The Pantiles and all that jazz

The famous "Pantiles"

The other evening I nipped over to Tunbridge Wells for a social organised by my local CAMRA Branch (West Kent). The event was billed as a “Pantiles Walkabout”; signifying it was a mini-pub crawl of a few of the pubs which are grouped around the historic Pantiles area of the town. It was a warm summer’s evening; one of the first evenings so far this summer where one didn’t need a jacket, so it seemed perfect for a spot of al fresco drinking.

The rest of Tunbridge Wells obviously thought the same, as the whole Pantiles area was buzzing, with many pubs packed out and no outside table space at which to sit and enjoy a beer. Worse still, plastic “glasses” were the order of the day.  To explain further, Thursday evenings thought the summer, are set aside for a series of “Jazz on the Pantiles” events, with live music being played from the bandstand opposite this famous colonnade of shops, restaurant and pubs.  This, combined with the very welcome warm weather, is what had brought people out in their droves.

The vast majority of the crowds thronging the area were under 30, and included a disproportional number of rather attractive young ladies. However, that was obviously just my perception of it, as our brains, via our reticular activating system (RAS), only show us what we want to see, and filter out other “less important” information. I’m certain therefore, if I was a member of the opposite sex writing this, my RAS would have shown the complete opposite, and I would be raving about the number of fit young blokes.

Outside the Ragged Trousers

I digress, and what ever their gender it was good to see so many people out and about enjoying the warm summer evening, although my observation was there didn’t seem to be that many of them listening to the music. This included us; not because we dislike jazz, or other forms of live music, but rather because we were thirsty and hankering after a pint!

We had arranged to meet at the Ragged Trousers; a converted shop situated almost in the middle of the colonnade, but like many of the pubs it was absolutely rammed. I spotted a couple from our group who had managed to get served, but with lengthy queues at the bar we decided to try our luck elsewhere. 

Unfortunately the Duke of York, a fine old pub belonging to Fuller’s Brewery was equally crowded, so we gave up on that idea and headed for the Sussex Arms. Being tucked away in a maze of alleys, our reckoning was the Sussex should be a bit quieter.

The Duke of  York

It was to a point and not only did we managed to get served almost straight away, but we found a few seats and a table – result. The only downside was the plastic “glasses”, but these are insisted upon by the local constabulary, and with people wandering around with drinks in their hands, and clambering up and down steps, I can perhaps understand why. Having said that, I absolutely detest the things and anyone who claims they don’t have a detrimental affect on the taste and perception of the beer is either talking b*ll*cks, or works for a company which supplies these abominations. 

Think I’m kidding about the taste of the beer? Well, it was visually impossible to assign meaningful beer scores to the Long Man Best Bitter and the Taylor’s Landlord, which were the two beers I drank at the Sussex. Also on tap were Tribute and Proper Job from St Austell, plus a beer from local newcomer Ashdown Ales. I also noticed the improved lager offering at the Sussex, with Czech Budvar and Staropramen on the “T”-bar, with the latter proving particularly popular with punters.

Being a warm evening I would have preferred to have sat outside, but all tables in front of the pub were taken. Besides, it was quite nice tucked away in the corner watching the comings and goings, including of course the aforementioned young ladies.

Eventually though the comings began exceeding the goings and the pub started getting uncomfortably full. Equally, to a man, we all had the desire to drink beer from a proper real glass, so we decided to head a little way back into town. By following the maze of alleys and narrow side streets, we passed into the historic and rather quaint, but extremely pricey, “village” area of Tunbridge Wells, our destination being the Grove Tavern, ably kept by Steve the landlord, who is also one of our branch committee members.

The Grove Tavern

Steve himself was behind the bar to greet us when we walked in; an unusual sight as Steve has a number of experienced staff to look after the bar, whilst he concentrates on his other job of installing software and fixing peoples’ computers. It was good to see him though, and it was nice from our point of view at least, to find the Grove relatively quiet, as it is often quite difficult to find space to stand, let alone sit.

