North Downs Way - a brief overview

Well after three days walking through the glorious Kent countryside enjoying, at times, some spectacular scenery, and at others unadorned rural tranquilly at its verry best, I returned last night a trifle weary and certainly a little footsore.

I was following part of the long-distance footpath which makes up the North Downs Way, through an area of East Kent where I spent part of my childhood, and somewhere I have only re-visited briefly in the intervening years. I was also able to discover places I’d previously chosen to ignore, or was unaware due either to the distractions, or just the indifference of my early and teenage years.

Apart from some annoying light drizzle, and low cloud on the second day, which unfortunately obscured what should have been some spectacular views out to sea, over the English Channel, the weather was decidedly benign and certainly showed that corner of south east England at its best.

It was hot and sunny on the first day, although thankfully a welcome breeze did help to keep temperatures down little, whilst the final day was mainly cloudy, but with a south-easterly wind blowing behind me, it did add a certain spring to my step.

I enjoyed two relaxing and very peaceful nights in a couple of strategically placed and pre-booked bed & breakfast establishments; both of which were towards the top end of the spectrum, i.e. they would have received a seal of approval from Mrs PBT’s.

To my mind they were worth every penny, as the last thing you want after a long and tiring day’s walk, is somewhere you feel uncomfortable in. (The B&B my friend and I stayed in at Winchester, ten years ago, after completing the South Downs Way, springs to mind).

I averaged just over twelve miles a day, not a vast distance for some people, but for a relatively slow walker like me, not out to break any records and certainly not a man in a hurry, this was just right. I have to say though, that whoever routed the trail up one of the longest and steepest dry valleys on the North Downs, must have been some sort of a masochist.

Coming as it did, just two miles before the end of my longest day’s walking (14 miles), meant me arriving at the first B&B a couple of hours behind my estimated arrival time. I was that knackered that I declined the landlady’s kind offer of a lift down to the local pub, as all I wanted was to get those boots off my feet, a shower and then collapse into bed.

After a solid, and unbroken sleep of eight hours – something quite rare for me, I awoke a new man and having missed out on an evening meal, certainly made short work of devouring the full English breakfast the following morning, with cereal preceding and toast following. The landlady too remarked that I looked so much better than I’d done when I rang her door bell the previous evening!

I reached my final destination of Canterbury, shortly before 4pm on the final day. I discounted any heroics I might have had for carrying on an additional four miles, which would have meant me completing the entire Canterbury loop of the NDW. That will have to wait until another day.

Instead, I sat down at a table outside the Old Buttermarket pub, in the shadow of the gate to Canterbury Cathedral, enjoying one of the best and certainly one of the most welcome pints I’ve had in a long time. I felt like a pilgrim who has reached his destination, even though three days walking would be rather lightweight for someone on a proper pilgrimage.

As for the name of that particular pint? Well, I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait until one of the following posts to find out.

Starting over on the North Downs Way

At the beginning of March 2018 I wrote of my intention to complete the North Downs Way (NDW), long distance footpath. I said at the time that it would be a "work in progress," unlike my previous long-distance walks (South Downs Way and Weald Way). Those were all completed within a set timetable, and over the course of a couple of summers.

Fifteen months on from my intention, it dawned on me that, apart from a few occasional thoughts about the walk, I’d done nothing towards building on what I’d achieved the summer before last.  This was walking a couple of sections of the NDW’s  northern “Canterbury loop,”  starting with Wye to Chartham,  in the hills above the Stour Valley and followed a couple of weeks later by the more open stretch between Shepherdswell and Dover.

I’d accomplished these walks in the company of a small group of friends, one of whom had completed the NDW from Farnham to Dover, via the more southerly route, and was now looking to complete the northerly one. My idea is to do what my friend did, but in reverse.

This will mean completing the southerly section from Wye to Dover, before moving on to the missing gaps in the loop. This entails Shepherdswell to Canterbury, and then if time, and my legs allow, the final four miles to Chartham.

Once both northerly and southern sections of the route east of the Stour Valley have been completed, I can set my sights on the long westward journey towards the finish of the trail, in the Surrey town of Farnham.

I’ve set aside three days for the walk, with a couple of overnight Bed & Breakfast stops on the way. I’ve been promising myself a some time away from work, after what seems like a manic start to the year; a year which is already more than halfway spent. In addition, apart from a few weekend mini-breaks away, with Mrs PBT’s, I haven’t had a holiday. (Those business trips to Germany and China, don’t count!)

