Two glorious days on the North Downs Way

With the days rapidly becoming shorter, and the clocks due to change at the end of the month, I thought it high time to get a couple more sections of the North Downs Way under my belt. In addition to shorter days, there was the ever-present chance that the weather would turn and, more importantly, the even greater danger that our hapless government would inflict even more misery upon an already beleaguered hospitality sector.

So, what better way to show support for our pubs and hotels, than to combine a couple of days walking, with an overnight stay at a fine old inn, with a few pints to be enjoyed along the way? I therefore treated myself to a couple of much needed days off from work and made my plans accordingly.

Until this afternoon, there was a glaring gap in my east-west progress along the NDW, that missing piece being the section between the village of Wye on the River Stour, and Blue Bell Hill – overlooking the Medway gap. I’d worked out that covering this gap would require three days walking, although I accept that faster walkers than me could probably complete the 27-mile section in two days.

That’s fine, I don’t do rushing at my age, preferring to take my time and enjoy both the walk and the scenery. And that is exactly what happened this Thursday and Friday, when I walked from Charing in East Kent to Kits Coty, just below Blue Bell Hill, in mid-Kent. I was lucky with the weather, with some glorious sunshine the first day, and although today (Friday) was rather overcast, the rain held off, allowing me to experience some of Kent’s finest scenery, at close hand.

With only two days at my disposal, it made sense to cover as much ground as possible, but I was also slightly hamstrung by the availability of suitable overnight accommodation and, more importantly its proximity to the NDW. There is little point in having to deviate from the trail by anything more than a couple of miles, as otherwise one is adding additional miles that could have been spent on the NDW itself.

I therefore chose the excellent Black Horse Inn at Thurnham as my overnight stop, even though the village of Hollingbourne, which is

equidistant between my start and finishing points, would have made more sense. As things turned out, a 13 mile stretch on the first day and then an eight mile hike on the second, was the right ways round to be doing things, and in addition, my stay at the Black Horse gave me just the break I was looking for, from the madness which is gripping the world today.

So with plenty to write about, and even more photos with which to whet your appetite, I’ll sign of now, finish my unpacking and jump under that shower before Mrs PBT’s confirms I smell like a pole cat, and that I’m sleeping in the summerhouse tonight!

Farmers market

After a visit to the opticians for a long overdue eye test on Sunday morning, I took a walk around Tonbridge Farmers Market. I’d expected to be in Specsavers for a lot longer, but after having been thoroughly confuses by the numerous options available – bifocals, varifocals or just long distance and reading glasses, I decided  to mull over the various choices first, and then make a subsequent appointment, where I can choose the frames, be fitted and then stump up the readies for whatever combination I decide to go for.

My indecision, however prudent, scuppered my plan for a return Sunday lunchtime visit to Fuggles, as even after walking around the farmers market and enjoying an excellent flat white coffee, there was still 30 minutes to wait before opening time.

I decided to head for home. There were a few jobs to finish off in the garden, and with the sun shining it seemed the ideal opportunity to crack on and get these outstanding tasks out of the way. I ended up spending the whole afternoon outside, and I must admit I really enjoyed being out in the fresh air, with the sun on my face and the wind in my hair.

Returning to the Famers Market for a moment, I’m pleased to report that trade appeared good, no doubt encouraged by the fine sunny weather. The market takes place on the second Sunday of each month, and after a hiatus due to the pandemic lockdown, reopened for business in June.

It was some time since I last paid a visit to the market, but several of the stalls seemed familiar. The Knife Ninja van was there; a service I have used on a couple of occasions to sharpen knives and a log-splitting axe. There was a different cider vendor there though, and I also noted the absence of the Hepworth’s Brewery van – source of bottles of  Hepworth's tasty and satisfying Old Ale in the run-up to Christmas, but there were still sufficient stalls to cater for most tastes.

