End of an era, as the Great British Beer Festival bows out, for possibly the last time

Wednesday's announcement that the Campaign for Real Ale has been forced to cancel Britain’s biggest beer festival, will probably come as no surprise to those of us who have been watching the situation recently. The event has been culled as part of a cost cutting exercise needed to address budget shortfalls in  CAMRA's finances. Consequently, next year’s Great British Beer Festival will be cancelled, along with its counterpart the National Winter Ales Festival.

The decision comes after this year's festival failed to attract sufficient visitors to cover the rising cost of accommodating the hundreds of volunteers who run the event, hiring the venue, and purchasing the beer. These expenses, along with those associated with running the Campaign itself, are responsible for this drastic decision. I say drastic, because the Great British Beer Festival is not only viewed as CAMRA’s flagship event, but also as an occasion that is eagerly looked forward to by the brewing industry as a whole.

The bad news was broken by CAMRA chairman, Ash Corbett Collins, and is seen as a response from an organisation embattled by rising costs and saddled with stagnant membership numbers. I’m rather surprised at the former, as in common with similar organisations, the campaign has switched to a largely digital platform, thereby saving costs on both printing and postage. So far as membership is concerned, CAMRA claims to have 145,000 paid up members, but given the advancing age of many of these, the situation is unlikely to get any better.  

CAMRA of course, is one of the most successful consumer organisations in the world, and in its fifty plus year history has been instrumental in saving the UK’s unique cask-conditioned ales from extinction. Allied with this, the campaign also helped the country’s independent brewing sector to survive and indeed thrive. CAMRA’s influence extends far beyond these shores and has inspired countries across the globe to embrace their own, small brewery sectors, and encourage their growth.

This is policy is particularly recognisable in the United States, a country once dominated by a handful of global giants, churning out insipid national brands, but now home to a thriving and multi-faceted, home-grown brewing industry. Allied with this, has been a renewed interest in once, largely forgotten styles of beer, and an explosion of interest in all things beer related. CAMRA describes itself as a not-for-profit organisation and as many will know it was founded in 1971 by group of four journalists whilst on a drinking holiday in the Republic of Ireland.

I don't intend going over CAMRA’s
history or indeed detailing my involvement with it, but I was a member for the best part of 45 years, and despite having let my membership lapse, I still have a soft spot for the campaign and fond memories, of the four and a half decades when I was actually involved with the organisation. This meant attending branch socials, surveying pubs for inclusion in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide, as well as the odd local publication. I also helped out at local beer festivals, enjoyed brewery visits or trips to towns with a good variety of characterful pubs, and I even edited a couple of local branch magazines – a task that also involved drafting much of the copy!

There is a major difference though between the campaign group I joined back in the mid 1970’s and CAMRA today, and that is the change in demographics. In its infancy, the campaign was very much a young person’s organisation, whereas today, the opposite is true, and there are insufficient new and younger members coming up through the ranks, to take the place of us old stagers. Young people today aren't “joiners” in the sense many of us were when we were in our 20’s and 30s, and over the last few decades CAMRA has struggled to attract people to replace those who are no longer fit and able, or are even, still alive. The chairman’s concerns regarding a stagnant membership are little more than putting on a brave face, as without new blood, the campaign is ultimately doomed.

Going back to the Great British Beer Festival, the forced two-year hiatus caused by COVID, followed by the non-availability in 2024 of Olympia in West London, the event’s spiritual home, almost certainly took the wind out of GBBF’s sails, so the move this year, to Birmingham’s NEC, ought to have been the catalyst for a new and revived national festival. It was a bold move on the part of the organisers but unfortunately does not seem to have worked. There were numerous reports of not enough punters attending the event, alongside a complete lack of any evening trade. This related to the so-called “suits”, business people coming along to the festival after finishing work or perhaps having taken the afternoon off to attend the event.

As someone who has attended numerous GBBF’s in the past, there was always a palpable increase in numbers after 5pm, but apparently this failed to happen in Birmingham. There is also the venue itself, and anyone who's been to the NEC will no doubt confirm that it’s a rather soulless place, that’s little more than just a collection of tin sheds, that can be joined together or separated, as required. Compare that to somewhere with character, like London’s Olympia, or even Alexandra Palace, in the early days, and you will appreciate what I am talking about.

