, Gift and Ohmy have never been on a US Interstate...it will be such a thrill for them.

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Leaving the CCCC Meeting

Monterey, California - Australian Nick Hunt (asleep at left center in photo) had an enjoyable weekend at The Canadian Corkscrew Collectors Club meeting and is now heading East.

Nick (right) has been well fed and is ready for American highway junk food during his cross country motor trip. New Jersey corkscrew collector Milt Becker (left) will headhome then after a short rest, head South to Virginia.

Photos courtesy of Ed Bystran.

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Nick's Report

So it begins.

Preparation for my drive across America was a beach party held in Monterey on Sunday night 21st September. So I wet my feet in the Pacific Ocean with my map of the USA, pointing the direction of my travel. It wasn't until one o'clock on the afternoon of the 22nd when this intrepid reporter left Monterey on a thirteen day exertion across this large country called The United States. How many of those United States will I visit ? Who knows? But, have been in California and Nevada and skipping in and out of Arizona for the past 2 weeks, seeing sights like the Mojave Desert, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, Death Valley and Yosemite. The count may be high.

I have already put over three and a half thousand miles on the clock/Speedo. Putting the "dust-wagon" through it paces, preparing for the cross country dash ahead. I feel confident that it will get me to the Atlantic. Not knowing the road conditions ahead, I have already driven on - dead straight roads for miles and miles as far as the eye can see, bendy roads with hair-pins and blind corners, down and up steep mountains, long sweeping bends and of course dirt roads. The seals on the car aren't the best hence the name 'The Dust-Wagon". I haven't experienced any rain or wet conditions yet so this name may change during the tour ahead. The "dust-wagon" well, it's a Mitsubishi "outlander" and boy has it been "out landing". It also won't be cleaned, what so ever on this journey. So stay tuned for the before and after shots.

So I drove North from Monterey along Highway No.1 with the Pacific on my left and a lot of land to my right. Up to Santa Cruz then San Jose and onto San Francisco. Missing the turn off to by-pass San Francisco I had a short tour of this city. Soon I found my way across the Bay using funnily enough the Bay Bridge I drove through Oakland. Missing Sacramento all together I drove North further and further North through Redding and passed Shasta Lake until Mount Shasta. Huge mountain's rising 14,000 feet. And the locals say it could be another Mount St. Helens. It happens to be on the same volcanic fault line. I better tread lightly. I found a nice 'Best Western' Hotel and my room had views of the mountain and it's glaciers. A spectacular sight indeed. How far North will I go tomorrow, I can't tell you. Stay tuned for a daily write up ... Nick

Nick Hunt will be joining fellow ICCA, SMLCC, and PCC members in Virginia.

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Prepping

Pennsylvania - Corkscrew Collector Howard Luterman selects a few corkscrews to take to Virginia in hopes of besting other corkscrew collectors in a trade deal.

Luterman will be joining fellow ICCA and SMLCC members in Virginia.

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Letters to the Editor

Thorny Issue

We concentrate on getting corks out with the least effort but I have recently found a corkscrew that sets out to make our life as difficult as possible. The corkscrew shown has its handle wrapped in barbed wire and to matters more difficult a left hand thread worme. The barbs are arranged so that it is almost impossible to position your hand to give a good pull. The only marks are "INSPIRATION SUMBORG". I suspect it comes from Norway or Sweden where they are jealous that they cannot grow grapes or make wine! Are there any other corkscrews designed to stop you opening the bottle?

John Compton, England

Whatzit?

I have recently found a mysterious corkscrew I had never seen before anywhere. I haven't read any information about it yet. I have got a few questions: - is it an American one ? I don't think it is a Williamson because the cap lifter is a little bit different. - the end 19th century - early 20th century ? - is the accessory a tin-opener ?

Can any readers of The Daily Screw shed any light on this?

Jean-Claude Vanden Bruel, Belgium

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