Use it or lose it

“Use it or lose it,” pub campaigners tell us and given the current cost of living crisis, with spiralling energy costs and the general feeling of malaise in the economy, it’s small wonder that pubs and bars are really feeling the pinch. We've heard these cries of doom and gloom before, and those of us who grew up in the 70s will already be familiar with high inflation, rocketing oil prices, industrial unrest, and other assorted ills. Unfortunately, I don't think we really expected to see them return, in quite the way they that they have.

Leaving these problems aside, the fact remains that, for many people, going to the pub, was already becoming much less a regular occurrence, irrespective of the problems outlined above. I’m as guilty of neglecting my local pubs as anyone, and whilst I live within 10 minutes walking distance of at least four pubs none of them particularly appeal to me in the same way, as they might have done 30 years ago. The reasons for this are complex, and I don’t intend to go into them here, but if you want to read more on this subject, then click on the link to an article I wrote 13 years ago, titled "The end of pub going."

Being semi-retired does mean I have more free time, even though my wife appears to be conspiring to use as much of it as she can! For example, she's switched her working away from home day, from Tuesday, when I would normally be at work, to Thursday. Consequently, I now have chauffeuring duties, taking her in to her office, and picking her up after, which regrettably impacts somewhat on trips to the pub.

To counter this and set in stone some much needed “me time”, I drew up a list of pubs towards the end of last year, that I was able to visit using public transport. The latter primarily means bus travel, as I have an old git’s pass that allows me to ride for free on buses, both locally and further afield. I also possess a Senior Rail Card, which entitles me to a one third discount off the price of rail travel. There are time restrictions, in both cases, but as my passes allow free or discounted travel after 9:30am weekdays, and anytime weekends and public holidays, I'm quid’s in.

It's early days, but I’m starting to work my way through the list, and as long as I don’t allow myself to be distracted, like I was in 2022, then I’ve a whole year of pub exploration ahead of me. Last year, started off fine, for the first three months, but then went downhill. In mitigation, I was hell-bent on completing the North Downs Way, and my self-imposed, but necessary, tight schedule, allowed very little time for lunchtime pub stops. 

I started 2023, with a trip by rail to Rye, although strictly speaking, that was a couple of days prior to the start of the New Year. A week later, I called into Fuggles Beer Café in Tonbridge, where I enjoyed a few pints in the company of a prominent member of the local CAMRA branch, plus a couple of his Tonbridge Angels football supporting mates. Yacht Rock Pale Ale from Only With Love Brewery, and Gadd’s Utopian Power-Cut Porter, were the cask ales I tried. Both were good, although if I’m brutally honest, there was a little too much coffee in the latter for my taste.

Then came my business trip to Scotland, which didn’t allow  many opportunities for pub going. Then, last Friday we had some family business to attend to that I want to go into at the moment, although I managed to swap Friday for Sunday lunchtime. This time, I visited the other of the two Tonbridge pubs that I tend to use, and the one that offers the widest selection of cask beers. This, of course, is the Nelson Arms, which by far, is the best traditional pub in the town. It offers the perfect mix of good beer, good food, and good company, all in pleasant and relaxing surroundings. I've written a lot about the Nelson over the past few years, and I'm pleased to report that the pub always seems to meet, and often exceed my expectations.

Sunday lunchtime was always going to be busy, and of course I was right, but noticing I was a single bloke on my own, the barmaid suggested I nipped along to the snug. There I would find some comfortable seats, in a quiet and out of the way, part of the pub, where I could enjoy my beer in a pleasant, and unhurried atmosphere. Those weren’t her exact words, but she was certainly correct about the snug having a number of comfy, high back chairs, each with its own small table, where one’s drinks could be placed.  There were a couple of other, unaccompanied fellas,  doing the same as me, chilling out reading a book, or a newspaper. I had my face stuck in my phone, catching up  on what was going on in the world – something Sir Humphrey would no doubt not have approved of, but each of us, for a while, wrapped up in our own little worlds.

It was pleasant just to enjoy couple of beers in quiet, comfortable surroundings, and being the Nelson, they were good beers, and ones not often seen either. I started off with Return to Flight, from Downland Brewery. I recall it being recommended by my friend in Fuggles, the previous week, and I'm pleased to report this 5% American-style pale ale ticked all the right boxes. I followed it with a glass of the 4.8% Lurcher Stout from Green Jack Brewery of Lowestoft, which was just the right beer for the cold conditions outside.

Away from the snug, the other parts of the pub were buzzing, with the area that acts as the Public Bar, packed. Some football game, or other was showing on the TV, but most of the people there were enjoying the Nelson’s ever popular Sunday roast. The same applied to the area in the right-hand corner of the bar, where customers can sit and chat whilst still keeping an eye on the ball being kicked around on the tele. It was Sunday lunchtime at its best and brought back pleasant memories of time spent in pubs, on the Sabbath, 30 or 40 years ago.  I was reluctant to leave but knowing that Mrs PBT’s had a beef stew cooking slowly away, at home, I drank up, slipped on my coat and hat, and headed for the door.