 Within four years he discovered his talent for writing, with "The History of the Champagne Trade in England" published in installments in the "Wine Trade Review".In 1908 he created the Wine Trade Club with friends, organising tastings and technical lectures that foreshadowed the Institute of Masters of Wine 45 years later.This all came to an end in the war of 1914–18, which saw him spend four years in the French Artillery, first as a regimental postman, and later as a liaison officer with the British.