I’ll also be walking alone as I’m craving a bit of solitude. Although it’s nice to have company, walking on my own means I can go at my own pace without trying to keep up with someone. I’m not the fastest walker in the world, as some of my CAMRA friends will tell you, and I dislike feeling that I’m holding them back when we walk as a group.

The first day looks like the hardest, as it’s a 14 mile stretch from Wye rail station to my B&B in the hills above Folkestone. It’s then only eight miles to Dover on the following day; the uneven distances being entirely due to the lack of available overnight accommodation at the halfway point.

I’ll then take the train from Dover to Shepherdswell, for my second overnight stop, before continuing towards Canterbury on the last day of the walk. If, as I said before,  I feel up to it, I'll continue on to  Chartham Hatch, where my friends and I finished up almost exactly two years ago.

So that’s the plan, and now with rucksack packed as light as possible, and boots ready by the front door, it’s off to bed for an early night, and an equally early start in the morning.

Sambrook's find a new home

I was somewhat taken aback to read that south London independent brewers Sambrook’s, are upping sticks and moving to a new site in the heart of Wandsworth. Their new home will be in the “Ram Quarter, ” a mixed-use development centred on the old Young’s Brewery, which closed in 2006.

Sambrook’s new brewery will be set within the restored Grade-II listed brewery buildings which were once home to the much-loved, and greatly missed, Young & Co. Alongside their new brewery, Sambrook’s will operate a tap room, with outdoor seating, set around the Ram Quarter’s central square. There will also be  a visitors’ centre housing a brewery museum, showcasing the history of brewing in London.

The new facility will be opening in Spring 2020, after which Sambrook’s current site in Battersea will close. The company has operated there since it was founded  in August 2008.  There have been lots of changes in the London brewing scene since then, but Sambrook’s has remained at its heart, and is now the second oldest independent brewer in London.  

Duncan Sambrook, founder and managing director of the company, said: “Our move to the Ram Quarter feels like a homecoming. Wandsworth has had a rich brewing heritage and we’re excited to be able to continue this and secure the future of Sambrook’s brewery. It’s a fantastic location for us to expand our retail offering and is just metres from the River Wandle after which our most famous beer takes its name.”

Sambrook’s first beer was the award winning, Wandle Ale, and since its launch the company has expanded to brew a well-regarded range of British inspired cask and keg beers, which are distributed throughout London.

Returning to the Wandsworth site, brewing has been taking place there  since at least 1533. Famously the site was home to Young’s until 2006. During redevelopment the Ram’s brewing legacy was preserved by former Young’s master brewer, John Hatch, who maintains a nano-brewery at the site. The relocation of Sambrook’s will re-launch the commercial brewing from the site and continue its brewing heritage.

I mentioned at the beginning of the post that I was surprised, about this recent, and most welcome development, and that surprise is centred around Young’s decision to leave their home at the Ram Brewery in the first place.

It’s water under the bridge now, and whilst like many others I was shocked when Young’s announced they were leaving Wandsworth, with hindsight this was not such a surprise, after all. Two years prior to the closure decision, Young’s had announced a “Review of the options for Ram Brewery,” and given the size and central location of the Wandsworth site, the move was perhaps inevitable.

Wandsworth was a boom area for property developers, and selling up no doubt made millions for Young’s and its shareholders. The company’s colourful former chairman, John Young, was not a well man by time the move was announced, but whether he could have prevented the deal is open to speculation.

John Young sadly died, just six weeks after contracts were exchanged on the Ram Brewery, but earlier in his career he won fame for his stubborn refusal to stock keg beer in Young's pubs, keeping faith with traditional draught ale. This was back in the mid-1960s, when all the major brewers were converting their pubs to keg beer.

The Ram Brewery officially closed at the end of business, on Monday, 25 September 2006. At the time of its closure it was a mix of ancient and ultra-modern plant, including a steam engine which had been installed in 1835 and had been in regular use until the 1980s. I visited the brewery during the early part of that decade and would agree with the assessment above.

The brewery was famously home to a dozen working draught shire horses, which were used for local deliveries of beer to locations within a mile or two of the brewery. There were other animals as well, including a ram - the brewery mascot, plus a number of geese.

The Greenland Group, who are the current owners of  the site, are now working on their  £600m master-plan to transform the historic 4.5-acre Ram Brewery site, in a development that brings together a mixture of retail and residential properties.

A spokesman for  Greenland said,  “We have always recognised the importance of Ram’s brewing legacy, and safeguarding its heritage has been crucial to our development plans. We’re proud to be keeping Wandsworth’s beer tradition alive, while creating an exciting new destination, in partnership with a local business.”

