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Friday 27 September 2024

It's the little frustrations that cause the most hassle in life

It’s been a peculiar summer really, and one that I would describe as “bitty”. It's been characterised by a sense of things not quite going to plan, although it’s difficult to pin-point exactly what has brought this feeling on. Frustrating, might be a more appropriate term, because it's been a summer of breakdowns, and system failures. Nothing has been too serious, and these issues have mainly been caused by equipment in need of repair, or components in need of replacement. They have included a problem with the central heating, a toilet cistern not refilling after flushing, plus a scaled-up shower that had ceased functioning.

The latter was the mixer shower in Matthew’s en-suite bathroom, and whilst the issue was quite easily resolved, there was a frustratingly long wait to obtain a replacement for the failed component. These irritating jobs have necessitated searching around for plumber (fingers crossed, we have finally found someone, who is both knowledgeable and reliable). Finding the right tradesman is only half of the battle, the hard part comes with the waiting in at home for him or her to turn up and do their work. This is time when I could be out enjoying a walk in the countryside or even better, a few pints of good beer, in a nice country pub!

Much of this Is to be expected, as we have now lived in our current property for 30 years. This is by far the longest period that the pair of us have lived anywhere. We extended the property nearly 20 years ago, but now there a few things that are starting to require additional maintenance, or even replacement due to age (heating system, showers, and sanitary ware amongst them). Obviously, nothing lasts forever, but there’s a general feeling that things are falling apart.

These annoying failures and breakdowns began back in June, when we returned from our most recent cruise, and then reached a crescendo in August. I don't want to tempt fate by thinking they are over, but these niggling little things take up a disproportionate amount of time and effort that ought to be applied to more productive and enjoyable activities. (Going to the pub!)

The weather too has been up and down, although on the plus side, I finally managed to complete the Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk. I've now got my sights set on a series of walks along three, quite different river valleys, as detailed in a guide, published by the Kent Ramblers Association. I was all set to walk the first stage of the Medway Valley Walk this Friday (today), but the past week has seen lots of heavy rain. I haven't ventured out to see the effect this has had on local footpaths, but I really don’t fancy having to wade through mud that's potentially ankle deep.

One activity that will be getting the chop is my vegetable garden. Mrs PBT's has described herself as a “garden widow” although it would be more beneficial to me if she was a “pub widow!” She does have a point, especially as a lot of time and effort goes into growing vegetables. It’s nice to have a source of ready harvested vegetables, but you often end up with a glut, when they ripen or mature at the same time, and there’s only so much you can freeze. As my dear lady wife likes to point out, it's far easier to take a trip to the local supermarket and buy exactly what you require.

There’s a lot of time and effort involved in digging and preparing the ground, and then there’s weeding on top of that. I can't say I shall miss these activities, even though they do provide plenty of exercise. I shall be going out on a high, as this year, I had considerable success with runner beans aplenty, and we were picking them, at one stage, faster than we could eat or freeze them.

As well an overseas cruise, we managed a UK holiday, with a week spent in the lovely unspoiled county of Northumberland, in the far northeast of England. This was a part of the country that neither of us were familiar with, and it proved to be a real eye opener. Any suggestions for further, stay-at-home holidays will be gratefully received, although I’m looking at places such as the Cotswolds, Shropshire and the Welsh Marches for next year. There’s also Dorset and Somerset to consider as well.

One thing that's been missing this summer, are those long-distance train trips out to towns and cities blessed with a fine selection of heritage pubs. The only places I recall visiting this year have been Salisbury and Wolverhampton – the latter being the start and finish of a glorious tour, by bus, around several classic, Black Country's boozers. These were pubs that have changed very little, since the 19th century. My guide for this journey was none other than Paul Mudge, aka Stafford Paul, whose company and local knowledge, made for one of the best days out I have experienced in a long time.

