Second-hand cars and some first class old ale

I found myself in vicinity of Gatwick Airport on Thursday. Matthew is looking at upgrading his current car, and wanted to see what was available from a Ford main-dealer in Crawley. Being a kind hearted and considerate father, I offered to accompany him, and even volunteered to drive us both there, as I am also looking to change my vehicle. I’ve decided to stick with Skoda, as apart from my current car, I’ve owned two previous models, so with a dealer for the Czech marque in the vicinity as well, taking my vehicle along would act as a bargaining chip, when it came to party exchanging it.

I decided we would take the scenic route from Tonbridge towards Crawley, rather than the usual drive, via East Grinstead.  This meant heading out to Edenbridge and then up through Lingfield, and then approaching Copthorne from the north. Our route into Lingfield, took us past the town’s horse racing circuit, and this prompted the thought that a family day out at the races, would be a good idea, but later in the season, when the weather has warmed up. Although Eileen has been to the races, it’s one of life’s experiences that I have so far missed, but having now raised the idea, it's something the family is determined to pursue further.

The route towards Crawley we were following, ended up taking us further south than intended, and we ended up heading into Turners Hill. This was the place I’d intended stopping a on the return journey, particularly as I wanted to visit the Red Lion, an excellent Harvey’s pub that I remember from several decades ago. I was optimistic that the pub would have Harvey’s Old Ale on sale, but with the time, just after 11am, it was too early to expect it to be open. Regrettably, as things turned out, our visits to the two dealerships, ended with us taking a different route back into Kent, but fortunately, not all was lost on the old ale front, as we managed to stop at a different Harvey’s pub.

I don't know Crawley particularly well, apart from remembering getting lost in the town centre, last June. Mrs PBT’s and I were driving down to Southampton, ready to board the Queen Mary 2 for a voyage to the Norwegian fjords. There was a requirement to take a Covid test, 24 hours prior to boarding, so we’d pre-booked a slot at a COVID rapid testing centre at Gatwick Airport. We found the test centre, without any trouble, and after being swabbed for the test, had a 40-minute wait before receiving the results, by e-mail. We decided to head into Crawley, park up somewhere grab a coffee and wait for the test results to come through.

I won’t bore you with the details but finding our way through the Saturday afternoon traffic into Crawley town centre, was not a pleasant experience, and was made worse by the anxiety we both felt about our test results. What would happen if either, or both of us returned a positive Covid result? We would be denied boarding, have the cancel the cruise and the overnight stay at Southampton (which also included car-parking for 11 nights) and then have the hassle of claiming back the not inconsiderable cost of these items on our travel insurance. Fortunately, our results both came back negative, but those unpleasant memories came flooding back as we headed into Crawley, even though we were approaching the town centre from a different direction.

Matthew’s Ford dealer was in the Manor Park area of the town, and after using the Google maps App on my smartphone, we found our way there without too much difficulty. Disappointingly the dealership turned out to be much smaller than Matthew was expecting, and with only one example of the model and specification of car that he was interested in. Undeterred we headed back out towards the M23, in order to find the Skoda dealer at Felbridge.

I had better luck, and took notes and several photos of vehicles I was interested in, but didn't go inside. There's something about car salesman, particularly those offering second hand vehicles, that just rubs me up totally the wrong way, and with no desire to subject myself to a lengthy sales pitch, I thought it better to narrow down my choice by looking at the dealership’s online marketplace. I’ve also misplaced my driving licence, so there is no chance of a test-drive until I find it! For the record, it’s an old-fashioned paper licence, of the type that you don’t have to renew, not until one reaches the age of 70, that is!

We then carried on back into Kent via East Grinstead. I was hungry and thirsty, by this time, and also increasingly in need of emptying my bladder. Finding a pub that was not too far away, and which sold decent beer was therefore high on my list of priorities. So, having missed the Harvey’s at the Red Lion at Turner’s Hill, I decided on another pub belonging to the brewery, in the form of the Fountain at Cowden. According to Google maps, It was closer than I thought, and only 20 minutes’ drive away, sufficient time to avoid having to pull over, and dash off into the bushes for that much needed pee!

The car park was already full as we drew up outside the Fountain - always a good sign, so we parked in the lane opposite, squeezing in, next to a hedge, before making our way inside. The last time I visited the Fountain, was pre-pandemic, but as a work colleague lives in Cowden, I’ve been kept pretty much up to date on what’s been occurring there, including a fairly change of licensees.

The pub itself, is a solid, red-brick building, sited on a bend, as the road from Holtye enters the village from the south. We ascended the steps leading into the pub, noticing the presence of a couple of groups of drinkers, sitting close to the inviting, open fire. Peering round the corner in order to check the beer situation on the pumps, I was pleased to see Harvey’s Old Ale on sale, alongside Best Bitter and IPA. I naturally opted for the Old, whilst Matthew went for one of the continental lagers.

Most of the pub’s customers were eating, and we would have joined them, had it not been for the fact that I’d promised to pick Mrs PBT’s up from work. This was a shame as the Fountain used to have a good reputation for food, as witnessed by the photo of their homemade pie, taken several years ago. The three “ladies that lunch” sat across the room from us, were having a good time reminiscing. I wasn’t really ear-wigging, but one of them made me laugh with her tales of being a mod, back in the 1960’s, and running from the police in Brighton, one Bank Holiday, after a fracas with some visiting rockers. She looked so respectable, but had obviously been a bit of a girl, back in the day!

So, despite slight disappointment on the car front for both father and son, and a missed opportunity to re-visit the Red Lion, the day still ended well, with a fine pint of Harvey’s Old Ale, and a brief, but enjoyable interlude at the Fountain.