Now, after the event, comes the soul-searching, and reflection, but with a staggering £320k loss, it is difficult to see the way back for the campaign. Certainly, the GBBF in its two forms (winter and summer) will not now take place, and likely will never happen again. This, in itself is a real loss as the Great British Beer Festival represented a key moment in the calendar of the UK’s beer and brewing sector. The event allowed tens of thousands of beer lovers to sample around 900 different brews, not just from the UK but from all over the world. It also hosted the Champion Beer of Britain awards.

After informing the membership of the reasons behind the loss, and laying out an initial strategy for recovery, national chairman Ash Corbett-Collins sent the following message to CAMRA members. 

"While I hoped I would never need to send this message, my number one priority is seeing our Campaign survive and thrive. Our 50 plus year history must be protected, and I am determined to see CAMRA continue for the next 50 years.”

“Doing nothing is not an option. If we do not act now, the stark reality is we will not exist in the future." 

Footnote: Fellow blogger, and veteran GBBF staff member Tandleman, has more to say about what might have happened to make this year’s event such a financial train-wreck. He rightly points out that CAMRA, acted in good faith in relocating its flagship festival to Birmingham, and couldn’t have foreseen just how calamitous the move would be. Having been involved with similar large events in Manchester, he describes the thoughts that would have been going through the organiser’s heads, as they slowly realised the door numbers weren’t stacking up. An awful situation to be in, especially when on paper, at least, you appear to be doing everything right.

A literary quest - recommendations for a good read, please!

Last weekend, I finally finished "The Secret Commonwealth" - part two in Philip Pullman’s "Book of Dust" series, and whilst I wait for part three to hit the bookstores (it’s due for publication on 23^rd of next month), I’m looking for a book to keep me going until then.  The book will have to be one that’s easy to dip in and out of, as I shall be taking the publication away with us, on our forthcoming cruise, which will see us heading out into the Atlantic during the last week in October.

It’s probably a hard ask, as unless it’s a novel I’m already familiar with – in part, I would appreciate some guidance as to why I ought to read a particular book. I would also like to see a vague outline or in other words, a brief synopsis.  I am not interested in anything trendy, or a book that claims to change my life, and definitely not looking for the latest “must read” publication. Instead, I am interested in a good old-fashioned novel, that will take my mind on a journey and provide a relaxing means of dropping off to sleep.

After devouring umpteen science fiction novels during my late teens and early twenties, I’m not interested in that genre any more, and the same applies to detective stories, although I don’t mind a touch of Iain Rankin’s, Inspector Rebus, the Scottish,  anti-hero, sleuth, whose exploits, and crime cases, now stretches to 25 books.  Autobiographies and biographies will be considered, but only up to a point, and that point is, the subject must have an interesting story to tell, but not one that wallows in self-pity, or one that is boastful, or downright ludicrous.

I also don’t mind if the recommendation is a literary classic, providing it is relatively easy to read, although I’m not interested in a publication full of turgid prose. I’m also unimpressed with anything that’s pretentious or aspiring to be.  I remember well both Eileen and I giving up on Emily Brontës, Wuthering Heights, independently of one another, yet this novel is regarded as a classic, by literary buffs. "Wuthering Heights" is described as being notoriously hard to read, an assessment both Mrs PBT’s and I wholeheartedly agree with. Not for us then, the dark tale of Cathy and Heathcliff, and after checking online, it seems we are not the only ones.

So, what am I reading at the moment? Which literary gem am I devouring, whilst waiting for inspiration? The answer might surprise you, but it is a recommendation from History for the Kents, a commentator on my post Southampton, via the A272cross-country route.  "A272: An Ode to a Road", by Dutch author Pieter Boogaart and his wife Rita. The book has become a cult classic, as it explores the quirks of the A272, and the unique experience it offers to those who journey along it.

Part guidebook, part history, and part travelogue, the Boogaart’s book is a reminder that the A272 is more than just a road, it is a journey through time, and a reminder of England’s rich heritage, as well as a connection between the counties of Kent, East & West Sussex, and eventually Hampshire. For those seeking an alternative to the hustle and bustle of modern highways, the A272 remains a hidden gem, inviting travellers to slow down and enjoy the ride.