Of course, 2024 is not over yet, but with October just around the corner, there are only three months remaining, and before we know it that dreaded “C-word” will be upon us. The Christmas tat is already in the shops, a fact we noticed during our Northumberland trip, at the beginning of September, and to help brighten up the coming darker days, and give us something to look forward to, we have booked a cruise for next year.

In a break with tradition, we have opted for a voyage that is confined to home waters. It entails a 14-night, round Britain cruise, sailing out of Southampton, in an anticlockwise direction, right around mainland Britain. It includes a diversion, across the Irish Sea, for visits to both Dublin and Cork, before sailing serenely back to Southampton. It will be nice to see parts of the British Isles that we're not familiar with, including Inverness, the Western Isles, and Cork but we will also be re-visiting a few old favourites, in the form of Edinburgh, Dublin and Liverpool.

That cruise is still 8 months away, which allows plenty of time to squeeze in a couple of long weekends away, as well as a mini cruise, in the New Year. I like to feel that, by the end of each year, I have accomplished something of both merit and note. These achievements might not all be life-enhancing, or even life changing, but as the years march on, they become increasingly more important. I shall be turning 70 next spring and am becoming acutely aware of my own mortality. The motto has to be then, enjoy these moments whilst you still can and make the most of the time that is left to you!

 

Wednesday 18 September 2024

Getting back in the swing

Last week, following our return from Northumberland, we were treated to a reminder from mother nature, that autumn was finally upon us. Strong winds, cold temperatures, and driving rain during the start of our first week back to normality, served as a reminder that we are now just a month away from the final quarter of the year. The creeping loss of daylight, especially during the early evening, is another indicator that the nights are steadily drawing in, and that it won’t be that long before we’ll be driving home from work, in the dark.

Although I generally regard autumn as one of my favourite times of the year, the unexpected cold snap, and accompanying wind and rain brought on a deep sense of melancholia which left me feeling listless, lethargic and lacking in inspiration. What to do then, to shake myself out of it?  A visit to a local pub seemed a good idea, and after a drive over to Riverhead, for the weekly shop at Tesco’s, plus the remains of the previous evening’s Chinese take-away for lunch, I left the house and headed off into town.  Actually, I walked to the nearby bus stop because not only was I feeling lazy, I was convinced that I’d picked up the cold Mrs PBT’s claimed she was suffering from.

A bus came along surprisingly quickly, within a couple of minutes in fact, and with the aid of my bus pass, cost me exactly nothing! The next decision was get off the bus opposite Boots, for the Nelson Arms, or stay on to the far end of the High Street, and alight opposite Fuggles? The Nelson won, primarily because its location meant a walk through the Sports-ground, but with a good range of cask to choose from, and the prospect of a dark beer or two, my mind was made up. It had been five weeks since my last visit to the "Nelly", as it its known locally, even though it only seemed like yesterday, and the pub was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday afternoon.

A residents street party was taking place at the far end of Cromer Street that overlooks the rail tracks, although no one in the pub knew what it was in aid of. The main attraction for me though, was the rich, dark and full-bodied Derailed Porter, from Five Points Brewing. Coincidentally my previous visit to the Nelson had been just prior to taking the train into London, for the BGBW Summer Party, at the Five Points Brewery That aside, Derailed Porter was an excellent beer, that some writers (not me, I hasten to add), would describe as “chewy.”

As mentioned above, the pub was surprisingly quiet, considering both the day and the time, with much of the custom coming from the street party outside, with people popping in, ordering a quick pint – on the promise of returning their glass, when empty, but for me it was a nice time to be sitting there, basking in the quiet, and relaxing atmosphere that goes with a mature pub, that is assured of its stature and position in both the local and the wider community.

