He's leaving home, bye, bye

Last weekend, after nearly 35 years of living with Mrs PBT's and I, son Matthew finally moved out of the family home. He'd been hinting and threatening to do so for a while, but last Saturday the big move began in earnest, leaving Eileen and I to experience being "empty nesters" for the first time. It hasn't quite sunk in yet, especially as he's been making regular car journeys back to Tonbridge, in order to pick up more of his clothes, and personal effects, but whilst it still seems a bit strange, I'm sure the pair of us will get used to it. 

Eileen in particular is enjoying not having to wait until almost 7pm, before serving up our evening meal, because with a 5.45pm lock-up of the hardware shop that Matthew manages, followed by a 45 minute drive back from East Grinstead, it was getting om for 7pm, before we were sitting down to eat. My commute, is a mere 15 minutes drive, and then that's only for three days a week. Matthew hasn't gone far, as he's only moved to nearby Southborough. It's not the posh part that he's gone to, and by that I mean the area bordering the common, instead he's relocated to a mixed residential area of the town, close to neighbouring High Brooms. He's moved in with Charlotte, his girlfriend of the past couple of years, so it's not as if he's suddenly jumped into it this relocation.

She's a nice girl, sensible and level headed, and with space in her rented flat for young Mr Bailey, I think the move will be good for the pair of them. It will certainly be good for Matthew, as it couldn't have been that much fun for him, shacked up with his aging "P's". Whilst he virtually had his own "wing" on the first floor of our house, with a reasonable sized bedroom, plus an en-suite bathroom, it was more than a little cramped at times. So whilst, obviously missing him - to a point, flying the nest will undoubtably do him good, and it will do the same for Mrs PBT's and I as well, especially after 35  years of us all living under the same roof. We shall see how things pan out, but the move will allow his mother and I both time and space to continue the clear out of our own junk, as well as his - a task I alluded to in the previous post. 

That's it, for the time being, apart from saying we've a family wedding to attend at the weekend. As is sometimes the way with weddings, this isn't an occasion that Eileen and I are looking forward to. Ask me why, the next time you see me and I might tell you the reason, but then again, I might not! I'm sure there will be other updates and further developments, as we go along, but for now it's high time that I signed off.

Six months into the new year

Well we're halfway through the year, and it's time to take stock on what's happened over the past six months. The undoubted highlight during this time, was the sixteen night cruise that Mrs PBT's and I undertook to Norway. Although our cruise ship embarked on this voyage to northern Norway at the beginning of March, travelling as far as we did beyond the Arctic Circle, was always going to be chancy, especially with regard to the weather, and associated sea conditions. And so it turned out, even though despite careful consideration, I don't think either of us were quite prepared for the strong winds and high seas we experienced. 

Despite the adverse weather, and full in the knowledge that such conditions are not exactly unknown, that far north, we still had a good time, even though my good lady wife kept reminding me that all she wanted was a few days spent in somewhere hot and sunny. I kept reminding her that to reach somewhere warm and sunny, by boat, in early spring would still have meant navigating the notoriously rough, Bay of Biscay, even though, as I privately admitted, both the North Sea, and the waters off the coast of Norway, had the potential to be rougher still.

The main thing is we survived, and leaving a few really rough "sea days" to one side, we enjoyed a really good holiday, experienced some spectacular scenery, and visited several charming towns and cities, that exuded bags full of Scandinavian charm. Most importantly, we were able to view the spectacular Northern Lights - twice in my case, but the viewing from the deck of our cruise ship, as we departed the far northern city of Alta, was every bit as rewarding, and meant that Mrs PBT's was able to experience this amazing natural light show, for herself.

Turning to matters closer to home, and apart from some important family news, that I shall release next time, there's not that much to report. Eileen and I have been busying ourselves with an ongoing clear-out. In my instance this tasks also extends to the shed, summerhouse and greenhouse. Certainly in the first two cases, these outbuildings have become dumping grounds for things we're either no longer certain that we need, but also as a "holding place" for items destined for the local tip. Somewhere in between are items capable of being recycled, and since returning from Norway, I've taken loads of stuff to one of several charity shops. The process hasn't finished, although I've certainly stolen a march on Mrs PBT's, who's an itinerant hoarder - especially of clothes. I'm letting her sort that area out, under the auspices of not trying to force things.