 

  

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Český Krumlov - UNESCO World Heritage Site

I’m feeling a little short of inspiration at the moment, especially when it comes to topics, events or places to write about, so instead, I’ve decided to take a look back at a few of the amazing places I have visited over the years. First up is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Český Krumlov, situated in the far south of the Czech Republic. This picturesque city was a place I’d wanted to visit for a long time, but by the time the right opportunity arose, it had become the number two tourist attraction in the country, after Prague.

The story begins back in the early part of the twenty-first century when I picked up a copy of the Good Beer Guide to Prague and the Czech Republic. Written by Graham Lees, who was one of the four founding members of the Campaign for Real Ale, the publication is very much in the same vein as Lee’s earlier Good Beer Guide to Munich and Bavaria. I bought my copy of Graham’s Czech guide at the London Drinker Beer Festival; an event that until a few years ago was held at the Camden Centre, virtually opposite St Pancras station. That particular year the crowds seemed too much, so I decided to leave early and escape to somewhere less busy and with far fewer people.

My choice of the Spaniard’s Inn, on the edge of Hampstead Heath, might seem a little strange at first, but I had been reading Charles Dickens’s classic The Pickwick Papers and this atmospheric old coaching inn featured in a particular episode of the book. Being in possession of an all-zones London Travel Card, a journey to Hampstead would cost me nothing, apart from my time.

So, after taking the underground to Hampstead, followed by a brisk walk across the Heath, I found myself in the relative tranquillity of the Spaniards. After purchasing a pint, I found a secluded corner to sit in and took the opportunity to get stuck into my Czech Beer Guide. The book was published at a time when the Czech beer scene was in a state of flux, following the changes that happened after the fall of communism and the rush to embrace a free-market economy. The changes that occurred are too numerous and too complex to discuss here, but on a more general note one particular travel reference really caught my eye.

The guide author was describing a small town in Southern Bohemia called Český Krumlov, saying that no visitor could fail to be awestruck by the time-warp medieval beauty of this settlement constructed in a tight loop of the Vlatava River. He went on to say that it was as though some witch had cast a spell over the entire town, leaving it preserved, like Sleeping Beauty adrift from the modern world. For various reasons I had to wait until 2015 to make that trip and by then, as mentioned above, Český Krumlov had soared in popularity amongst tourists, and was now second to Prague as the “must visit” location in the Czech Republic. The concern was that with the granting of UNESCO world heritage status. more and more tourists would discover the town, thereby breaking the spell that had kept the town in a state of preservation, free from the embellishments of the late 20th Century. Wow! This was a place I needed to visit and visit soon.

Son Matthew and I took an eight-day break in early October of that year, spending four days in Prague before travelling, by coach to Český Krumlov, where we spent the second half of our trip. Our stay was characterised by sunny days, but increasingly cold nights. Autumn was definitely a week or two ahead of the UK, with some spectacular seasonal colours from the trees. Snow was forecast for the weekend after our visit but I’m sure that’s probably not that unusual for a mountainous region of central Europe.

Our Student Agency coach dropped us off at Český Krumlov bus station mid-afternoon, and after getting a bit disoriented, we managed to locate our accommodation, Penzion Kriz at the edge of town. After checking in, we took a walk down into the centre of this charming old town, with its well-preserved medieval buildings. Chief of these was the imposing castle which looms over Český Krumlov, virtually dominating the town centre. 

It is the second largest castle in the Czech Republic, after Prague and is well worth a few hours exploration. The views from the castle walls out over the town alone, more than repay the admission charge, although you will have to dodge the hordes of eager tourists – mainly Chinese and American. Apart from a brief look around the courtyard, below the castle entrance, we left our main visit until the following day and set off to find a place to eat. We found this in the form of an old medieval tavern, called U Dwau Maryi, located down a narrow alley. Here we sat out, under cover (it was raining slightly), on a heated terrace, overlooking the Vlatava River. A meal of chicken and smoked meat pieces, with potatoes and salad, washed down with several glasses of locally brewed Eggenberg beer (both pale and dark), left us both feeling satisfied and full, and was a good way to round off our first evening in Český Krumlov. We wandered back to the Penzion and turned in for the night.

