Checking in on an old friend, before renewing my acquaintance with a couple of favourite, pubs

On the hottest day of the year - so far, and it's going to get even hotter as the weekend progresses, if the weathermen are to be believed, I found myself in that there London place. I wasn't there to experience some of the capital's finest watering hole, but instead was there on a visit that can best be described as "compassionate". Showing some care and support for an old friend/colleague who is currently languishing in a hospital bed, following a fall, and temporary loss of mobility. I'd been alerted to my friend's predicament, by a post on social media, so I got in touch with the lady responsible for the post, and she put me in the picture, as well as forwarding the hospital details, along with other information necessary to facilitate my visit.

I won't go into too many details, as they're not really related to the narrative, and also, unless you knew the friend concerned, they wouldn't mean a lot, but the person I was visiting is someone that both Eileen and I knew when we worked for a Tonbridge-based, engineering firm, back in the late 1970's-early 1980's. We'd lost touch over the years, and it wasn't until a chance remark, that I made on social media, that we learned that our friend was in hospital, recuperating from his fall, and waiting for a transfer into rehab, to enable him to get back on his feet again. University College Hospital London, is the name of the large and impressive establishment where our friend is being looked after, and for the record this new state of the art hospital is situated on Euston Road, close to Warren Street and Euston Square Tube stations, in other words, easily accessible. 

I set out, on my own, as Mrs PBT's isn't a fan of crowds, the heat, or of the Underground system, and my plan was to visit our friend, before adjourning to a suitable hostelry or two, for some liquid refreshment. I wasn't planning on a lengthy hospital visit, as we'd been led to believe that our former colleague wasn't in a terribly good way. Fortunately, the situation was far better than I thought it would be, meaning a lot more time reminiscing, plus laughing and joking with the patient, and substantially less time to enjoy some of the public houses, I'd originally envisaged. All in a good cause, though, and something I wouldn't have missed for the world. I'd drawn up a potential list of six pubs that I wanted to visit, in full knowledge that three or possibly four would be a more realistic total. 

I'd made a point of visiting the first hostelry straight away, in fact  as soon as I'd exited a very busy, Charing Cross station. My reason was the pub in question is small and, given it's historical connections, almost certainly on many tourist itineraries. An early visit, would help beat the crowds, and arriving just after 1pm, certainly proved a sensible move. The pub in question was the Grade II listed, Lamb & Flag, tucked away along a maze of alleyways and courtyards. 

Reputed to have  first been licensed in 1623, making it the oldest such premises in Covent Garden, the building is one of the very few left in central London with a timber frame. It's not the easiest pub to find in Covent Garden but that doesn't stop it becoming very busy at times, with office workers and visitors often spilling into the street summer and winter. However, unlike many other pubs in the area, being hidden away, means it is not quite as touristy, as some of the other, nearby pubs. On my journey up to London, I was wondering whether or not I'd visited the Lamb & Flag, in the past, but after navigating my way to that tucked away courtyard, memories of after-work pints, supped in that cramped space, outside the pub, came flooding back. even though those times would have been half a century or so previously.

The pub had been tied to Courage, back then, but now the Lamb is owned by Fuller's and offers a wide range of the company's beers. The ground floor bar consists of two small, dark rooms with low beams, wood panelling and bare floorboards. The back room has a fireplace and plain wooden seats. There is also an upstairs bar and restaurant, where the main food service is available (table service only), but I have never ventured that far inside the pub. I managed to find a seat in the back room where I enjoyed a pint of Seafarers, one of seven Fuller's beers on sale -Taylor's Golden Best, was the odd one out, but all too soon it was time to finish supping, and head off towards University College Hospital. I ran into one of the inevitable delays that often besets the Underground, but this one was due to a medical emergency, on one of the trains in front of mine.

I left the train at Warren Street, and after heading up the escalator, found that directions to UCH were clearly signposted. Now this is one heck of a building, with beds for 665 patients, 12 operating theatres, plus the largest critical care unit in the NHS. There are around a dozen floors, with the ward that our friend was in located on the seventh. There was certainly an impressive view right across central London, from where his bed was situated, taking in the Shard, the London Eye, St Paul's cathedral, plus a host of other famous London landmarks. At night, the view is illuminated by tens of thousands of lights, providing a spectacular  visage across the capital. As our friend pointed out "you'd pay a lot of money for a view like that!" 