So watch this space. In the meantime let's offer congratulations and best wishes to Sambrook’s on their expansion plans, and look forward to seeing the new development on the banks of the Wandle.

Too much going on?

Like most summer weekends it’s been a busy one, with lots happening on the domestic front and even more in the outside world.  Summer is prime time for village fetes, agricultural shows, carnivals, outdoor festivals and of course outdoor drinking.

There was a fair bit of that taking place, but I’ll just concentrate on two events that I was aware of; one I managed to attend, and the other I didn’t, even though I would have liked to.

The first event was a summer party that the Bailey family were invited to. My good lady wife looks after the accounts for a number of local building firms, and the largest of these companies lays on a summer party for all its employees, and their spouses. This is instead of the more traditional Christmas party/dinner, which most firms hold for their workers.

I think I’m right in thinking that Saturday night’s party was the fourth such event, and this time, as son Matthew had been invited along as well, we had the benefit of a chauffeur!

The venue for the party, once again, was the Carpenters Arms, at Three Elm Lane, just off the Hadlow Road in a rural setting on the northern fringe of Tonbridge. It’s a pub I don’t visit that often, even though it is just a short hop from the nearest bus route, but each time I do the place seems to have improved from the time before.

Saturday was no exception, and as well as an extended and improved terrace area at the front of the pub, there were four cask ales awaiting our approval on the bar; three of them local. I gave the two brown beers, Doom Bar and the Larkin’s Traditional a miss, opting instead for the paler duo of Cellar Head Summer Pale 3.7% and Gun Brewery Extra Pale 3.9%.

I had two pints of each. Both were good, but the Cellar Head came in as the winner, scoring 3.5 NBSS, with the Gun Brewery offering not far behind at 3.0 NBSS. There was plenty in the way of solid nourishment too, with home-baked sausage rolls, mini-burgers, pork pie, quiche (one of the smoothest and creamiest I have tasted), door-step sandwiches plus, scotch eggs to die for – warm and with the rich yellow yolks just slightly off from runny.

One thing missing from the buffet this year was the salad. Mrs PBT’s told me that being a bunch of “salad dodgers” the various tradesmen had specifically requested that "rabbit food" be left off the menu. A minor grouse from me, as whilst I am not the world’s greatest carrot cruncher, I do find that a little bit of greenery goes well with buffet food of this nature, and I anything helps complements it.

Being with a bunch of builders and other tradesmen, the banter and the jokes were flowing, but it was all good humoured and certainly wasn’t offensive. All in all it was an excellent evening, and if an abject lesson in keeping your workforce happy was needed, then this was it.

As I said earlier, there have been a number of improvements at the Carpenter’s, including the provision of  overnight accommodation. At the rear of the well-laid out garden, there are a number of  small gazebos which can be hired in advance, for small groups. Mrs PBT’s will be checking them out this coming Friday, when she meets up with a number of old friends from her ante-natal group, so I shall be expecting a full report.

The second event which, as I was unable to attend,  I’ll mention only briefly, was the Greyhound at Charcott, celebrating its second anniversary under the careful stewardship of Richard and Fran Gilliat-Smith.

The couple rescued the pub, which had been closed by its previous owners, Enterprise Inns, and earmarked for conversion to a private dwelling. They then spent three months carrying out an extensive and sympathetic refurbishment which transformed the Greyhound into the lovely little country pub it is today.

This second weekend in July marks two years since the newly restored pub opened its doors to the paying public, and Richard and Fran had a big party planned in order to celebrate.  Amongst the events planned was a mini-beer festival, a barbecue, plus live music. Several of my CAMRA friends and colleagues were heading over there on Sunday afternoon, to present a certificate and to join in the celebrations.

Regrettably I had too much to do at home. I am going away for a few days, later in the week – nowhere exotic, and nowhere which involves hopping on a plane. I won’t even be leaving the county, but all will be revealed in the next few days.

Aware that I might miss the Greyhound’s birthday celebrations, I popped in for a quick one last Friday lunchtime. Richard and Fran were away at a wedding, so I wasn’t able to congratulate them in person, but the pub was busy with lunchtime drinkers and diners. I recognised a couple of the drinkers, as they are local folk, so I joined them for a quick chat over a very enjoyable pint of Larkin’s Traditional.

They are justifiably proud of their "born-again" local, and were looking forward to sharing its success with people from further afield. As I’m sure I’ve said many times previously, I think it’s brilliant that the Greyhound has been saved from extinction, and in the right hands, is now thriving and doing what a pub should be doing – namely offering good food and drink, backed up by a warm and friendly welcome, to an appreciative mix of regulars and visitors alike.