Now I’m not going to describe every meal we enjoyed during our stay, nor list every pub we visited, but apart from the medieval tavern described earlier, the large Bohemian-style beer hall attached to the Eggenberg Brewery was a good place to spend the evening. Its location, across the river and away from the town centre, did mean it was mercifully free of tourists. It is worth noting that Český Krumlov is quite a compact town that is easily covered on foot in a day. This does mean that a stay of two or three days is probably sufficient to fully explore the town and experience all it has to offer. Matthew, who was in his early twenties at the time, was a trifle bored by the end of our four day stay, as he was missing the shops and other bright-light attractions associated with larger towns and cities.

Despite these comments, the town did not disappoint, and I would urge anyone who appreciates great architecture in a spectacular setting to add a visit to Český Krumlov to their bucket list. The easiest and quickest way to reach the town is to follow our example and take the comfortable Student Agency coach. Services depart from Prague Florenc bus station, but there are also connections to and from Prague airport. Tickets, which are very reasonably priced, can be purchased in advance online, or from the driver. Journey times are just over two hours.

Is Untappd to blame?

Last Saturday afternoon, I visited a well-known local free house. The pub was quiet, although in mitigation it was the last weekend of the summer holidays, and the prelude to “back to school”, always a stressful time for parents with school age kids, teachers, and anyone else associated with the world of education. For those of us still gainfully employed, it would also mean that the stress-free and relaxed drive into work would be replaced by drivers jockeying for position at traffic lights and others pulling onto roundabouts without indicating. Worse still would be the school kids dashing out across the road, without looking, rather than walking the short distance along to a proper, traffic-light controlled, crossing.

Yes, welcome to the return of the dreaded "school run", where everyone’s in a tearing hurry, because they overslept, or their child was playing up. Fortunately, I only catch the morning rush hour, as my evening drive home takes place an hour or so after the afternoon session concludes. In addition, I only have three days of busy roads, and stressed-out drivers to contend with, so let’s return to the quiet pub I was referring to at the beginning.

It's a pub that offers a diverse range of unusual cask ales, sourced from a variety of different brewers, and sold at very reasonable prices. There is also an interesting range of keg beers, for those who prefer a bit more fizz with their beers. The pub has won numerous awards, mainly, but not exclusively, from CAMRA, and attracts beer connoisseurs from across a wide area. The pub has a lot going for it, but for some reason I seem to have been avoiding it, either sub-consciously, or possibly even consciously. After a lot of soul-searching, I realised that my main reason for swerving this otherwise excellent pub, is there is too much choice in respect of its beer range.

It’s that old paradox of more equalling less, and with such an extensive range of cask beers on offer, it was becoming increasingly difficult to select one I could enjoy, for its own sake, rather than being influenced by the novelty factor. It seemed that every time I reviewed the pub’s online beer list, I encountered numerous unfamiliar beers and also breweries. I used to pride myself on my knowledge of the UK’s breweries, but this is no longer the case due, to the massive increase in the number of new entrants to the scene, especially over the past couple of decades.

Then there’s the beers themselves, and with many produced by a “man in a shed” or a “woman in a lock-up” set up, the end result is often all too predictable. Many of these “home-brew on steroids” offerings can be unbalanced at best and of dubious quality, at worst, relying on an unusual name, or a colourful pump clip to catch the interest of the consumer. I realise this opinion might be at odds with that offered by CAMRA, but it’s one I stand by. Perhaps I am becoming more particular with age, (some would say, overtly fussy), but many newer breweries seem to be experimenting with styles, often at the expense of quality.

I appreciate that introducing new options can be a valuable marketing tool, for the brewery concerned, and can also attract trade for those pubs that like to offer something different. But when the different and the new start elbowing more established and well-liked brands off the bar, then it can be a step too far. Moreover, when pubs start overreaching themselves by featuring, exclusive, rare, or obscure beers, to the detriment of established and better-known offerings, then it’s definitely a step too far.

I’m going to leave it there for the moment, even though such pubs are a paradise for devotees of the beer ticking phenomenon that is Untappd. According to the Untappd app on my phone, I’ve been on the platform since June 2013, but despite this I’m still hovering below the magic 1,000 unique beers sampled – or ticked! The topic of Untappd merits its own dedicated blog post, which I intend to publish once my total reaches the milestone 1,000 ticks, or should that be “taps”?