There was also a good mix of browsers and buyers and, seeing as the market had been open since 9.30am, plenty of people about in general.  It did seem strange though to see most of them masked up – not that there’s any requirement to do so in the open air. I bought some veg, to add to the stew that Mrs PBT’s would be preparing that afternoon, before treating myself to the aforementioned and very satisfying flat white.

I retreated to a bench, overlooking the river to drink it, whilst musing on the fact that the Farmers Market has long surpassed the weekly general market, both in size and what it has to offer. This is in sharp contrast to the situation that existed when I first came to live in Tonbridge, 35 years ago.

Back then the town boasted a thriving Saturday market, which was an important feature locally, drawing in shoppers from both Tonbridge and the surrounding villages. The market was held on a compact site, just off Castle Street, in the centre of the old town, which had formerly hosted Tonbridge Cattle Market. In common with many neighbouring towns, the sale of livestock had long ceased by the time I moved to the area, closing in fact in 1971.

Despite the rather cramped site, the Saturday Market was a bustling and thriving place, packed each week with crowds eager for a bargain, and people keen to take advantage of the wide variety of different stalls. The site remained in the ownership of the Tonbridge Stock and Cattle Market Company until the first decade of the 21^st Century, when it was sold to developers Crest Nicholson who turned it into an area of mixed housing.

This left the Saturday Market looking for a new home, and it ended up leasing the drab and rather depressing station car park, adjacent to the rail tracks, in Vale Road.  Its uninspiring, wind-swept location did little to attract visitors, and the market began a long and painful decline. Today it is hanging on by its teeth, with just a handful of stalls, none of which appeal to me or, it seems, many local shoppers either.

It is for this reason that I am both pleased, and relieved, to see the Sunday Farmers Market continuing to thrive. I fully intend to support this venture, whenever I can, especially as one of the good things that has come out of lockdown is the renewed interest, and indeed renaissance in local businesses, plus locally sourced and grown products.

Green hop beers and the "Rule of Six"

Last Wednesday, I enjoyed an evening drink in a pub, for the first time since 6^th March, and that memorable Proper Day Out in Burton-on-Trent. I’ve obviously been in quite a few pubs since they were allowed to reopen, but all those visits have been either at lunchtime, or late afternoon, so my trip to the Nelson Arms represented my first evening trip in over six months.

The occasion was a friend’s birthday, and I was one of the five other friends who turned up. The table was booked in advance, and the invitations circulated amongst a select group of drinkers, drawn largely from our weekend walking WhatsApp group.

Landlord Matt had reserved us a table at the far end of the former public bar area of the pub, but with only a handful of other customers, the reservation might not strictly have been necessary. Still the “Rule of Six” states a maximum of six people in any one group, so being upstanding and compliant citizens, we were pleased to do our bit to keep the “R” rate down, even though it is still very low in this part of the country.

There were two other attractions at the Nelson that evening, apart from the opportunity of catching up with friends. The first was the range of “Green Hop” beers that Matt had got in, whilst the second was the pub’s own extension of the “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme. So, with some novel beers to try, and 50% off the food, what was not to like?

Several of the party were already seated when I arrived, so after a quick dollop of hand sanitiser, I was shown to the reserved table to join the rest of the company.  As is often the case these days, I didn’t get a chance to see what was on the pumps, but fortunately the beer selection was displayed on a printed menu left on the table.

Being a fan of Old Dairy beers, I opted for their Green Hop Challenger 4.0% abv. It was a pleasant, pale coloured beer with a slightly spicy aroma.  I didn’t get much in the way of hops though, and the same lack of humulus lupulus was evident in the second beer of the evening. North Down Green Hop 2020 is brewed using a Belgian yeast strain, so that rather distinctive taste that is characteristic of beers from that Lowland country, dominated the beer completely overpowering the hop content; green or otherwise.