It took some time to track down his location, as I hadn't received precise instructions from the lady who'd first alerted us to his plight, but with the help of a number of staff members, who checked various computer screens, I found him, sitting up in bed, looking slightly puzzled at first after seeing me walking round the corner. Once over his initial shock, and expressing how pleased he was to see me, we settled down and enjoyed a lengthy, and at times, quite humorous, catch-up. 

Apart from urgently requiring a haircut, our former colleague looked quite well and certainly far better than I had expected. Amongst other topics the conversation turned to pubs, and reading my mind he asked would I be stopping off at a pub, on my way back to the station? Well, yes, of course, and in a moment of real serendipity the Wenlock Arms cropped up. This legendary pub was on my list, so after hearing from my friend about the Wenlock's come-back from the dead, I settled on the Wenlock, promising that I would raise a glass to him, whilst there. I said farewell and then navigated my way out of the hospital. Stepping out from the carefully controlled, air-conditioned coolness of UCH, the heat hit me like a blast furnace, but despite the warmth, I was pleased to be on the move again. I headed down the Euston Road, before cutting in at St Pancras, and back down to the Bank branch of the Northern Line. 

I left the Underground at Old Street, and then it was over to my phone, and Google Maps. Despite previous navigation problems, the App worked well on this occasion, even though it was further to the Wenlock, than I remember. Thinking back, previous visits had usually been after the lunchtime sessions at "London Drinker", an annual CAMRA beer festival held at Camden Town Hall, and an event I remember with fondness. I was normally accompanied by a couple of West Kent CAMRA members, and had relied on their navigation skills in order to reach the Wenlock.  This time I was on my own, but following Google Maps, I headed up along the City Road, until I reached the Eagle pub, immortalised in the rhyme, "Pop goes the Weasel". ("Up and down the City Road, in and out the Eagle, that's the way the money goes, pop goes the weasel"). A right turn, followed by an eventual left, brought me to the Wenlock, which had received a much needed, and long over due, makeover. My friend and I had joked about the former state of the pub's toilets, or at least the Gents, but with a king-sized thirst, I was much more interest in topping up the tank, rather than draining it off!

All joking aside, the re-vamped Wenlock certainly looked the part, and whilst it was obviously busy, the majority of customers were stood out on the pavement, enjoying the early evening sunshine. I made my way to the bar, where a choice of beers from either Burning Sky or Five Points, greeted me. Tempted initially by the former, I went for the latter instead, where a pint of Five Points Best, proved the ideal thirst quencher. It's no exaggeration to say that this single-hop beer, brewed using Fuggles grown locally in Kent on Hukins Farm,  really hit the spot, so much so that it hardly touched the sides. Time for another, and this came in the form of Railway Porter, also brewed at Five Points, just a short distance away, in nearby Hackney. 

As well as being thirsty, I was also hungry, having had nothing to eat since the two slices of toast and marmalade I enjoyed at breakfast. I knew from the pub's write-up, that the Wenlock included Pieminster Pies, in their lunchtime offer. Well they don't anymore, and seeing as the time was getting on for 5.30 pm, it was past lunchtime anyway. After seeing my look of disappointment, the kind lady behind the bar took pity on me, and said she could rustle up a toastie - cheese and ham, too, if I fancied one.

Did I fancy one? and does the Pope pray? so of course, "Yes please". My snack took a little time to arrive, but the wait was worth it, and the toastie brought back memories of why such items were once a pub staple, especially in pubs lacking cooking facilities. I didn't rush my beer this time, instead I savoured it, marvelling at how it complemented my tasty, pub snack.

It was time to go, I'd already phoned Mrs PBT's and told her to leave my "ready meal" curry in the oven, but not wanting it to be burnt to a cinder, and in the interests of marital harmony, I began the route march back to Old Street Underground. Fortunately the connections were all good, both at London Bridge, and also at Tonbridge, where I managed to hop off the train and then, almost immediately, onto a bus that took me to the top of my road. 