All that sorting out, has eaten into valuable pub-going time, although checking back I've ticked off 60 different pubs this year, although I've obviously visited quite a few of these on several occasions. Now three-score isn't that impressive by some ticker's standards, but I'm quite pleased with it, especially when it comes to pubs that I've never visited before. 

I shall shortly reveal which of these pubs impressed me the most, but before doing do, it's worth noting that most of them were the result of "one -off" visits, rather than as part of a concerted group effort. I say that, because what has really been missing, so far this year, are the "Proper Days Out". That's not to say there hasn't been any, as there has, but they just seemed to clash either with work, of with family matters. Even so, off my own bat I've enjoyed some excellent days out in Hastings, Lewes, Sevenoaks, Hook Green, Birmingham and London plus, most recently Shoreham (Kent). 

All these days out allowed me to enjoy some excellent pubs, with Pelham Arms - Lewes, Wellington - Birmingham, Wenlock Arms - London, Crown - Hastings, plus, of course, the Elephant's Head, at Hook Green, on the Kent-Sussex border. There were also a couple of standout bars that I experienced during our cruise to Norway. Expensive, yes, but atmospheric, welcoming whilst at the same time being ultra laid-back, as only Scandinavians really know how to. The off-beat, Puskas Platebar & Pub in Alta, where I sampled my most northerly beer ever, plus Trondheim's Habitat Craftbar - offering a wide range of Norwegian craft beers, alongside some truly excellent pizza. 

There's two or possibly three "Proper Days Out" planned for the second half of the year, where the Somerset town of Frome has been set aside for a "carefully curated pub crawl", plus a month earlier, Coventry has been earmarked for a similar exercise. Frome will be a completely new town for me to be visiting/drinking in, and whilst I have made a couple of visits to Coventry, on both occasions, I was under the age, as far as visiting pubs and drinking alcohol is concerned. That brings us right up to date, and with temperatures having dropped to something more approaching normality, its time for me to sign off and say goodnight. 

Cloudy Murk

I've never really seen the attraction of "cloudy murk", a phrased used by others, but most dismissively, by northern-based, vintage Beer Blogger, Tandleman, to describe a style of beer that seemed to come from nowhere, before coming something of a sensation in the land of its birth. The style is New England IPA - NEIPA, for short, and the land of its birth, as well as its conception, is the US of A. No surprises there, but as far as I am concerned this is nothing more than a "made-up" style, and one that has little to offer the serious beer enthusiast. Unfortunately, NEIPA's seem to be all the range these days, and whilst some of the enthusiasm behind this "cloudy murk", appears to have abated, there are still plenty of industry "experts" and "influencers", (hate that word), who have fallen for the hype surrounding this artificial style of beer.

We'll start with cask, because in the UK at least, that is the style of beer where drinkers are most likely to encounter a hazy, or cloudy pint of beer. Historically, a pint of cloudy cask ale was a sign that a beer had not conditioned properly, that suspended yeasts had not settled properly, or that your pint was full of end-barrel finings (ugh!). Whilst there is no real evidence to back up the statement that a pint of murk will give you an upset stomach, regular beer drinkers, have learned over the years to avoid hazy beer. Indeed for decades now, there has been a  consensus among beer drinkers that a perfect pint should either look crystal-clear, or as close to this state as possible. 

Apart from poorly treated, or mis-handled cask ales, cloudiness in beer, is normally due to a haze caused by suspended yeast, proteins, or hop compounds, and is often associated with styles such as hefeweizens, or other unfiltered beers. Whilst traditionally viewed as a defect (indicating inadequate fermentation or poor handling), modern "murky" beers aim for an opaque and smoothie-like appearance to achieve low bitterness, combined with an intense fruitiness and a creamy mouthfeel. Somewhat surprisingly many of these murky beers contain little yeast, despite their appearance. Practices such as over-hopping, particularly where dry hopping (adding whole, fresh-leaf hops to a cask, or container, to increase hop aroma), is concerned, can often result in hazy beer, as does  over-hopping a beer, although what we are looking at here, are beers that are deliberately brewed to be cloudy.