Wainwright, from Lancashire brewers Thwaites, was my beer of choice, although Harvey’s Best and Taylor’s Landlord were also available. The Wainwright was in good condition and, of course, tasted all the better from being drunk from a glass. I think this was the first time I’d sampled this beer in draught form, but whilst refreshing enough it seemed to lack something, and this was particularly noticeable following on from the Taylor’s Landlord. I’m therefore not really sure why people rave over this beer, but Steve the landlord seemed pretty pleased with it, and said it was literally flying out the door.

I only stayed for the one pint. With a busy work schedule the following day, plus a concert in the evening, I took the opportunity of the Grove’s proximity to the station, to slip away and catch the 22.39 train home. It has been an enjoyable evening, especially as we were able to welcome a new member to the branch. However, next time we arrange a Pantiles Walkabout, we’ll check the calendar more thoroughly and choose a quieter evening!

Castle Inn, Chiddingstone - Update

Several weeks ago I wrote a short post about the sudden closure of the historic Castle Inn, in the National Trust owned village of Chiddingstone, near to Tunbridge Wells. The closure was something of a shock to both locals and visitors alike; especially coming as it did at the start of the busy tourist season.

The actual reasons for the closure are still unclear, but this week Nigel Lucas, who was the previous tenant of the Castle, broke his silence with a short piece which appeared in the local free newspaper, the Times of  Tunbridge Wells & Tonbridge.  Mr Lucas had run the pub for 47 years, having originally arrived there in April 1964. From what he writes, he obviously enjoyed his time at the Castle, even if the work was, at times, “exhausting.”

He did describe the National Trust as “never the most generous landlords”, but then went on to excuse this because of their charitable status and the requirement to make the best use of their funds. He stated that “It became increasingly difficult to negotiate reasonable rents for what is in reality a small village pub without a car park.”  

The final straw came when the Trust tried to increase the rent from £47,500 to £60,000, which he says, “For a small country pub was not feasible.” Eventually he ended up surrendering the remainder of his lease for far less than it was worth; a real slap in the face after nearly half a century of dedication and hard work.

Mr Lucas’s final words were, “Shame on you, National Trust, this is no way to treat one of your jewels. Everything has to come to an end, but it didn’t need to end like this.”

In reply Richard Henderson, the National Trust’s Assistant Director of Operations, who looks after Chiddingstone, commented: 

“We received Mr Lucas’s letter and I have since spoken with him. I am now working to address his concerns.”

“We want the pub to be a success in the village and have in recent years made changes to the tenancy at the Castle Inn to ensure its long-term place in Chiddingstone. We are now actively searching for a new tenant and are delighted to have had initial interest from several parties, which we will be following up.”

“As we’ve said before, we’re committed to finding the right conservation-minded tenant to care for this historic pub, which takes time. But we believe this care and attention is a vital part of our work to preserve its future in the village.”

Without knowing the full details of the case it is impossible to comment further, apart from saying that charities are obviously big business these days, and are always looking for the maximum return on their investment.

However, with an historic pub like the Castle there needs to be balanced approach between preserving the undoubted character of the establishment and meeting the demands of a modern business. A sense of realism should also be maintained, particularly with regard to the rent levied on a pub which is virtually inaccessible by public transport, and with no car parking facilities.

You can read the full article, which appeared in the Times of Tunbridge Wells & Tonbridge, here.

Still not getting it!

I was flicking through the pages of “What’s Brewing” yesterday morning, and a couple of things caught my eye. For the uninitiated, “What’s Brewing” is the official newspaper of the Campaign for Real Ale. The paper can trace its origins back to the early 1970’s, not long after CAMRA was formed. This cleverly-named publication has seen several changes over the past 40 years, but it is still mailed out to members each month; just as it was in the very early days of the Campaign.