So, a good day out, with not only the chance of cheering up an old friend, but also with the opportunity of strolling around the nation's capital. There was a really nice, and almost joyful atmosphere pervading the city, that day, and this seemed to extend to virtually every pub, café or outside drinking place that I passed. It was possibly encouraged by the weather, but more likely it was down to people socialising, enjoying themselves and celebrating the end of the working week. It was a great feeling to be a part of this, and escape from the doom and gloom of recent headlines, largely dominated by world events that are often beyond our control  

The Kentish Tap, at the Rose Revived

Hot on the heels of the last post - the one that included a prestigious pub changing its name, here's new of another one changing its name. The Rose Revived, situated on the edge of the village of  Hadlow, is now known as the Kentish Tap, at the Rose Revived. The idea behind the name change is to promote all things Kentish, whether they be animal, vegetable or mineral - perhaps not the last one, but definitely a celebration of the very best of all that Kent has to offer. 

So, in no particular order, customers at the Kentish Tap will find fresh Shellfish from Whitstable, seafood from Sankey's Fishmongers - Tunbridge Wells, Beef supplied by Chart Farm in Sevenoaks, apples and Apple Juice from Hadlow College - just down the road, farmed Venison from Chart Farm, Carrots, Root Vegetables & Potatoes from Deal, Seasonal Grass Fed Lamb, Taywell's Kent Ice Cream from Paddock Wood, Beer from a variety of Kentish Brewers, Kentish Cheeses - the list goes on.

This new concept was launched during the first week in March, when the Kentish Tap opened its doors, revealing the new look. The pub exterior has certainly received a makeover making customers aware of the new name, plus the idea behind it, although I'm not so sure whether or not the interior has been given the same treatment. I say that because I'm not exactly a regular customer to the Rose Revived, even though I've always had a soft spot for the pub. 

The Tap's promotional literature claims that the changes are a bid to re-establish the pub as a lively hub for the local community, by creating a Family Friendly establishment. I'm not quite sure what is meant by this, but I'm guessing the Rose wants to move away somewhat from the "fine dining" approach to some thing more down to earth. The pub management claim that the Taproom and Restaurant, with all produce from the local area, is a unique concept. I'm not sure about that claim, but what you will find on offer, is certainly a novel one.

The Rose Revived has everything you could wish for in a country pub, including; log fires, a cosy bar taproom, guest beers, local food, attractive gardens plus a restaurant. Visitors will find an exciting range of local beers, cider, wine and other beverages. As the promotional literature says, the Kentish Taproom concept is proud to be supporting British farmers. 

As for the pub itself, the Rose Revived, is an old coaching inn dating back a number of centuries. Looking at the layout of the building, it is certainly quite a rambling structure, with add-ons and outbuildings that would have served as stables, in years gone by. It is now one of only two pubs left in Hadlow, a village that once supported five Public Houses. The other three have all closed fairly recently, and certainly within the 40 year period that I have known Hadlow - an attractive village in its own right, with a famous agricultural college on the southern perimeter,  and an attractive centre with a village square, flanked by a number of local shops.

Hadlow is also home to Hadlow Tower, a 19th century folly that has undergone a major renovation in recent years. Hadlow Tower, known locally as "May's Folly", is a Victorian Gothic tower, and one of the largest in Britain at 53 m (175 ft).[5] The top 40 feet (12 m) is an octagonal lantern. At 6ft taller than Nelson's Column, it is thought to be the tallest folly in the country, and surely one of the most eye-catching. built by a local land owner and merchant, Walter May, for reasons of pure jealousy. According to local folklore, May's wife had left him for another man, so in 1838 he had this huge tower built alongside the family home, Hadlow Castle (built by May's father) in order to could keep tabs on his wife and the farmer that she had gone to live with.

I called in last Sunday, and whilst the Rose wasn't exactly bursting at the seams, it was ticking over nicely. I received a friendly welcome from the person behind the bar, whom I assume was the landlord, and pleased at seeing Goacher's Goldstar on tap, ordered myself a pint. This pale, and well-hopped, gold-coloured ale is a rare sight, in this part of Kent, even though it's brewed less than 20 miles away, in the county town. Being a bright and sunny day, I took my pint outside, and was surprised to see so few other punters, taking advantage of the fine weather. The garden is quite extensive though, so there were probably more outside drinkers present, than I thought.