As on my previous Saturday afternoon visit, a month or so earlier, I bumped into a former chairman of my local CAMRA branch, who appears to include the Nelson on his Saturday afternoon drinking circuit. We spent an interesting 20 minutes or so catching up on beer related topics, that included a new brewery in Shoreham (its beer is available at the Samuel Palmer in the village) as well as next month’s Spa Valley Railway Beer Festival. Ian is putting the beer order together for the event, and Alnwick Brewery, which we visited during our Northumberland trip, features on the list. Alnwick act as wholesalers for other small breweries in the north-east, region, as well as the Scottish Borders, so there should be some interesting beers on sale at the festival.

The following day, I called in briefly at my workplace, primarily to make use of the builder's skip standing in the carpark and dispose of some unwanted items (junk) that have been gathering dust in the shed since time immemorial. This short visit proved the perfect excuse for a drink at a nearby (relatively speaking) pub, that has long been one of my favourites, even though I don’t often manage a visit there. I’m talking here about the Rock at Chiddingstone Hoath, a small and quite isolated community, situated on high ground to the north-west of Tunbridge Wells.

The pub itself is around 500 years old and is a former drovers' inn that has retained many original features. As one would expect, there are plenty of exposed beams, that complement the brick flooring of the main bar. The main focus of the pub is the wood burning stove and the adjacent, ring-the-bull game. There have been some minor alterations to the bar, primarily to allow access to the garden at the rear, and kitchen has also been upgraded.

I’ve known the Rock for the past 40 years, and have witnessed several changes of ownership, along with various alterations, most of which, I’m pleased to say, have been relatively minor. For a time, the pub was leased to Larkin’s Brewery, who are based a mile or two down the road in Chiddingstone village, but it is now a thriving free house which still stocks Larkin’s, along with a couple of other beers. A recent and very welcome addition, is the over-spill car park, occupying a small field, on the opposite side of the road. It certainly makes visits by car, to the Rock a lot easier. When Matthew and I called in on Sunday, Harvey’s Best and Sussex Pale from Lakedown Brewing were on sale, alongside the local Larkin's offering. I gave the Lakedown brew a try, as despite having seen it on sale in a number of local pubs, I had never tried the beer. Described by the brewery as a modern pale ale, loaded with English Cascade & Ernest hops for an aromatic finish, it ended up being the perfect lunchtime pint. You can read more about Lakedown Brewing, here.

Given the fine weather, we took our pints outside and sat in the pleasant garden at the rear of the pub. It was good to see the Rock busy with customers, taking advantage, like us, of the early autumn sunshine, and given the pub’s isolated position the bustling trade was a good sign. 

On our drive back to Tonbridge, we passed by the Bottle House, another classic country pub, albeit a rather upmarket establishment these days. This too seemed popular, with vehicles parked along both sides of the lane, despite the pub’s substantial car park. Both visits – town and country, provided evidence that the pub trade is in good health, at least is some parts of the country, although it’s safe to say the same seems to apply to parts of the North East as well, if our recent visit to Northumberland is anything to go by. Long may this situation continue!

Sunday 25 August 2024

Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk - complete at last!

A couple of Friday’s ago I finally finished the Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk, a task that took far longer than it should have done. For the uninitiated, the TWCW is a cross-country walk which, as its name suggests, is a route around the rural periphery of Tunbridge Wells. The route passes through the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and allows walkers to enjoy the undulating countryside of the High Weald, a landscape of patchwork fields, broad-leaved woodland, and parkland. On the way, it takes in the villages of Southborough, Pembury, Frant, Groombridge and Speldhurst. – a 27½ mile rural walk around the periphery of the former spa town of Tunbridge Wells.

I’d been aware of the TWCW for some time after a conversation with my friend Eric, who had completed the walk with his brother-in-law, some years previously. I had also walked parts of the trail myself, in the company of other friends/CAMRA members, on a number of different pub outings. That was the extent of my interest until a visit to Larkin’s Alehouse in Cranbrook in February 2022 , and there, on sale behind the bar, was a guidebook to the Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk .

I purchased a copy with the intention of walking this footpath myself, but before doing so, I needed to complete the North Downs Way. I’d been walking this long-distance-footpath, in stages, since the summer of 2017, and finally completed at the beginning of February 2023. This was almost a year to the day since buying that TWCW Guidebook, and during that time I’d been studying the route with interest. The book divides the walk into four, manageable sections, moving in a clockwise around Tunbridge Wells, leaving users the choice of four different starting points.

Later that month I began the walk in earnest, starting with the Southborough to Pembury section. As this is the longest stretch of the TW Circular, I completed it in two halves, due mainly to time constraints. February wasn’t the best month to be starting a cross-country walk, and conditions underfoot were wet and quite muddy in places. I also took a wrong turn as I approached Tonbridge, a mistake I only realised when I reached the railway line, instead of the A21 main road.  I ended up walking that missing last half mile or so, a few weeks later, for the sake of completeness.

It was halfway through May that I finally finished Tonbridge to Pembury section, following one of the wettest March and Aprils I can recall. The first part of the walk, up through the grounds of Somerhill House was a familiar one, as it forms part of a walk to Capel and the Dovecote Inn, but as the trail climbed up towards the area known as Dislingbury, it became much harder to follow.

I eventually found my way to the grounds of St Peter’s Old Church, the original place of worship for the settlement of Pippenbury, before the village was re-named and re-sited. A bench, in the tranquil setting of the old churchyard, formed the perfect place for me to sit and enjoy my packed lunch, before heading off, past the waterworks, to the A228 road. Snipe Wood, to the south of Pippin’s Farm, was the ideal place to get lost and completely throw me off course, but eventually I found my way out of the wood and into Pembury village itself. The King Wiliam IV, on the Old Hastings Road, provided a couple of welcoming pints, as reward for finally finishing this section.

The fine weather continued throughout May, so I felt confident in tackling the next stage of the circular walk, from Pembury to Frant. My objective was to follow the footpath as far as the village of Frant, which lies to the south of Tunbridge Wells, enjoy a pint, and possibly a bite to eat at the George Inn, before catching a couple of buses home. This particular stage was a very doable 5 miles, so I was confident of arriving at the George in time for lunch. I perhaps, should have known better, as a poorly signposted route through woodland, took me off course, not just once, but twice.

Fortunately, memories from a previous walk came to my assistance, and I emerged onto close to the rather prestigious Nevill Golf Club. Whilst passing the clubhouse, I asked a couple of golfers if I was heading in the right direction. I was, but this wasn’t quite the end of the walk.  

 After crossing the busy Bayham Road, I followed a track past a farm and then up into Chase Wood. I had walked the steep path through this wood previously, and in both directions, so I knew it was quite a climb. Eventually I emerged from the trees into the first of two fields that took me into Frant. I arrived at the attractive looking George Inn at a quarter to three, and fortunately for me, the pub was open all afternoon. Not so fortunate was missing the last orders for food by 15 minutes, but I was much more in need of liquid, rather than solid refreshment

It was February 2024, when I next set foot on the trail, this time with the aim of walking from Frant to Eridge. This equated to roughly half of the section detailed in the guidebook, which runs all the way to Groombridge. It had been the best part of eight months since I last set foot on the TWCW, a combination of poor weather, plus other commitments had dampened my enthusiasm, but with two weeks of dry and relatively warm weather, I was determined to do something about it.

I took the bus to Frant, and following a quick pint at Abergavenny Arms, set off to find the spot where the TWCW branches off from the main A267 road, and descends into Eridge Park. The drop down into the park was every bit as steep as I recalled from a walk 3½ years previously and was slippery as well. It also featured umpteen trip hazards, in the form of exposed tree roots. Worse was to come, in the form of mud, so my initial optimism that it might be reasonably dry underfoot, soon vanished. The muddy conditions made for slow going, meaning that a walk which should only have taken an hour, ended up taking nearly two because of the constant need to make my way around the worst of the muddy areas.