Despite this, the beer went well with the Goan Beef Curry I ordered for my main (and only) course. The meal choices amongst the six of us, were split 4:2 between chilli con carné and the beef curry, so spice and heat were certainly the order of the day. My third and final beer of the evening – don’t forget, 10pm is chucking out time, was Wibbler’s Crafty Stoat, a fine 5.3% abv stout, based on an old brewery recipe from 1885.  As far as I know, this stout wasn’t a Green Hop beer either, but it was by far the best beer of the evening.

Before the evening drew to a close, Matt brought out a complimentary selection of cheeses, in honour of our friend’s birthday. There was also a small glass of port each, which regrettably I had to pass on. With an important audit at work the following morning, I needed to keep a clear head, so much as I enjoy this after diner drink, it would not have been a good idea on top of the beer.

The promotion of Green Hop beers at the Nelson, is being run in conjunction with the Beer Seller, in Tonbridge High Street, so there’s plenty of opportunity over the next few weeks, to find some not only to my taste, but some that actually contain hops – green or otherwise! The whole green hop thing seems rather low key this year. Perhaps not surprising, given the current situation, but also disappointing as what had become an annul trip to Canterbury, to enjoy the Green Hop beers showcased at the city’s Food & Drink Festival, didn’t take place.

This brings me onto the topic which still seems on every newspaper and TV news editor’s mind; that pesky Corona virus. They don’t appear to have got the message that most of us are fed up to the back teeth with “R” rates, contact tracing and number of infections per 100,0000, but like spoiled brats pleased that their self-fulfilling prophesy appears to be coming true, the media seem determined to keep Corona at the top of their agenda.

The dreaded Covid, did crop up from time to time during the evening’s conversation., but with two well-qualified scientists amongst out number, it was a sensible and rational discussion that ensued. Various clipping from “Private Eye” were also circulated amongst us, poking fun at the government’s mishandling of the situation and the absurdity of some of the new rules and regulations.

The one that puzzles me the most is boy Hancock’s “Rule of Six.” There were six of seated around the table last Wednesday evening, which is in full compliance of Hancock’s most recent edict, which is fine until you consider that all six of us were from separate households. I was sat close to two of my friends, and definitely not two metres away. In addition, I was directly facing the two people sat opposite me.  

So how does this work when I’m expected to maintain a social distance from my work colleagues, even though I am in contact with them five days a week, but can get up close to friends who I see far less often? I’m quite relaxed about the whole thing, but don’t Johnson, Hancock, Shitty Whitty and the rest of the control freaks who seem determined to inflict yet more misery on our lives, see the absurdity of the whole thing?

We left the pub just before the now statutory 10pm closing time, because that’s when the Corona virus comes out to play. Despite the madness that has afflicted government and large swathes of the general population, it was good to catch up with old friends, and spend it in the company of those who haven’t lost their marbles and whose conversation is interesting, thoughtful and at times highly amusing.

 

Partizan at Fuggles

After my “virtuous” start to the weekend, I was itching to get out of the house on Sunday. Fortunately, I’d finished my planned outdoor work the day before, but with the seemingly incessant rain falling outside, chances of escape seemed minimal.

The weather did show slight signs of clearing, shortly after midday, so I finished what I was doing computer-wise, sorted out some suitable outdoor gear, and announced to Mrs PBT’s that I was going for a wander down into Tonbridge.

She knew what I had in mind – how could she not after being married to me for 35 years, so her passing shots were don’t forget your hand gel or your mask! I was, of course, making my way to a house of refreshment, although I also had a few items of shopping to pick up – bottles of Fuller’s London Porter, on offer at Waitrose.

I took an umbrella with me, but there was insufficient rain to warrant putting it up. Instead my raincoat did a good job of keeping me dry. I called in briefly at son Matthew’s shop, just to say hello and check what time he was finishing at. Trade had been slack, hardly surprising given the weather and I reflected on this as I made my way up the High Street.

Fuggles Beer Café was my destination in what would be my first visit since before lock-down. According to their website, Fuggles encourages visitors to book in advance, although they will accept “walk-ins” if there is sufficient space available. At one o’clock on a wet Sunday afternoon, there was ample space available, as I noticed whilst queuing at the designated spot at the side of the bar.