My brief visit made a pleasant change, and when I arrived home, I told Mrs PBT's about the changes. The Rose is another favourite of my wife and her girly friends, so I shall be interested to learn what they think about it, after they've made their obligatory inspection visit. As for those closed Hadlow pubs, I had to think long and hard to recall some of them, and a nostalgic look back at some of them, would make a good article. That's for another day, but the pubs were, the Blacksmith's Arms, the Harrow, the
Albion (aka the Fiddling Monkey + the Two Brewers), and finally the Prince of Wales. The Harrow has been raised to the ground, but the other buildings are still standing, and have been adapted to other purposes (fish & chip shop, antiques shop, plus  the boarded-up, Two Brewers). The latter is a Harvey's pub, that a succession of landlords have failed to make a go of, probably because it was the wrong pub for the brewery to have bought in the first place, but that story will have to wait though for another time, . 

It's all happening again, in Tonbridge

There's been a number of interesting developments recently, on the local pub scene, and whilst none of them are connected, or similar in any way, they all concern changes for a number of Tonbridge pubs. Some of these changes have already occurred, some are taking place, even as I write, and two or three are still to happen. Let's get started then with a well-known Tonbridge establishment, the Hilden Manor, that acquired new owners, back in the late summer. 

This Grade II-listed pub and former Beefeater in Hildenborough,  had been a familiar, local fixture for several decades, but after closing its doors in August, this characterful building underwent an extensive renovation. It reopened under new ownership in December and with a new, and quite puzzling name, as well. Now known as the Never Say Never, the pub opened just in time for the all important Christmas trade. Its new owners, are Elite Pubs, a name that is already quite familiar to pub goers across Kent and Sussex. The group pride themselves on running a collection of stylish and character-filled venues across both counties, by expanding slowly, and carefully.

I have already visited a number of Elite Pubs in both Kent and Sussex, and these include the Poacher & Partridge, at nearby Tudeley, the Vineyard, Lamberhurst, the Lazy Fox at Mark Cross, and the Dirty Habit at Hollingbourne. The latter has only recently re-opened after a serious fire, but I remember the pub providing a welcome and much needed break whilst walking the North Down's Way. A couple of days ago I increased my tally of Elite establishments by one, when I popped into Hildenborough's Never Say Never, on the outskirts of Tonbridge.

I was never a frequent visitor to this former Beefeater inn, so there wasn't much for me to compare things with, but the pub seemed pleasant enough, and I quite liked the way that signage in the internal entrance porch directed customers to either the bar - LHS, or the dining area, which is on the right. 

There wasn't much going on, but as my visit took place shortly after 10.30 am, I wasn't expecting a lot. Harvey's Sussex Best and Larkin's Traditional were the two cask beers, but given the early hour, and the fact I had a lot to do at home, I swerved the beer and opted for a flat white instead. Apart from a couple of women, discussing a theatre outing, I was the only customer, although a chap did turn up later. It will be interesting to see how the pub fares, but there is a captive audience next door, in the form of a Premier Inn. The NSN has probably had a lucky escape, seeing as former owners, Whitbread, have announced the closure of all their Beefeater outlets.

Moving swiftly on, we come to the Humphrey Bean, Tonbridge's Wetherspoon's outlet. The pub is scheduled to shut its doors on 26th May and will remain closed until its grand reopening on 7th July. The closure is to allow a major upgrade, what ever that means, but in the meantime, local fans of any early morning pint, with their breakfast, will  have to look elsewhere. 

The 9 o'clock, "shaky-hand" brigade will be a bit stumped, as the nearby Gatehouse, closed at the end of March 2024. The timing of the closure means the Bean will be closed during some of the summer’s biggest sporting events, and football enthusiasts will be especially affected, as the FIFA World Cup runs throughout June. The closure of the Humphrey Bean comes as a bit of a surprise, as the pub has always been well-regarded, amongst local residents and victors alike, and the six-week timescale suggests something major might be at hand. Whatever the outcome though, a fresh new design will definitely be a welcome addition to the High Street, and to one of Tonbridge’s most popular pubs.

The third pub on my list of changes, is the Man of Kent, a lovely old inn located on the Tonbridge Road, at Little Mill, East Peckham. Renowned for its riverside setting along the River Bourne, its rustic, low oak-beamed ceilings, and a large wood-burning inglenook fireplace, the pub was a popular watering hole with locals and visitors alike. Offering excellent food, and scenic outdoor seating, during the summer months, where children could feed the fish in the neighbouring stream, the Man of Kent's sudden closure towards the end of February, came as something of a shock to both visitors and locals. The pub, which dates back to 1588, had been a staple of the East Peckham community for decades, so it closure came as a real blow for a village that once boasted half a dozen pubs.