After passing a series of ornamental lakes at the bottom of the valley it was time to climb back up to higher ground, where I encountered another place where the path deviated from what seemed like the most logical route. With the end in sight, there were two fields filled with sheep to pass through, but unfortunately, they weren’t “friendly” sheep, and seemed determined to harass this person who had invaded their territory. You can read more about my ovine encounter here, and I’m pleased to report I reached the end of the path, unscathed. The Nevill Crest & Gun pub, just a few minutes’ walk away, provided one of the best pints of Harvey’s that I’d had in a long time, and with the bus stop just a short distance away, the ideal place to finish my walk.

Poor weather again intervened leaving a two-month gap before conditions improved sufficiently for me to resume the TWCW. So, in mid-April I picked from where I left off back at the start of February, by taking the No. 29 bus to Eridge Green.  My aim was to walk the three and a half miles from Eridge to Groombridge, passing on the way the impressive rocky outcrops that make up Harrison’s Rocks. Despite a much-needed dry spell at the start of April, the weather again took a turn for the worse, with several heavy downpours, mid-afternoon, that caught me out, right in the middle of a ploughed field. I’d more or less dried out by the time I’d reached the aforementioned Harrison’s Rocks, which are quite impressive and surprisingly high in places.

The Rocks are popular with both novice rock scramblers, and more experienced mountaineers, and form a backdrop to the Spa Valley Railway, whose line follows the valley floor in its run between Eridge and Groombridge stations. There was no welcoming pint at the end of the walk, at least not at Groombridge, but this was due to bus timings rather than anything else, so I called in at Fuggles Beer Cafe instead, when I got back to Tunbridge Wells.

10 days ago, I finally finished the Tunbridge Wells circular, by walking the entire section between Groombridge and Southborough. The guidebook claims this section is just over six miles in length, but they must be “country miles” as the walk seemed considerably longer, especially after I stopped for a rest and a well-earned pint at the George & Dragon in Speldhurst. The guidebook delivered this time around, and more than proved its worth on several occasions.

The Harvey’s at the G&D was in top form, which was just as well, as I found the stretch between Speldhurst and Southborough quite challenging. I was very relieved then when I arrived at Southborough Common, and after passing the long-closed, but sadly missed Beehive pub, at Modest Corner, was soon traversing the cricket ground from where the bus home awaited me.

Despite its modest 27½ mile length, the TWCW is still quite a challenge, in terms of terrain, quality of footpaths - especially the absence of waymarks from where they perhaps should be, and the availability of public transport to convey walkers to and from the various section start and end points. It also “belongs” to this area, as do other localised walks in their own unique setting. What I’m trying to say here is, because it is circular, rather than linear it doesn’t form part of any longer footpaths or indeed any networks of walks. There is still a sense of achievement for having completed it, but it’s not the same as a long-distance, linear walk such as the North or South Downs.

So, what next? Well, Kent Ramblers have published a guide to “Three River Valley Walks in West Kent”, and these are Darent Valley Path, Eden Valley Walk and Medway Valley Walk. The guide follows the same format TWCW, with descriptions of the routes and full-colour mapping. The walks are divided into convenient sections that connect with rail stations, or local buses, meaning they are readily accessible so you can leave the car at home. The only question is, which of these three walks will I attempt first?

Saturday 24 August 2024

The best laid plans go astray, even on the buses

On Thursday, I joined a small group of local CAMRA members on what promised to be my second foray into darkest Sussex. The branch social secretary had arranged a visit to the village of Rotherfield, stopping off at the tiny settlement of Mark Cross on the way. Rotherfield is the neighbouring village to Mayfield which, if you remember, was the place I wanted to visit, following my bus ride out that way, at the end of last week. The CAMRA outing therefore seemed the perfect opportunity to experience Rotherfield’s two remaining pubs, whilst enjoying some pleasant, shared company, in the process. So, what could possibly go wrong?