I was shown to a vacant table with a good view of the bar – important for those who like to know what they are drinking. I needn’t have worried though, as there was a printed beer and snacks menu thoughtfully placed on every table, along with a bottle of hand sanitiser.

When the friendly young barman strolled over to take my details, and beer order, I apologised for not having downloaded the pub app, or indeed any track and trace app. “No problem,” the man said, and took a note of my name and contact details manually. As for the beer, I went for something a little different.

Partizan Porter took my fancy, keg, but who cares? Now I am no longer a CAMRA member and constrained by feeling obliged to choose cask over everything else, I can no drink what ever I like, and I have to say that this 5.4% abv porter was a real treat. Smooth and dry with coffee and milk chocolate notes (according to the blurb), this fine example of a traditional London porter slipped down a treat.

In my experience, darker beers are far less affected by the kegging process than the paler ones, and I really enjoyed this one. I’d have scored it at 4.5 NBSS if it had been allowed under CAMRA’s rules, which shows how increasingly blurred the distinction between cask and keg has become.

There was a nice and relaxed atmosphere in Fuggles that afternoon; the pub wasn’t particularly full, and there were still several unoccupied tables, but there was enough social interaction and the resultant hum of voices to generate that familiar background pub sound.  

As I said, this was my first visit to Fuggles since before lockdown. Neither of the company’s two outlets re-opened on 4^th July, as owner Alex Greig wanted to see first how other pubs and bars fared under the new regime. He also wanted to ensure that the correct modifications and procedures were all in place, before opening Fuggles back up to drinkers.

As things turns out, the Tonbridge Fuggles opened before its sister outlet in Tunbridge Wells, and now, having been in and seen for myself exactly what measure have been put in place, I have to say I am impressed. The staff were all very pleasant and seemed well drilled in what was necessary to provide a safe, but still welcoming environment. 

 I witnessed tables being cleared and sanitised as customers departed and I noticed the handrail to the stairs, leading down to the toilets, was also wiped with sanitiser at regular intervals. It is this sort of attention to detail that I found commendable and it is the sort of thing needed to persuade nervous people like Mrs PBT’s, that it is safe to return to the pubs – or some pubs, at least.

So, despite a rather brief visit, it was a very pleasant one, which for me, was the ideal way to spend 40 minutes or so on a wet Sunday afternoon. Despite being tempted to have another, one pint of a 5.4% beer was enough, and switching to an alternative might well have left me with something not quite as enjoyable as that Partizan Porter.  

As the nights start drawing in, and the weather becomes less conducive to outdoor work,  I may well find myself making the odd Sunday afternoon trip in Fuggles direction.

 

A beer for sharing?

A beer for sharing, according to the label, and with an abv of 8.0%, and a bottle size of 750ml, that’s wise advice. A wine sized bottle of strong beer probably shouldn’t be drank alone; at least not in one session. I can’t even remember where I picked this one up, although I’m guessing either Tesco or Waitrose, but Birra Moretti Grani Antichi, obviously caught my interest, and was probably on special offer.

Grani Antichi is a full bodied, amber-coloured beer with a rich malty base. Because of its strength, the alcohol comes across in the taste, and whilst not dominating the underlying toffee-maltiness, is an ever-present factor in the make up of the beer. My Italian isn’t up to much, but even without Google Translate, “Birra ad alta fermentazione,” indicates to me that this is a "top-fermented," ale-style beer. It certainly tastes like one!

So, with its rich maltiness and high alcoholic strength, this is definitely a sharing beer, which is why with only me drinking it, I re-capped the bottle after consuming roughly half the contents and enjoyed the beer over a two-day period. If anything, the beer tasted better on the second day, possibly because it had been exposed to oxygen in the air for 24 hours. It works with wine, so why not beer?