Locals and visitors alike will therefore be heartened by the news from owning pub company Stonegate, that the Man of Kent should be welcoming customers back next week under new management. Especially heartened by the news will be Mrs PBT's and her group of girlie friends, still known as the "ante-natal" group, three and a half decades on from the off-spring who all arrived, in the autumn on 1991. Over the years, the pub has been their gathering place for at least one of their twice yearly, get-togethers. So some potential good news there, and good luck plus best wishes to the new owners. 

Next on the list is Tonbridge's Rose & Crown Hotel, an old English former coaching inn, set in the heart of the town. Located towards the top end of Tonbridge High Street, and opposite the town's 12th century castle and Tonbridge Public School, the Rose & Crown is an impressive Tudor building with an 18th century brick facade, that was once a busy posting and coaching house. Refurbished to modern standards, with many parts of the hotel retaining its original character, with oak beams and Jacobean panelling.

This Best Western hotel, changed hands last year, after being on the market for five years. Boasting 56 bedrooms, plus two function rooms, the Rose & Crown remains as Tonbridge's most prestigious hotel. For many years it was the favourite overnight stop for members of the company's Japanese board of directors, who liked its old world charms, but in recent years, seems to have fallen out of favour. 

The hotel has also fallen from grace with several local residents, due to the state of the large porch, which stretches out across the pavement. Traditionally, this was the place from where election results were announced, but in recent years the portico has started to exhibit signs of wear tear, which has caused the local council to step in. Their building control team has issued a seven-day deadline to the hotel owners, requiring immediate safety works to the building’s portico to address risks identified in a recent structural report. 

Work is now under way, to restore the building to a satisfactory standard. I called in to the Rose & Crown, shortly before Christmas. It was mid-morning, so the place was relatively quiet. I was pleased to notice that the new owners had restored the many exposed beams to their former glory, removing the white wash that a previous owner had obviously thought was trendy, but to my mind it just looked a mess. It's still early days, but I feel confident that despite the recent issues with the porch, the Rose & Crown is in good hands with its new owners. 

I was going to end the piece here, but there's one final development that I'd like to share with you, and it concerns Fuggle's. I'm talking here about their Tunbridge Wells outlet, so strictly speaking it doesn't fall under Tonbridge. It's still worth noting though as Fuggles has officially revealed plans to expand its Tunbridge Wells venue later this year, to include more seating, plus a bigger kitchen. This will be achieved by taking over the neighbouring former mobility shop next door, significantly increasing the venue’s footprint and creating a brighter, more spacious experience for customers. Again, it's early days, but you can find more details here. 

Chipstead fails me again!

I mentioned recently, in comments made on another blog, that I hadn't been getting out as much as I would have liked to, and there are a variety of different reasons behind why this should be true.  Fortunately, this all changed last weekend, when I took a ride out on a bus service that only runs on Sundays. This enabled me to visit three  different pubs, but the strange thing about the trip was that none of the pubs I ended up visiting, were on my original list, as I shall explain shortly.

Before going any further, you probably know that I'm a huge fan of travelling to the pub by bus, even if they're often found to be running late, or sometimes not at all. Unlike trains, which operate along dedicated tracks, buses operate on public roads, and have to take their chance alongside all the other road users, such as cars, lorries, coaches, farm vehicles, and even the occasional mad cyclist, all intent on snarling up our increasingly overcrowded, public highways.

Despite these drawbacks, buses still represent the best means of reaching those isolated and hard to get to country inns, without having to get behind the wheel of a private car. I have of course, written quite a few posts about days out by bus, all released under the generic title of "Pub Friday", but last weekend I embarked on a "Pub Sunday", same theme, but different day. 

My plan was to take the Go Coach 401 service, which operates between Tonbridge and Westerham, solely on Sundays. I specifically wanted to visit the Bricklayers Arms, a rather good  Harvey's pub, on the edge of Chipstead village and overlooking Chipstead Lakes. The latter are man-made structures, rather than natural lakes, that started life as gravel pits. Today, they are home to a wide variety of wildlife, and are popular with both anglers and amateur yachtsmen. 