Without saying too much about my Untappd experiences, I can reveal that I have sampled well over a thousand different beers, although not all of them were “tapped” at the time. There are a number of reasons for this, ranging from those I sampled before Untappd appeared on the scene, to the many where, for a variety of reasons, I was unable to score them. This was particularly the case in the early days when, unless I was able to establish a Wi-Fi connection, for my phone, I was unable to tick the beer(s) in real time. During those times, I visited quite a few different destinations, including Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Austria and the USA. The phone package I had at the time, came with a very limited data allowance, which was soon eaten up, after just a few attempts at posting.

I must have sampled dozens of beers in those countries, but apart from photos, the odd paper list, plus my memory, of course, it would be extremely difficult to “tap” those beers retrospectively, even if the “rules” surrounding Untappd, allow such a thing.  It’s frustrating though, because many of those overseas ticks, were beers that were not only hard to come by at the time, but also beverages that I am unlikely to encounter again – even if it was possible to go back in time and retrace my footsteps.

 

 

A couple more books at bedtime

This post is the fourth in a rather drawn-out series of the same name, and like its predecessors looks back at some of the books I’ve read over the last year or so. There’s much to be said about “a book at bedtime,” especially as one can lose oneself in another word, before drifting off into a restful sleep. Climbing into bed, and snuggling down under the covers, with just enough room to hold and read a book, is certainly a good way to relax and to forget about the trials and tribulations of the day just passed.

My most recent “Book at Bedtime” post appeared back in February 2024,  and covered one lengthy work of fiction - "Tom Jones", by Henry Fielding, plus one, non-fiction volume entitled, the "English Pub". Paul Jennings's history of the English pub is essential reading for all those who enjoy visiting and spending time in, what is definitely the UK's gift to the civilised world. Following that I polished off "Cask", Des de Moor's equally definitive book on cask beer, yet another gift from Britain, even though most of the world has turned it back on this uniquely British way of brewing, keeping and serving,beer. Less controversial, but no less a joy to read, is Adrian Tierney Jones's "A Pub For All Seasons".   

 Back to the present, and the book I’m reading at the moment, is book five of a six-book series, and I'm getting close to finishing that particular volume. What I'm about to write concerns a common thread, that runs between the books of what began as a three-volume series, and one that I first became acquainted with, 20 or so years ago. 

I expect that some of you will have heard of the “His Dark Materials” series, written by acclaimed fantasy author, Philip Pullman. It was a customer at my old off-licence, who first made me aware of this trilogy, and sometime after our conversation about this connected set of novels, I came across the first book in the series, in a charity shop. Tonbridge’s numerous second-hand shops were a rich source of both novels and CD’s, and back in those straitened times, when money was rather "tight", and provided some welcome relief to being “wedded” to my workplace.

“Northern Lights” was the title of the first book in the “His Dark Materials” series, and as my customer friend had hinted, it proved a gripping read. My weekly forays into the world of charity shops, eventually unearthed the sequels – “The Subtle Knife”, and “The Amber Spyglass”, but I’ve a feeling that I didn’t finish the series until I was gainfully employed in my current job. I found all three novels enthralling, with their intricate plot-lines, set against a background of familiar and not so familiar settings. They combine elements of adventure, fantasy which allow the reader to question the nature of authority and the universe itself.

The most interesting aspect is that whilst the stories are set in Oxford (the familiar), it is an Oxford that exists in a parallel universe, with subtle differences to our own world. In Phillip Pulman’s alternative Oxford (and other familiar places), people have animal companions called daemons which, in effect, are physical manifestations of a person’s soul. This means they can communicate with their human “owners”. The principle characters are Lyra and Will, both in their early teens, but belonging to different universes. Lyra inhabits the slightly strange, alternative Oxford, whereas Will’s Oxford belongs very much in our own, early 21^st century Britain. The way their paths first cross, and their lives become intertwined, forms the background to the trilogy, although there are also some fascinating diversions.