Meet up at the Hidden Seller

The Beer Seller in Tonbridge, which as been open for over half a year now, continues to go from strength to strength, with two more strings recently added to the pub’s bow.

I last called in shortly after my return from China, just over a month ago, but since then I’ve noticed from the pub’s website that an off-licence section has been opened, along with a couple of meeting/function rooms.

I had the opportunity to see the latter for myself on Monday evening, as my local CAMRA branch had booked a room for their July business meeting. These are bi-monthly events, ie they take place every two months, and rotate between the three principal towns in the area (Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Tunbridge Wells).

The off-licence, which is called the Hidden Seller, is on the first floor of the building, above the bar area, and is housed in the smaller of the two meeting rooms. It offers a range of interesting beers, wines and spirits, sourced from local and artisan producers. 

The items for sale are hanging from the wall, secured by the type of security tags used in supermarkets. Customers are requested to write down their purchases, on one of the thoughtfully provided slips of paper, and present it to the bar staff downstairs. They will then collect the items and bring them ready for payment.

The beers include: East London Brewery, Burning Sky Brewery, Siren, Lost & Grounded, Nirvana and Hawkes, whilst the wines, which are mainly local, include such luminaries as Chapel Down, Bolney Estate,  Sedlescombe, Kingscote and Nyetimber.  A range of spirits is also stocked, but I won’t bother listing these. If you’re really interested, you can check the details on the Beer Seller’s website.

Our CAMRA business meeting kicked off in the off-licence section, and it was rather a squeeze fitting 14 of us around the high, central “posing table,” but when we adjourned for a beer break, we discovered that the much larger function room was free, and that we were welcome to use that instead.

The room is situated at the front of the building, again on the first floor, and overlooks Tonbridge High Street. It is quite plainly decorated (not sure about those “wallpaper books”), with exposed brick fireplaces at either end of the room, and some wood panelling along the bottom half of the walls. It was just right for our meeting, although possibly slightly too alright, as the proceedings dragged on rather longer than they should have done.

A discussion about how many Good Beer Guide places the branch has been allocated, compared to the rest of the county, led to me seriously questioning whether I ever again wish to attend another such meeting. Getting bogged down in trivia like this demonstrates quite clearly that CAMRA has lost the plot. I was very tempted to walk out at one stage, and when the meeting finally ended, my remark “That’s two hours of my irreplaceable life I’ll never get back,”  was acknowledged with a wry grin by the member sitting next to me.

Fortunately the beer range and quality made up for having to endure such waffle, and pride of place must go to the two offerings from Maidstone brewer, Goacher’s. Both the Best Dark and the Gold Star were on top form, scoring a worthy 3.5 NBSS apiece. The other beer sampled came from Northdown Brewery, a recent, part crowd-funded start-up, based in Margate. Their He-Bru IPA wasn’t quite as enjoyable, but it still came in with a solid 2.5 NBSS. 

Three pints was enough for me, especially on a Monday night, and whilst some members adjourned to Spoon’s – why, for heaven’s sake? a handful of us remained at the Beer Seller. The manager was obviously pleased we’d chosen his pub, and reckoned his takings were about three times more than they’d normally be for a Monday. 

Having a function room available, for organisations like us, seems like a wise move, as places where such groups can hold meetings, without disturbance to themselves or to other pub users, are few and far between. Although next time my local CAMRA branch book the place, I think I’ll forgo the meeting, and stay downstairs in the bar!

SIBA South East Beer Festival 2019 - Overview

It’s well worth reporting that the weekend’s 13^th SIBA South East Beer Festival was a most enjoyable event, and looking at the numbers of people present, especially on Saturday afternoon, I would say it was a successful festival as well.

My son and I popped down on Friday evening, where we met up with a few local CAMRA members. With a list of nearly 180 beers, there were plenty to chose from, so I made a conscious decision to stick with the dark beers (porters and stouts), for the Friday session, leaving the paler, lighter and more refreshing beers for the longer daytime session the following day.

This seemed a wise move in view of the forecast and one which was vindicated by the hot and sunny conditions which prevailed on Saturday. The latter session was also a family affair, with wife and son, wife’s niece, niece’s partner, plus assorted friends in attendance. We found ourselves a suitable spot out on the grass, close enough to the beer tent, without being bothered by too many people coming and going to re-charge their glasses.

There were plenty of other family or other social groups sitting out as well; many like us with foldable picnic chairs, blankets and picnic food to match. For those less well-prepared, there was a barbecues stand, offering burgers, hot dogs and pulled-pork baps. All in all, it was a gloriously warm and fine English summer day.