I attempted to visit the Bricklayers, back in November 2021, only to find the pub inexplicitly shut, due to "unforeseen circumstances"! Surely this time things would work out alright? Looking back at the post I wrote at the time, I noticed that failed attempt also took place on a Sunday, and I had cited the exact same reasons for taking that 401 bus, although the service was operated by Arriva, back then. 

The time table had also been revised, and I noticed that the bus would drop me off in Chipstead at 11.15, which was a tad too early for the Bricklayer's. Fortunately, the CAMRA website came to my rescue, as I discovered that the Bullfinch in nearby Riverhead opened its doors at 11.30, so if I alighted from the bus on the edge of Chipstead, and then walked back towards the nearby Tesco superstore, I would be rattling the door of the Bullfinch, dead on opening time.

The Bullfinch is a tied pub that belongs to the Hertford brewer, McMullen's. It is Mac's only pub south of the Thames, and has been owned by the company since 2009.  In short, this stylish pub is a lone outpost, for the brewery, but is none the worst for that. The Bullfinch is home to a modern, spacious restaurant with a roaring log fire during the winter months, and is ideal for meeting up with friends and family. 

The pub also hosts a cosy bar lounge and a luscious, spacious green beer garden. McMullen's beers attract a mixed response amongst drinkers, and many in CAMRA are quite dismissal of the brewery and its brands. 

I remember well, the late chairman of my local branch (West Kent CAMRA), being less than complimentary when it came to McMullen's, a stance I believe he developed whilst living in Hertfordshire. Strangely enough, Iain was Scottish, so why there should be this antithesis towards  Mac's beers, is anybody's guess. There was a choice of two McMullen beers at the Bullfinch that day, IPA or Country Best Bitter, with the former being the stronger of the two, although not by much.

Now this is where I should have headed back into Chipstead, and found my way to the Bricklayer's, but deciding to be clever, I reckoned there was sufficient time for a pint in the Miner's Arms, first. The latter is in Dunton Green, and was originally built to quench the first of navvies, working on the nearby railway. The Miner's is now a local  family-friendly village pub with a strong sense of community. During refurbishment work, several years ago, the landlord uncovered and restored the 100 year old signage at the front of the pub, advertising the long now defunct brewery of Kidd and Son's Brewery, who were based in Dartford. As you can see from the photo, the sign provides an attractive feature on entering the pub. 

I received the strangest of welcomes from the landlady, who greeted me with the words, "Oh, you've had your haircut." As it happened I did have a trim, a couple of day's previously, but despite being tempted to play along with this case of mistaken identity, I gently reminded the good lady that neither of us had met, previously. It took a bit of gentle ribbing from a couple of local characters, to make her realise her mistake, but both parties accepted the error, in good grace. By way of compensation, I enjoyed a well-kept pint of Tonbridge Easy Street Pale. This visit was probably only my third or fourth visit to the Miner's, but on each occasion the pub has always delivered in terms of good beer, conviviality and a great atmosphere.

Onwards and upwards, but still with plenty of time on my hands (or so I thought), I retraced my steps back towards the Bullfinch, and then up a lane of rather expensive-looking houses, towards the edge of Chipstead. It was here that I took my eye off the ball, because on arriving at the village green, I took a wrong turning. I'm tempted to blame Google Maps here, as the App has an unfortunate trait of realigning itself (on screen), with every change of direction encountered, but blindly following the on-screen map, I reached the busy A25 main road. It was only then that I realised my error, and once again retraced my steps, back towards the village green. En route, I meticulously checked the various bus stops I encountered along the way, but information regarding  the 401 Sunday service seemed to be missing from most of them. Puzzled, I continued along a downhill road which I was sure would lead me down to the lakes, and my eventual goal of the Bricklayer's.

The beer that I'd already consumed, had worked its way down to my bladder, leaving me bursting for a pee, a situation which led me into the nearby George & Dragon. The latter is still very much a "food-led” pub, although the welcome I received was much more friendly than that which I faced, nearly four years ago. I therefore wasn't shoved out into the garden (it was bitterly cold, that November), and I wasn't made to feel like a pariah, either. Instead, I managed to engage with the two friendly girls behind the bar, even though their knowledge of the local buses, and the village bus stops, was unsurprisingly rather limited. There were two Westerham beers on sale, Grasshopper plus, in a nod to Roald Dahl, a "house" offering, called "George's Marvellous Medicine", also brewed by Westerham. 