The main headline in this month’s edition, and the one which really attracted my attention, reads “Pubs key role in reduced figures for alcohol abuse”. According to the article, research by the Local Alcohol Profile for England, (whoever they might be), has revealed a significant fall in the number of hospital admissions related to harm caused by alcohol. The fall is across all age groups and applies to both sexes.

Good news, of course, but the article then goes on to link this fall with the findings from research group carried out by Oxford University. This different research concludes “Pub-goers are likely to drink less if those around then are behaving in a measured way and are, as a result, likely to be less tolerant of socially inappropriate behaviour”. 

Nothing new there, but this is where CAMRA’s chief executive Tim Paige, throws his hat into the ring by stating, “This is why it is especially important we continue to support pubs across the country, to ensure everyone has a local within easy distance of their home or workplace”.

So far, so good, but Tim then goes on to spoil things by stating “We at CAMRA believe there should be greater acknowledgement by government, of the distinction between those who drink in moderation in responsibly-managed social settings, and those who abuse alcohol – most often bought from supermarkets and drunk at home”.

I really thought CAMRA had moved beyond this, but it would appear not, and it is back to the same old rhetoric about supermarkets selling beer at a cheaper price than water, and unless you purchase your drink in a pub, and consume it there under the watchful eye of the licensee, you are abusing alcohol and are at serious risk of harm. Really???

I wrote about this very thing just over three weeks ago, pointing out that many of us drink at home for personal, family, financial reasons or just the plain fact that there isn’t a decent pub within walking distance. I don’t want to go over the whole article again, but speaking from personal experience I drink far less within the confines of my own home than I do when I’m in the pub.

Tim Page - CAMRA CEO

By trotting out the old chestnut that pubs provide a “safe and controlled drinking environment”, whilst implying that a person’s private residence does not, is not only disingenuous, but is also playing into the hands of the anti-alcohol lobby, who of course would like to see all drinking banned.

Now I had the pleasure of meeting Tim a few weeks ago, at the “Consultation Meeting” I attended in relation to CAMRA’s “Revitalisation Project”, and he came across as a pretty level-headed sort of chap. I am therefore more than a little surprised to see him coming out with such a statement; especially as it is fundamentally flawed. 

You are obviously not listening Tim; or if you are you are only hearing what you want to hear. If CAMRA continues down the road of alienating the large, and still growing, section of the population who, for whatever reason prefer to drink at home, it will be doing itself a grave disservice. Furthermore it will provide ammunition to those lobbying for minimum pricing for alcohol - an issue which had almost faded away, but which now seems to be rearing its ugly head once more.

Alcohol is alcohol, and to make out that pub bought booze is somehow more virtuous than a few bottles bought from a supermarket is akin to talking out of one’s rear end!

No Food at the Inn

After an excellent pub meal, on Saturday night, at the King’s Head in Laxfield, Suffolk, my son and I were to be disappointed the following evening. We were staying at my father’s former bungalow in the Norfolk village of Swanton Morley, and had spent the day sorting through piles of possessions which my parents had accumulated over the course of several decades.

It was never going to be an easy task, and at times we had to be quite ruthless in deciding what to keep and what to dispose of. By late afternoon, we’d had enough for the day. My sister and her two daughters, who had been helping us, also felt the same, and they departed in search of something to eat. Matt and I drove over to the care home to spend some time with dad, and by the time we left, we too were feeling famished.

I knew that the Angel in Swanton Morley does not serve food on Sunday evenings, so instead we decided to head down to Darby’s; the pub at the other end of the village. We sensibly left the car at the bungalow, so I could enjoy a few bevies, and set off down the road on the half-hour walk to Darby’s. I was feeling rather tired after the day’s exertions, so was glad when we reached the pub. I ordered us both a beer and then asked about food. “Sorry”, the barmaid replied, “we’re fully booked.” Well you could have knocked me down with a feather as, apart from two chaps sat at one of  the tables enjoying a meal, plus a group of three lads sat drinking at the bar, there was no-one else in the place.