West Kent CAMRA bus trips have an unfortunate habit of going astray, despite the often quite meticulous planning by the organisers, but that prospect was far from my head when I joined my fellow passengers ("bus wankers" according to Mrs PBT’s), at the bus stop out side Tunbridge Wells’s Royal Victoria Place, shopping centre.

I’d arrived in the Wells with plenty of time to spare, enough in fact to enjoy an expensive, but rather nice flat white coffee, from Café Nero. I normally get my coffee from Greggs, priced at just £2, but following Mrs PBT’s adage about getting what you pay for, bit the bullet and went for the posh option, which was nearly double, at £3.70! The barista, or whatever fancy name coffee chains give their coffee fixers/pourers, asked if I would like to try their promotional single variety, Brazilian beans? Same price? Was my response. No, 30p extra, was the reply. I politely informed him he could keep his Brazilian beans, and told him that I don’t respond well to up-selling, either!

Grumpy old git bit out of the way, I joined my CAMRA comrades as they boarded the bus. Being near the rear of the queue, I missed what the driver had said to them, but basically, due to road works (more road works?), narrow country lanes, and a not quite so narrow bus, the 51 would not be calling at Rotherfield until the works were finished.  (Note, how the powers that be, always describe such works as “essential.”) A brief crisis management discussion then ensued, which resulted in our party still boarding the bus, with the aim of alighting at Mark Cross, and the first pub of the day – the Lazy Fox

Formerly the Mark Cross Inn, this large pub has received an extensive makeover, and is now forms part of Elite Pubs, growing estate. You might remember me writing about another of the group’s pubs, the Vineyard at Lamberhurst where, as a family, we celebrated the final birthday of my sixtieth decade on this rock we call, Planet Earth.  

The Lazy Fox follows a similar pattern, with its tiled floors, floral-painted walls, and extensive dining areas complete with its own pizza oven. There are also reputed to be stunning views from the rear garden, but given the wet and windy conditions outside, we didn’t investigate this further. Whether the Fox counts as a true village “local” is open to question, although judging by the number of tables already occupied at quarter to one on a Thursday lunchtime, it is obviously a popular destination for the smart set who like to dine out.

We managed to find a couple of vacant tables, but not before ordering ourselves a beer, from a choice of Harvey’s Sussex Best or Sharp’s Solar Wave Hazy IPA. Oh no, a pint of murk, and whilst I normally avoid such abominations, I was feeling devilish that afternoon (something to do with the wind?), that I thought I’d give it a go. Described by the brewery as “a vibrant, golden, juicy, hazy IPA brewed to hit the sweet spot between fruitiness and hop bitterness,” I found it far more fruity than bitter, although it was perfectly acceptable – as a “one off”!

The great debate then ensued as to where to go next, or to stay at the Fox for something to eat. The wood-fired pizzas coming out of the oven, certainly looked tempting, although the prices seemed equally mouthwatering. Some members of the group succumbed, with one couple (not related), deciding to share one. The rest of us wanted to eat somewhere a bit more down to earth, but with Rotherfield and its two pubs denied to us, where to go next?

Mayfield with its excellent Rose & Crown, that I visited the week before seemed the obvious choice, but there were a couple of people in our part with mobility issues, and the walk to the pub along Fletching Street would have been too much. 

The Middle House Hotel was deemed too posh, so the only options were to board the next bus heading south and try our luck in places such as Five Ashes, or Heathfield, or head back towards Tunbridge Wells. The first option would take us into uncharted territory, whilst the second would take us to places that were more familiar. I was all for a bit of exploring, although it would have been stabbing in the dark somewhat, as a poor internet connection at the Fox, left us unable to check out sites, such as What Pub.