Many UK based, craft brewers now produce some hazy, unfiltered beers but over the past few years "murky" has become a phenomenon that seems to have acquired cult status. This development is not confined to the New World, where the style originated, but is also present here in the UK, as more and more brewers look to New England-style IPAs, for inspiration. Dubbed the "haze craze”,  East Coast IPA's are pointedly less bitter than their West Coast rivals, and are sometimes described as "juice bombs". Brewed from a grist that often includes a significant amount of protein-rich wheat and oats, prior to fermentation with hazy yeasts, the resultant beers are then massively dry-hopped to create a deliberately opaque and milky-looking finished product. Devotees describe such beers as "juicy", but these aren't the attributes that the majority of drinkers are looking for in a beer.

The murkiness of these brews is mainly thanks to two things: using high protein grains in the mash and heavy dry hopping at the end of—or post-fermentation. Simply put, when protein molecules from the grains merge with the polyphenols in hops, something rather strange happens, in the form of a visible haze, known to brewers and scientists as a "colloidal haze". This cloudiness remains stable and intact because the molecules formed don’t easily dissipate in water, and scatter light throughout the liquid. The resultant haze is known as the "Tyndall effect", but it's effects are not just visual, because the suspended matter not only gives the beer a creamy mouthfeel, but also imparts a number of juicy, and "mouth-watering" flavours. If beer is only lightly-hopped the juiciness will dominate and overpower the flavours normally associated with beer. This is all well and good if you're a NEIPA fanatic, but most drinkers, myself included, prefer something a little less extreme, and tasting of malted barley and freshly harvested hops, rather than orange or tropical fruit juice.

There are people who actively seek out hazy beer, resulting in "craft murk", becoming a blossoming, cult phenomenon, with devotees describing New England IPA, as a "luscious experience, thanks to a style that is the most modern and approachable iteration of IPA". Their words, rather than mine, but a statement purposely designed to enrage drinkers of proper beer, borne out by a backlash against NEIPA's, with "murk-shaming" gaining ground amongst ardent critics of the style. Horses for courses, but like all trends, I'd like to see this one last as short as possible, and for the pendulum to switch back the other was and for clarity to prevail once again. If you've read this far, you'll probably be mulling over your own thoughts about "cloudy murk" and wondering what effect, if any, this upstart of a beer style will have on your drinking habits. The answer to that question, ultimately depends on what you think about NEIPA and other intentionally hazy beers, but for the record I am NOT a fan of the style! 

A couple of months ago I celebrated the birthday that comes after the proverbial "three score years and ten". Along with a few other beers, son Matthew bought me pack of Faith, an unashamed, hazy, 5.0% pale ale from Leeds-based, Northern Monk. I'd been aware of this brewery for some time - they were founded in 2013, and looking at their website, they are a substantial operation, especially after opening a second brewery, a few years later - also in Leeds. I was particularly pleased that Matthew had moved away from his usual choices of "dad beer" especially the Hobgoblin and Old Speckled Hen pish of the mainstream beer world, so a day or so later I cracked open a can. Unfortunately, the beer was as described above - hazy and juicy, but lacking the characteristics normally associated with a traditional pale ale. Full marks though, to Matthew  not just for trying, but for thinking outside of the box, and I'm really pleased he took the initiative.

In the meantime I've been doing a spot of research into Northern Monk, and I think I'm right in saying that the vast majority of their beers are filled into cans, as opposed to bottles or kegs. This probably explains why, apart from on supermarket shelves,  I haven't seen their beers on sale in pubs or bars. "From West Coast pine and bitterness to New England haze and juice, our great IPA beers are brewed in our Leeds brewery and shipped fresh", says the rather sinister looking monk, who acts as the brewery symbol, as he peers out from under his cowl. I'd certainly be interested in learning what other people think about the company and its beers, as what they are doing, is obviously working well for them, even though it's something that doesn't fit in my ideal of a traditional, cask-focussed, independent brewery, selling into the free trade. 

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.