I'm not normally a fan of so-called "house" beers, as they are invariably just one of the brewery's standard beers, re-badged, and sold at inflated price. The Grasshopper was good, and added extra weight to the fact that after over 25 years in the business, Westerham must be doing something right. However, the rather biased thinking of a former branch chairman, who had dismissed Westerham Ales out of hand, fuelled a lengthy,but period of distrust between CAMRA and Westerham's owner, and founder.Fortunately, the biased complainant is no longer actively involved with the local branch, but damage of that sort takes a long time to repair, and to my way of thinking it didn't help CAMRA's reputation, locally. For the record, this character was a different individual to the one who didn't like McMullen's.  

By now, I'd given up on reaching the Bricklayer's, primarily because I was uncertain where the return bus stop was located. I didn't want to miss the 14.15 bus, because it was the final one continuing on to Tonbridge. So, somewhat reluctantly, I walked back to Riverhead, through a very posh Chipstead, keeping an eye out for strategically placed trees or hedges, where I could once again empty my bladder - spoiler alert, there weren't any! 

The Bullfinch came to the rescue, although there wasn't time for a beer, in exchange for the use of the pub's facilities. I waited at the Tesco stop for the 401, which arrived early, which was bonus, as I was glad to take the weight off my feet. So, after two failed attempts, will it be third time lucky for me and the Bricklayer's? I'm in no great hurry to return to Chipstead, at the moment, and I might even contemplate driving there, next time, despite my reluctance to use the car. Watch this space then, although at the same time, don't hold your breath! 

The Holy Goat is coming along nicely

After my preliminary visit to the Holy Goat, almost a month ago now, I thought it was high time that I gave this latest addition to Tonbridge's drinking scene a further try. The recent May Day holiday seemed as good as any for another look, although if I'm honest, I managed to squeeze in a visit a couple of weeks previously. The slightly chaotic scenes described in my initial piece, had fortunately disappeared, and a responsible and more mature crowd seems to have taken over. Even better is the appearance on the bar of a handpump, dispensing Harvey's Best Bitter - what else?

The Holy Goat describes itself as a friendly neighbourhood pub. Situated  roughly halfway along  Pembury Rd in Tonbridge, the pub serves good food and offers a warm and friendly welcome to regular and casual customers alike. As the Goat's website says, the new management have given a fresh start to a much-loved old pub, and have achieved this by keeping much of the original character. They have added some great food, that includes the renowned Saint John’s Yard burgers, complete with filthy sides (whatever that might entail) because, if you haven't already guessed, the Goat is owned and managed by the same people who run the slightly off-beat Saint John’s Yard, in Tunbridge Wells.

As its name might suggest SJY is situated in the St John's area of the town, which lies between Southborough and the top end of Tunbridge Wells. To my great shame, I have never set foot in SJY in either its current incarnation, or under its older, and far more traditional name of the Red Lion. Eighteen months ago, I attended my firm's Christmas bash, at the next-door Shuffle House, although my understanding is this establishment too is currently closed, awaiting a further make-over. Perhaps it will revert to being a traditional pub, or it that too unusual, and too much to ask? Whilst on the subject of Shuffle Board, it's worth pointing out that Molo Brew, a cavernous craft beer establishment, close to the cruise terminal in the lovely Norwegian town of Ǻlesund, had a couple of shuffle board tables.

I realised that I haven't written anything, so far, about Ǻlesund, but that will have to wait, and returning to the Holy Goat, the pub seems to be doing well. The amended pub sign is still missing though, an issue the Goat's manager isn't very happy about, because, as he told me, some people still haven't caught onto the pub being open. He has chased the sign writer on several occasions, and each evening, as I drive past, I look - so far in vain, for the appearance of the new pub sign

There is a secluded and well-laid out garden at the rear of the Goat, which is set at a slightly lower level. During the recent, but now annoyingly vanished, hot spells the garden with its wooden pods along the edges, has proved extremely popular, particularly with family groups. No photos then, for the time being and at least until the weather changes, or the garden is empty. The garden does seem a popular meeting place for catching up with friends, popping in for a quiet pint or settling in for a long warm, summer evening. The pub itself is developing into a friendly local, and is a welcome addition to the .  Tonbridge pub scene.