Following the success of “His Dark Materials”, Pullman started writing a follow-on series, entitled "The Book of Dust”. It is a sequel with a difference, because the first novel, “La Belle Sauvage”, serves as the prequel to the original trilogy, whilst the second book, “The Secret Commonwealth”, picks up the story, years later, when Lyra, who is now a young adult, embarks on a perilous journey of her own, traveling across Europe in search of her estranged daemon, Pantalaimon. Hot on her heels are agents of the Magisterium, the sinister and all-powerful religious body, that was first encountered in “Northern Lights”. This is the 686-page book I am reading at the moment, and whilst I’m nearing the end, it’s the type of novel you don’t want to finish.

All is not lost though, because the “Rose Field”, the final novel in this particular trilogy, is due for publication in the autumn (23^rd October). Pullman, who is 78, is reported as being "relieved" to have "come out of the end alive and able to see this final part of his six-book series, being made into a book and published". I can’t wait to purchase a copy, and get stuck into the novel.

Footnote: just to confuse matters, the American publishers of the first three books, decided to rename "Northern Lights" as the "Golden Compass". The latter happened to be Pullman's original title for the work, so perhaps we can excuse them, in this instance.

The "Dog Days" of summer are over

Following a record-breaking four heat waves, the summer of 2025 appears to have suddenly come to an end. Looking out at the weather this morning, the sun is shining, after some much-needed overnight rain, although there has been a noticeable decrease in temperature. While it may be premature to describe the air as chilly, the period of warmer weather does seem to have finally concluded. Accordingly, the title "The Dog Days of Summer are Over," reflects this shift, and with 

Florence & The Machine's bizarre music video as a backdrop, it is appropriate to reflect on this record-breaking summer and highlight some of its more significant moments.

It is increasingly apparent that this record-breaking summer has accelerated the seasonal cycle – a phenomenon I first noticed a few weeks ago, during one of my regular lunchtime walks. I noticed then that many of the blackberries in the hedgerows were already ripe and ready for picking, several weeks earlier than usual. Of more concern though was the observation that many of the trees were showing premature browning of their leaves, which appears to be a stress response, most likely associated with conserving water. 

Although the warm weather may well benefit fruit crops by speeding their ripening, the prolonged lack of rainfall, over recent months, will almost certainly reduce overall yields come harvest time, especially for staples such as wheat, barley, and oats. With insufficient rainfall, the grains will not have had sufficient moisture to swell to the correct size. On my return drive this morning, after dropping off Mrs PBT’s at her workplace, I was struck by a distinct sense of the season drawing to an early close, as I drove along the farm track leading back to the main road.

Autumn has always been one of my favourite times of year, and I expect this year will be no exception, but seeing ripened fruit and already harvested fields, whilst visually appealing, gives rise to apprehension about the possibility of the early onset of winter. As always, the precise nature of the coming winter remains uncertain, but mother nature may well still have a surprise up her sleeve. Last year’s winter saw very little frost, which was not necessarily a bad thing for those who commute early in the morning, where icy road conditions can be disruptive, and often dangerous.

In some ways, experiencing a harsh
winter, with abundant snowfall and freezing temperatures, would be a re-assuring sign of a return to normality, as the mild winters of recent years, have meant we have hardly used our log burner. I purchased it originally as a “back-up” source of heat, should the boiler break down, but it does have other uses, and there is something warm, comforting, and almost mesmerizing about a roaring log fire in winter. Writing these lines, has reminded me of the need to get the chimney swept, before the real onset of winter. I did say that the stove hasn’t been used much, but despite this it is important to ensure there are no obstructions, such as bird nests, blocking the flue. We have a substantial supply of well-seasoned logs, that feel light and able to burn without cracking or spitting. They should provide ample warmth, although I normally leave the lighting and stoking of the stove to Mrs PBT’s.  

Back to the present, and on reflection I haven’t been out and about as much as I would have liked, and apart from a welcome and very enjoyable day out on the Surrey-Hants border, I haven’t been anywhere of note. l am making progress on our ongoing de-cluttering project, getting rid of things we no longer need or require. Like many people we tend to hang on to things we no longer need, either for sentimental reasons, or because we feel they may come in handy, at sometime in the future. Fortunately, I am getting much better at getting shot of stuff we no longer require, unlike Mrs PBT’s who’ s something of a serial hoarder.