Birra Moretti started out as a family-owned Italian brewery but are now part of the multi-national Heineken group. Birra Moretti is an instantly recognisable brand of course, thanks to the image of the moustached man in the hat, enjoying a tankard of the company's beer. The main brand, Birra Moretti – L’Autentica 4.6%.  has been available in Britain for some time and is still brewed to the recipe that was created by founder, Luigi Moretti.

It is a smooth, full bodied beer, brewed with a blend of high-quality hops, to create a satisfying beer with a full malt base, balanced by some delicate citrus notes. In short, it is an easy-drinking, light-lager style, “quaffing beer”, and one which I am not at all averse to enjoying from time to time.

Until quite recently, Italy was not known as a beer drinking nation, mainly because the country produces some excellent wines, which Italians tend to prefer to beer. Prior to the advent of the now flourishing “craft beer” scene, Italian beer was almost exclusively of the light lager type.

A few years ago, a couple of beers inspired by the culinary traditions of Italy’s many regions found their way into the UK market. I tried two of them, Alla Toscana 5.5%. and Alla Siciliana 5.8%, from Tuscany and Sicily of course. They were pleasant enough beers, and I reviewed them here, but as I said at the time, with no real tradition of beer brewing, particularly in southern Italy, these “regional” Moretti beers were all contrived.

Nevertheless, they represented an attempt to move away from the easy-drinking, light-lager style normally associated with the country. As for Birra Moretti Grani Antichi, I am not sure of its provenance, its background or the marketing behind it, especially here in the UK.

I sometimes enjoy a small glass of old ale or barley wine, particularly during spells of cold weather, but a beer of this strength, served up in a wine-size bottle, just didn’t seem right. There is nothing wrong with the formulation of this beer, or the way it has been brewed, but If truth be known, I found it far too strong, cloying in taste and lacking the refreshing qualities normally associated with beer, although there might be others who will rave over it.

 

Feeling virtuous

I’m feeling quite virtuous although I’m not entirely sure I should. However, there are times when, after having completed a task that’s been outstanding for a long while, or you’ve accomplished something and are feeling pretty pleased about it, there is nothing wrong with feeling a bit smug.

Mrs PBT’s and I had a long lie in on Saturday morning. We both felt we deserved it, and I certainly needed it, as I haven’t been sleeping too good of late. Something to do with having a few conflicting issues to resolve at work, including covering for a much-missed colleague who felt he had to move on to pastures new.

On Friday night though, I slept like the proverbial log and after surfacing mid-morning we both enjoyed a late breakfast of French toast. Later on, we drove over to the large Tesco superstore at Riverhead, just to the north of Sevenoaks to do some shopping. The store was busier than we would have liked, but with shoppers and store workers all masked up, neither of us felt uncomfortable – apart from having to wear the wretched face coverings, that is.

The virtuous stuff started when we arrive back home, although I’d put the wheels in motion for some of it, a week or so earlier. I’ve always been reluctant to switch energy supplier, especially given the fact that whilst you might get a better deal initially, what happens in subsequent years? Do you need to switch again and again, as all this chopping and changing is not only a faff, it’s also rather time consuming.

This was where the heavily promoted “Look after my Bills” website, came to the rescue. First floated on TV's “Dragons’ Den,” the idea had universal support from all the entrepreneurial “Dragons” that make up the team. This was something of a first, and with my interest sparked I bit the bullet and took the plunge.

The whole process was relatively straight forward, and apart from submitting a couple of meter readings, along with details of current energy suppliers, I am now signed up with a supplier that is offering me dual gas and electricity supply, with a monthly saving of £30. “Look after my Bills” will follow the same process next year, in order to find me the best deal on my energy supplies.

Feeling on a role, I proceeded with a quote received a month or so ago, which will save me £20 a month on home insurance (building and contents), so whilst more time consuming than the energy switch, it was still worth the time I’d put in. With retirement getting closer by the month, every little helps, and £50 a month is not to be sniffed at!