The time was just after 7.15pm, so I asked surely you can squeeze a couple of hungry customers in. “No, sorry”, was the reply, and with no further word of explanation the girl behind the counter walked off. Cursing for not enquiring about the food before getting the drinks in, we went and sat at one of many vacant tables. I did spot a couple of reserved signs, but they were presumably for later on. Not long afterwards, a family with two children came in. They asked about food, only to be told the same thing; the pub was fully booked. Unlike us, they had not ordered drinks, so did a swift about turn.

We sat and finished our pints, dismayed at the prospect of a walk back in order to pick up the car, so we could drive elsewhere in search of something to eat. Apart from the aforementioned family, on-one else came into the pub; in fact the three lads sitting at the bar left. We too departed, shortly before 8pm.

Matthew thought I was a bit rude by only grunting a half-hearted response to the barmaids farewell “goodnight”, but in truth I was well cheesed off. Now the pub may have had good reason for not serving casual customers on a Bank Holiday Sunday, but from what we saw I very much doubt they were fully booked. I was left wondering as to why people enter the hospitality business when they don’t know the first thing about looking after customers, or how to run a business, for that matter.

The strange thing is I have eaten at Darby’s on several occasions; in fact the last time was in February when the pub was far busier than it was last Sunday. Then, the staff had gone out of their way to squeeze me in at a small table in the restaurant area at the far end of the pub. It would not have taken the kitchen long, last weekend, to have rustled us up a couple of burgers and chips. Not only would they have taken payment for the food, but we would also have stayed for several more rounds of drinks. The same would have been true for the family who were turned away.

I am left wondering as to whether the pub might have changed hands, but there is no evidence to support this idea on either the pub website or CAMRA’s WhatPub. Perhaps we caught the place on a bad day, but it’s not really what one expects on a Bank Holiday Weekend, when there are bound to be more people out and about than usual; some of whom might possibly be looking for something to eat.

Obviously it is up to the people running the business as to whom and what they serve, but you can imagine the same owners bemoaning the fact that trade is slack and no-one uses the pub. The answer is obvious, but until business owners wake up and smell the coffee, and up their game, pubs across the country will continue to lose custom and eventually close.

Footnote: Matt and I walked back to the bungalow, picked up the car and drove into Dereham. We went to a recently built Marston’s pub, called the Greenstone, on the edge of town. The place was heaving, but the staff found us a table, and not long after we were tucking into a fine chicken tikka masala. It wasn’t gourmet food, but it was served piping hot, was well presented and good value for money.

I didn’t have a beer with my meal, as I’d had one earlier and was driving, but the Marston’s beer range looked perfectly acceptable. The following day my sister, who lives locally, told us we were lucky to have got a table, as the pub is usually full. Now contrast that with the first pub we went in that evening, and ask yourselves why?

The King's Head - Laxfield

Over the Bank Holiday weekend I made another trip up to Norfolk, not only to see dad, but also to assist my sister and my two nieces in clearing out my parents’ bungalow. We have found a buyer for the property, as it seems senseless keeping on a place which stands empty for most of the time. Dad’s condition is unfortunately worsening, so there is no chance of him being able to return and live there independently on his own.

The sale of the family home will go towards keeping dad safe and comfortable in the care home, where he has settled in nicely, but  it was still a heart-wrenching couple of days, having to rake through our parents possessions, deciding what to keep and what to dispose of. I travelled up on the Saturday evening, with my son, having first collected him from work, and with an arduous weekend ahead, it seemed a good idea to stop for some sustenance on the journey up.

Where better then than to cross another pub off CAMRA’National Heritage list, and looking at the map, the unspoilt King's Head at Laxfield seemed the ideal stopping off point. The pub might have taken a bit of finding, but this time we had the benefit of my recently acquired Sat Nav, and this device saved countless stops to look at the map and potentially several wrong turns.

The King's Head is also known as the “Low House”, probably on account of its long low profile, which is topped by a thatched roof. It is a timeless, multi-roomed pub, and is one of two hostelries in this attractive, mid-Suffolk village. It takes a bit of finding, as it is tucked away down a narrow lane, at the back of the church, but fortunately modern technology took us straight there.