Northwards it was then, with the village of Frant our destination. We left the three members who were still eating, at the Fox, and upon leaving the bus at Frant, split into two with four of us heading to the Abergavenny Arms, whilst the other two making for the George Inn. I quite fancied trying the George, but it was the food offer at the Abergavenny that caught me attention. One member of the group had noticed a two courses for £12 offer, advertised in a local business magazine, and as we entered the pub there were some  leaflets promoting this offer. Most of us went for the haddock and chips, with a deep-fried, king prawn starter, although the pate and toast also looked a good, first-course option. Harvey’s Sussex Best was the sole cask offering, but it was in good form.

Whilst the Abergavenny wasn’t packed, it still seemed to be ticking over nicely, with two other tables of diners, no doubt taking advantage of the two for £12 offer. Before leaving, we were joined for a short period by the two members who went to the George. Harvey’s again was the cask option. I like the George, having called in there for the first time last summer, after completing a section of the Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk, but the four of us who ate at the Abergavenny definitely enjoyed the better deal. It was back on the bus again after that, although there was still no sign of the two people we’d left behind at Mark Cross. We later discovered that two buses in succession had been cancelled, leaving our friends stranded for another hour at Mark Cross.

We didn’t have far to travel to the next pub, which was the Bull on Frant Road, right on the edge of Tunbridge Wells. It’s a Shepherd Neame house, which probably explains why I had never been in there before, but despite this, the Bull appeared a pleasant, bright and airy pub, apart from there being no cask ale available. This was evident from the lack of pump-clips on any of the three, retro-looking, stainless steel hand pulls. The young barmaid was quite apologetic about the situation, but they’d only had their delivery that morning, and the beer hadn’t had time to clear.

Oh dear, we’re the Campaign for Real Ale, and there’s no real ale for us to drink. I was tempted to stay for a glass of Beavertown, and might well have done had my companions not decided to leave. (One member stayed for a short while, in order to update the Bull’s What Pub entry). I felt bad about leaving, but as one of my companions said, later on, what sort of pub let’s its cask stocks run so low, that they end up with none ready for sale? There might have been a perfectly rational explanation, but given the situation, I left the Bull along with my companions and headed down to the Pantiles area of Tunbridge Wells, on foot.

The Pantiles is the oldest, and most famous part of the Wells, and the pub we were making for once had a legendary reputation in the town. Tucked away in a small courtyard, the Sussex Arms has mellowed over the years back to something that resembles what it was like before the revamp and tart-up the pub received when that area of the Pantiles was “gentrified" in the late 1980’s. It’s never going to be quite the same as it was when the legendary Dennis and Barbara Lane were the licensees – and you can read my thoughts about the old Sussex here.

There was a good line up of beers on the bar, including a couple from the local Fonthill Brewing Co, who based in a stale block behind the George public house on Mount Ephraim, at the other end of Tunbridge Wells. Psychedelic Jungle West Coast IPA, a hoppy and fruity IPA, but being “West Coast” it is bright, rather than hazy. There was a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere inside the Sussex that afternoon, and the pub certainly felt like a comfortable and secure haven from the wind and the rain outside.

We visited one more pub that afternoon, which was Fuggles at the top end of Tunbridge Wells. The less mobile and less fit members of the party travelled up by bus, whilst the rest of us walked up, despite the hilly nature of the town. Fuggles was buzzing when we arrived, although there were still sufficient spare seats and tables where we could base ourselves. Also present in the pub, were several other CAMRA members and sympathisers.

As with the Sussex Arms, the beer range at Fuggles was exemplary, and star of the show was a beer from Thornbridge Brewery, brewed using one of the Burton Union sets. 90 Shilling, described as an American Amber Ale, is said to be a version of the 90/- Ale brewed by Colorado-based Odell Brewing Company. Whatever its origin, and its make-up, it was the best beer of the day, and that includes some excellent Harvey’s at the Abergavenny.

So, not quite the day out we had been expecting, but nevertheless an interesting and enjoyable one. The only downside, for me, was not visiting Rotherfield, but that can easily be rectified at a later date.