I’m shortly going to take a wander down the garden and check out the shed, because there are three bikes in there – one for each family member. I'm probably the last person to use one of them, and that was three or four years ago possibly longer. Eileen and Matthew haven't used theirs in over a decade or more, so the idea is to clean them up a bit and find somewhere to take them off my hands. I’m sure that with a little TLC, these machines can be spruced up and re-homed. “Re-purposed” is the buzz word, here, but I'm not after money for them; I just want others to get the same use and the same pleasure out of these bikes, that family Bailey have done.

 So that's my project for later this morning, along with contacting a chimney sweep, as mentioned earlier. Showers are forecast for later today, so I need to get the bikes sorted sooner, rather than later. Tomorrow, I've promised to take Mrs PBT’s out for a spot of lunch, and the venue we’ve chosen is the Swan on the Green at West Peckham. Eileen has never been there before, so it will be good to introduce her to the pub and also see how things are progressing there, following the community buy-out. Looking at the forecast for Friday, I’m fairly certain that we shall be eating inside, so it’s just as well I booked a table.

We have arranged a cruise scheduled for mid-October through to the first week of November that will travel across the Atlantic, with planned stops at the Azores and Madeira. I previously visited both locations many years ago during an "educational school cruise"on the SS Nevasa, a converted troopship, owned by the British India shipping line. The accommodation on Nevasa was pretty basic – dormitories, fitted out with bunk-beds, a far cry from the unbridled luxury of a state room, on Cunard’s Queen Victoria. Not as much fun though, and when you’re 16 years old, and bedding down for the night, with a bunch of your schoolmates, you’re not overly bothered by a lack of creature comforts.

Eileen is particularly looking forward to our visit to Madeira, following her niece’s positive experiences there, during a recent holiday, and I shall be looking out for the wine lodges, where the island’s potent, fortified wines are matured. I recall, sampling a few glasses of Madeira, as a 16-year-old, schoolboy - an activity perhaps best reserved for adulthood, even though such misadventures are often part of growing up. Apart from getting mildly pissed in Madeira, my memories of the two island groups are somewhat vague. This particularly applies to the Azores, although I do recall a particular island with a large, volcanic crater that contained two adjacent lakes. One lake was a striking blue, while the other appeared an intense green. The colouring was something to do with the mineral contest of the two bodies of water, although I cannot recall which lake was which, or on which island they were located.

Beyond this, I have few specific recollections of that trip from over half a century ago, apart from the fact that like our upcoming cruise, most of the destinations on the 1971 voyage had a Portuguese connection. This then continues with the inclusion of Porto on the return journey, although we will also be calling at the port of Vigo, located on Spain’s southern coast. We stopped off at this compact and picturesque port city, during a cruise to Greece and some of the Greek islands, back in 2023. From memory you can walk straight off the ship in Vigo, and with a few shady bars, down some of the city’s narrow streets, it should prove a pleasant way of whiling away an hour or two.

As you might be aware from previous posts, Mrs PBT’s and I have celebrated a couple of significant occasions, including a milestone 70^th birthday for me, plus our Ruby wedding anniversary a couple of weeks’ ago. The week after next, Mrs PBT’s will be celebrating her own 70^th birthday, so there’s plenty  happening in the Bailey household, during the run up to our next cruise.

Fine dining, or something in-between

After my visit the other week to the upmarket Poacher & Partridge, I thought I’d take a look at another “fine dining” outlet. The pub I had in mind is just a couple of miles away from the Poacher but has a strikingly large number of similarities. It’s a public house called the Carpenters Arms, and it’s one that I’ve written about a couple of times in the past, mainly in connection with eating, and work’s summer parties. 

That would be Mrs PBT’s work’s bash, rather than my own, but since the pandemic the parties seem to have dried up. I’m not sure if that’s in line with the firm’s order book, or whether there’s some other reason, but these aren’t the sort of questions for me to ask. Instead, I used to just turn up, when instructed, and enjoy an evening of drink, plus a buffet, along with some interesting construction-like conversation.