We arrived, shortly before 8.30 pm and found the car park, and most of the lane outside already full with parked vehicles. Fortunately we managed to squeeze the car in just below the church, and soon discovered the reason for the pub’s popularity; the King's Head was hosting its annual May Bank Holiday Beer Festival. Featuring over 35 Real Ales, Craft Beers and Ciders, together with food and live music, this would have been a great place to spend the evening (or possibly even the weekend), had we not had further to travel. 

The high-backed settle, designed to keep the draughts away.

It seemed that most of the village thought likewise, but as the festival was taking place in the secluded garden, at the rear of the pub, we made our way inside, keen to see for ourselves exactly why the Kings Head had made its way onto CAMRA’s Heritage Pub list. According to the website, “The main room at the King’s Head, features listed high back settles set around a small fireplace.”  The pub also has the added attraction of gravity served beer, which is kept in a small tap room to rear.

We found our way into this room, pausing for a look at the high-backed settle which takes up much of the space, before proceeding to the aforementioned tap room, at the end of the corridor. Here we could see a row of casks racked ready to dispense a range of Adnams beers. We asked about food, only to be told that all tables were booked, but fortunately there was some space in the smoking shelter, out in the yard adjacent to the tap-room.

We grabbed a couple of spare seats then I went off to the serving hatch to order our beers and also our food. As I was driving I opted for the ordinary Adnams Southwold Bitter (NBSS 3). Matt on the other hand, opted for a pint of Adnams Dry- Hop lager. To eat we both went for the steak and ale pie option, served with chips and peas. Service was quick, despite the crowds, and our food arrived promptly. The pies were not “proper” pies, but the steak was juicy and tender, and the gravy filling was suitably thick and tasty. After a two and a half journey, the end part of which was through a series of winding lanes, we were both famished, and our meals were gratefully appreciated.

Whilst we were eating, we could see people coming and going to the beer festival. Entrance was £5 a head, with a wrist-band for re-admittance, and most of the customers seemed to be people in their 20’s or 30’s. It was pleasing to see a significant proportion of them were women; something which soon caught the attention of my twenty-something son; although I confess I gave several of them more than a passing glance as well.

As I said earlier, it would have been nice to have stayed longer. Had we been better prepared, we might have found somewhere to stay in the village for the night, and then made more of our time at the King’s Head, but having found it, and experienced the pub first hand, I know I will be making a return visit sometime in the not too distant future.

Apologies for the quality of some of the photos; particularly the interior shots. My phone doesn’t really do justice to the pub; although in mitigation it is not easy taking photos “on the hoof”, when there are people scattered all around you.

For some proper “professional” photos, take a look here on the Heritage Pubs website, although it must be said, their photographer had the benefit of an empty pub, plus time on his side!

The Demise of the Local Pub Guide

About a week ago, Essex-based beer writer, Justin Mason wrote an interesting piece bemoaning the disappearance of the local beer guide. Once an essential tool when visiting an unfamiliar part of the country, and a vital piece of pre-planning, prior to any trip, whether it be business or pleasure, local pub guides have all but disappeared.

In an attempt to look a little deeper into this, I checked out the CAMRA website, but could find no specific town or county guides listed at all. To be fair, the Campaign has recently launched an excellent series of guides detailing pub walks in popular tourist areas, such as the Lake District, the Peak District, Yorkshire and, surprisingly, London. However, these guides though are aimed at people like me, who enjoy a lengthy walk in the countryside before arriving at the pub, and are not the same as the old-style local guides, which tended to be comprehensive publications, listing all real ale pubs in a specific locality.

There are several reasons for the disappearance of local guides, not least of which is the amount of work involved in their production. The number of boots on the ground needed to carry out surveys of all the pubs in a given area is beyond the reach of many CAMRA branches, and on top of this is the significant amount of man hours necessary to complete the various stages involved with the design and layout. And all of this is BEFORE the guide even goes to print!