Whilst coming out of the tent, after re-filling my glass with beer, I heard the unmistakable roar of a WWII Spitfire overhead. The aircraft made several passes over the sports-ground, flying really low on the final one, before heading off to “buzz” someone else’s event. I presume it was planned, but it was a nice touch to the afternoon.

The crowds had seemed a little sparse to begin with; they were certainly quite thin on Friday evening, but by mid-afternoon there was quite a queue for glasses and tokens, and people were one or two deep at the bar.

We left just after 6pm, with one or two members of our party somewhat over-roasted. Mrs PBT’s had, as always, come prepared, but a few individuals foolishly declined my wife’s offer of Factor 30, to protect themselves from the fierceness of the sun's rays. I’m glad to say I wasn’t one of them, so was in the “smug zone” this morning.

Once again this had been an excellent festival, made more enjoyable by the company of family and friends. There were some good beers as well, plus the odd dud one. 

The ones which really stood out were: Bedlam Porter, Brumaison 1770 London Porter and Three Sods Brewery Dark Magus Milk Stout for the dark beers. The pale ones which really shone were: Bishop’s Gold and Stoke – both from Steam Town Brew Co, Reunion Ales Talwar, plus Maharajah from West Berkshire Brewery.

Look them up and see what you think, and also keep an eye out for the judges results from the competition that took place, earlier on Friday. The results aren’t on the SIBA website yet, but I expect they will be soon. They were printed out and placed on the bar at the festival, but not being a fan of such contests I wasn’t bothered one way or the other about who won.

I do know though that, like at GBBF, the cask which came out as overall winner, ran out quite quickly on Friday evening, which does demonstrate the power and kudos, that winning such awards, brings to the breweries concerned.

13th SIBA South East Beer Festival

This coming weekend sees the return of the SIBA South East Beer Festival which, once again will be hosted by Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Club (TJs). The festival seems to grow larger every year, with the 2019 event marking the 13^th in the series. The festival will feature around 180 cask ales, selected from some of the South East’s finest independent brewers.

There will also be an even wider range of traditional Ciders & Perrys; drinks which seem increasingly popular. Soft drinks and food will be available at all sessions, with a popular barbecue area as usual.

Apart from my own CAMRA branch festival, which doesn’t take place until October, the SIBA/Juddians event will probably be the only beer festival I will attend this year; certainly in this country. I have written before about “Festival Fatigue,” so I don’t intend why I have gone off beer festivals, but I always make an exception for the SIBA event.

For me, the best aspect of the festival has always been its family nature, with the  large marquee, where the beers are kept and served from, opening out onto part of the playing area, giving plenty of room for people to sit out and soak up the sun, along with the beer. To me there’s nothing finer than sitting out in the fresh air, whilst enjoying a few beers in the presence of friends or family

The other big plus about the event is I can walk there, and can take the family along as well. The local nature of the festival also means I am bound to meet up with quite a few other people I know, and it’s always good to catch up with them.

TJ’s Rugby Club is located in the centre of Tonbridge, close to the town's 12th Century castle, just off the High Street and is a 10-15 minute walk from the railway station. The Festival is held in a spacious marquee on the rugby club pitches, with all of the clubhouse facilities available to festival goers. Opening times are as follows:

Friday 5^th July 17:00 to 23:00.  Saturday 6^th July 12:00 to 23:00

As usual, entry is FREE with all beers purchased using tokens (1/2 pint tokens at £1.80 each). All beers & ciders are sold at the one price of £3.60 per pint, which keeps things a lot easier for the bar-staff. I wish my own branch would follow suit with at their joint festival with the Spa Valley Railway!

There will be live music on  the Saturday, when the “Music Lounge” will be filled with the sounds of the Acoustic Reverb Collection, aimed at introducing some of the finest, local young musicians to a wider audience.

All 180 + cask ales are entries in the SIBA South East Region Competition. The tasting and judging of these beers takes place during the day, on Friday, and I know several people who volunteer as judges each year.

This is a little too serious for me, as I prefer to drink and enjoy my beer, rather than analyse it, but it is obviously good for the brewing industry and for SIBA, that these types of competition take place. Once the judging has finished and the winners announced, the festival is turned over to the rugby club, and the paying public are admitted.

The SIBA Beer Festival has now become firmly fixed in the Tonbridge social calendar, and is well-supported by the townsfolk and people from further afield. If time permits, I will produce a brief synopsis of the event, after it has happened.