Before getting down to the nitty-gritty of the article, it’s worth noting the unusual appearance of the Carpenters Arms. The pub is constructed to look like a “Dutch Barn”, a look which for a short while, was the house-style of former Maidstone brewers Style & Winch. The current building was constructed in 1932, and replaced two old cottages, which had formerly housed the pub. There are a number of other pubs, built in the same style, but only one is still trading as a pub. the World’s Wonder, in the village of Warehorne, on the edge of Romney Marsh. Style & Winch were a well-respected local brewer who were bought by the London brewers, Barclay Perkins shortly before the new pub was built. The company continued brewing their distinctive “Kentish Farmer” brand beers until well into the 1950’s when Barclays merged with their Southwark neighbours, Courage. The Maidstone Brewery then switched to producing Courage beers, until its closure in 1966.

The Carpenters underwent an extensive renovation several years ago and has since become a sought-after destination for residents of Tonbridge seeking a rural experience without venturing far from the town centre. The pub is conveniently accessible by bus during daytime hours, and offers a blend of bar, restaurant, and accommodation in a contemporary style. The interior features black and white photographs depicting the local area in former times, adding to the venue's character. An extensive and well-regarded menu appeals to a broad range of diners. The thoughtfully designed interior creates a welcoming atmosphere that balances modernity with comfort. 

Guests can enjoy al-fresco dining or drinks on either the front patio, the side garden, or the heated rear terrace. Upstairs, there are nine recently refurbished rooms that provide accommodation, for those wishing to stay longer. The Carpenter’s Arms is owned by Young’s plc, who reputedly paid a handsome sum for the pub.  Last time I called in, Young’s London Original, was one of the two cask offerings, but the beer isn't a patch on the Wadsworth-brewed original. So, here we have a beer that’s brewed at Burton-on-Trent, masquerading as a beer originating in the capital! Fortunately Harvey’s Sussex Best came to the rescue.

It’s a relatively easy journey to the Carpenters, from my house in Tonbridge, as the No. 7 Arriva bus, passes the junction where Three Elm Lane joins the A26, Hadlow Road. The bus stop is just before the large ESSO filling station, and shop – a feature you can’t really miss. The only slightly dodgy section in reaching the pub is the 6-minute walk along the lane to the Carpenters. 

I say dodgy because there is no pavement, and in places the hedge encroaches on the road, but it’s only a problem for a very short time, and if you keep your wits about you, with both eyes on the road ahead, whilst at the same time listening out for any traffic coming up behind, you will be fine. Then, before you know it, the pub will loom large on your left. The first part you’ll see is the raised, terrace garden, in front of the pub, and during the summer months you will probably hear the sounds of revelry, as well. I undertook this journey a couple of Sundays ago and am pleased to report that the outward and return journeys worked seamlessly. It is worth getting to the bus stop several minutes in advance, because buses sometimes run early, not often, I’ll grant you, but you don’t want to be the individual who gets caught out.

So, there we have it, another “fine dining” pub, worthy of a visit if you like that sort of thing, but if you want something more traditional and down to earth, then it’s worth shopping around. A mile and a half further along Three Elm Lane, in an easterly direction, will take you to the tiny hamlet of Golden Green and the Bell Inn. I’m fairly certain that I’ve never set foot in what CAMRA describes as “A well-kept traditional village pub, which is now a Free House and serving various local ales including Tonbridge Brewery.” With no mention of food, or even snacks, the Bell is the antithesis of fine dining, and a pub that sounds like the complete opposite to the Carpenters. I shall make a point of calling in, the next time I am passing, just so I can tick the place off.

Continuing for an additional mile and a half, towards the large, and sprawling  village of East Peckham, and you will see on your left, the picturesque Man of Kent, overlooking the river Bourne, in the hamlet of Little Mill. Now this 16^th century old inn is a pub I’ve been to several times in the past, and it's one I’d describe as being somewhere in between the Carpenters and the Bell. The Man of Kent is unusual these days in having two bars. The saloon bar has a very low oak beamed ceiling, so care is needed on entering! To the left is an alcove for dining while a massive, double-sided fireplace to the right separates the cosy public bar. The 208 bus, running between East Peckham and Tonbridge stops conveniently outside the pub, so there’s no excuse for me in not visiting this one. It has been on my radar for some time, so a trip out to the Bell, followed by  a stop off at the Man of Kent, sounds plausible for the next pub Friday!