Then there is the often horny issue of finance. CAMRA HQ will normally provide a loan, but branches need to submit a proper business plan and then wait for approval. Given the often complex committee structure within CAMRA, this can sometimes take longer than you think, as my CAMRA branch discovered seven years ago.

It doesn’t end there of course, as once your guide arrives back from the printers; you’ve then got to get out there and start selling copies! West Kent CAMRA produced a guide in 2009, in conjunction with two neighbouring branches. It was a massive undertaking, and I’m pretty certain at least one of the editors came close to being divorced by his wife, due to the inordinate amount of time spent on the editing, layout and design of the guide!

On the plus side, the Gateway to Kent Guide won best local CAMRA guide for 2010, but there are still some outstanding accounting issues to be dealt with before a line can finally be drawn under the project, and a number of guides remain unsold. It is highly unlikely that the branch will be producing a follow on, as the will and the drive necessary for such an undertaking just isn’t there.

On the subject of editing, a couple of CAMRA colleagues involved with entering the Good Beer Guide survey information have told me what a thankless and at times soul-destroying process this is. There are considerable variations in the standard of written English used by surveyors, and it is not unusual for what is written to make little sense. Information such as telephone numbers, website addresses, opening times often needs re-checking as well; so remember this next time you’re thumbing through your copy of the GBG, as the guide owes its freshness and appeal to a small handful of unpaid volunteers, rather than the paid staff at St Albans who claim all the credit!

As if the above reasons were not enough, the rise of electronic guides is undoubtedly responsible, more than anything else, for the demise of paper and ink ones. The ease by which virtual or e-guides can be created and distributed, knocks spots of the printed version, and the beauty of electronic guides is they can be updated, without the need for a full re-print.

CAMRA’s WhatPub has probably got the whole e-guide market sewn up now; even though the system, and the associated database, involved a massive amount of work to begin with. However, now WhatPub is up and running, it is easily updated, and is thus far more current than any printed guide – including the GBG, which is surveyed in December and January, before hitting the book shops at the back end of September. It is not uncommon therefore for pub entries to be at least six months out of date by the time it is launched.

Contrast this with WhatPub where, should I find some changes have occurred to one of our local pubs, I can fill in the new details on-line knowing the system will pass then straight to our guide webmaster, who will then update the entry for the pub concerned. Yet again electronic guides win hands down compared to printed versions.

Of course CAMRA doesn’t have a monopoly on pub guides, and other organisations, such as “Which” and the Good Pub Guide publish their own version, usually annually. Brewers, such as Greene King and Whitbread – in the past, have also published guides, but these only featured pubs tied to the company concerned.

I still miss local printed guides though, as there was something special in choosing and ordering one and then waiting for it to arrive. If it was a good guide, and most tended to be, it helped set the scene as to what the visitor could expect. Our own Gateway to Kent Guide contained features on local breweries, cider, hop-picking, brewery history and beer festivals, as well as essential tourist information such as how to reach many of the pubs using public transport, on foot or by cycling. It was also lavishly illustrated with dozens of colour photos of our most striking pubs, scenic views and other items of local interest.

Justin ended his article with a plea for guides which would complement the Good Beer Guide in its championing of real ale. The national guide is, by nature, limited for space, so a series of more local guides could point visitors to other successful pubs which stay the course, and continue to thrive and grow year on year, alongside places which are up and coming. He claimed these guides could direct visitors to the best places today, whilst serving as reference guides for the next generation of drinkers, who, might look back and wonder what all the fuss was about.

Things sometimes end up going full circle, so there may still be a possibility of local guides re-appearing sometime in the future. If they do, they will probably be in electronic form, rather than traditional pen and ink, but at least they will be there pointing people in the right direction to find that elusive combination of the perfect pint in the perfect pub!

Tonbridge Cider Festival 2016

Tonbridge Old Fire Station

As I mentioned in the previous article I popped along to Tonbridge’s Old Fire Station last Sunday afternoon, following a quick look around the Tonbridge Food & Drink Festival which was taking place in the grounds of Tonbridge Castle. To coincide with the event an enterprising group of individuals banded together to run the town’s first ever Cider & Perry Festival, and where better to hold it than Tonbridge's renovated Victorian fire station?

The festival kicked off last Thursday evening, and ran through until late on Sunday afternoon. There were around 40 different ciders and perries on sale; the majority dispensed from either “bag-in-a-box” type containers or the ubiquitous poly-casks. The event was run on similar lines to a CAMRA festival, with tokens in lieu of cash the bar, plus a rather attractive plastic tumbler, with a frosted appearance, which visitors got to keep.

Poly-casks with internal cooling

Although I am no cider buff, I do know a little about this historic old drink, but I have to say I have always been a little wary of both cider and perry. This is chiefly because of their often deceptively high alcoholic strength. Both drinks are packed full of rich mellow flavours, and because most of them are served flat, rather than sparkling, they slip down just that little bit too easily.

As I was on my bike I limited myself to just a couple of halves, but the second of these weighed in at 7% ABV, and went to my head far quicker than I realised. The ones I tried were Oliver’s Perry 5.5%; a medium-sweet perry from Herefordshire, plus the previously mentioned seven percent job - a medium-sweet cider produced by Gwynty Ddraig in Wales. The latter was served on a stall manned by the well-known gentleman who looks after the cider bar at the Tonbridge Juddian’s beer festivals. He is normally dressed the part, complete with an old farmer’s smock and a straw hat!

The extensive list of ciders and perries

He told me that him and the other organisers were pleased with the turnout at the festival, but the thinking was the majority of them were not drinking that much. Consequently, there was a fair amount of stock left, but the un-opened containers could obviously be kept back for another time. Having said that, the photo posted opposite, indicating which ciders and perries were available, does show a lot of “striking outs”, so I think they probably still sold quite a bit.

One of the main festival organisers was Phil Turner of locally-based Turners Cider. Turners is a family business based in the village of Marden, in the Kent Weald, which makes a range of craft ciders in the "Eastern counties" style. For the uninitiated this is cider made from only dessert and culinary apples, rather than the traditional “bitter-sweet” cider apples, used in traditional West Country cider-making counties, such as Devon, Somerset, Hereford and Worcester plus, of course, Wales.

The comment about people not drinking much did make me laugh though, as how many people can neck more than a few pints of 6-7% ciders and still be left standing? I bumped into three friends from CAMRA who, like myself, “just happened to be passing.” After a catch up on what had been happening, I left them to try a few more ciders and perries. They were on foot, whilst I was on two wheels and I wanted to get home in one piece!

"Bag-in-a-box" dispense

It is early days yet, but I imagine the Cider Festival will be repeated, although with perhaps a little less stock. A spokesman for the Old Fire Station,  quoted in the local press, said: “The festival just came out of a conversation we had with Phil Turner and it has turned out to be a really popular event. We’ve found that around 90 per cent of people say they are not actually cider drinkers, but this festival has proved that people do like it once they have had the chance to try it.” This bodes well for the future, although next time I will make sure I arrive and leave by shank’s pony rather than on two wheels.

Tonbridge Old Fire Station is a renovated late Victorian building which, as its name suggests, was formerly the town’s fire station. The last fire engine departed back in 1986, when the Fire & Rescue Service moved to a modern and purpose-built facility on the town’s industrial estate, and now, following extensive renovation work, the iconic building has been given a new lease of life as a multi-purpose venue which can be adapted for a range of different purposes. The philosophy behind the Old Fire Station, is to provide space for a variety of pop-up bars, restaurants and shops; thereby giving businesses which are new to the area the opportunity to trade in the town.

The Old Fire Station is tucked away in the streets behind Tonbridge’s imposing 13th Century castle. There is no website for the building, at present, but it does have its own Facebook page.