Back to the home front. Last week I dug over approximately two-thirds of our cottage garden wildflower area. It wasn’t the riot of colour we were treated to last year, in fact Mrs PBT’s believes she was sold a pup. Unable, due to lockdown, to access B&M, the source of last year’s wildflower seeds, she bought a rather expensive variety pack online.  Even though I’m sorely tempted, I won’t name the company for legal reasons, but when the pack arrived, I should have smelt a rat.

Now I’m no horticulturalist, but I do know that the genus Festuca denotes different types of grasses, and whilst the pack claimed to contain 19 other plant species, what eventually popped up was largely a mix of grasses, plus some unattractive, tall and spiky plants; "weeds," for want of a better description! There was no sign of the poppies, white campion or even the clovers listed on the pack.

Whether this was due to poor germination – April and May were exceptionally dry if you remember, or just poor harvesting on the part of the seed supplier is unknown, but the company responsible landed us with nothing more than a large and rather unattractive patch of weeds.

They’re all gone now, dug up and dumped in our garden waste bin, awaiting collection by the local authority where they’ll be turned into compost but, after heavy overnight rain, yesterday afternoon’s digging was considerably harder than the previous week’s, and I’m certainly feeling it afterwards.

The main thing is the task is complete and the weather is now doing its worst. This brings me on to the internet and other online tasks I went through yesterday evening. The first of these was to review my Blog List, which details all the many blogs I follow.

The list has steadily evolved over the years, but I review it every so often, to prevent it from becoming too large and cumbersome. It has grown, because I regularly add new blogs which catch my eye and spark my interest. Nearly all are beer related, although the list also includes a gardening/drinking blog, plus one dedicated to walking (another interest of mine).

Conversely there are blogs which, for a variety of reasons, have become moribund.  The owner/writer might have lost interest, moved on to a different niche, their work-life balance may have changed or perhaps they’ve undergone some life-changing event. Over the years I have noticed a fair number of female bloggers who, quite understandably, have discovered that starting a family, leaves very little time for writing, or indeed for visits to the pub, but I’m certain that some of the other reasons listed above, apply equally.

I tend to leave “slumbering” blogs for at least six months before culling them, and there have been cases where I have reinstated a few that have made a sudden reappearance. In such instances, my blog list becomes rather like a revolving door. (I am currently mulling over whether to reinstate Cooking Lager’s blog for the third time.)

Finally, I found time last night to post some topical comments on some of the blogs I follow. This is good etiquette and good manners. All bloggers, me included, appreciate seeing comments appear in relation to posts written. Whether the correspondents agree, or disagree with what is being said is immaterial, as all feedback is good – unless it is insulting, totally off-topic or trolling.

I don’t always get the time to comment as much as I’d like, so yesterday I made time, and I trust that the comments I made will add to the subject or topic raised and will encourage further debate. Those writers who see comments from me, suddenly appearing on their blogs will know what I am referring to but will also understand the time restraints which prevent many of us from contributing as much, or as frequently as we might otherwise like.

 

Good Beer Guide 2022 - physical or digital?

 

I’m not going to write another piece exposing the crooked thinking behind the government’s ever-changing Coronavirus strategy, as that would just be too painful for words. So, what do I write about, especially as there’s not been much happening locally, on the beer and pub front -  at least as far as I'm concerned.

Work has been pretty manic, as following the dramatic fall-off in orders at the start of lock-down, things have swung back the other way, with sales flooding back in like there’s no tomorrow.  I’ve been heavily involved in a major risk assessment, with a couple of my management colleagues, as the plan is to bring the entire workforce back on site, in a phased return, starting from next week.

We’ve made the appropriate changes, and are now as satisfied as we can be that by following the guidelines set out by the HSE, our workforce, many of whom have been on revolving furlough since the end of March, will be returning to an environment that provides a safe and Covid-secure environment.

The fact that our return to work plan has come at a time when infection rates are rising, is not the most encouraging of news, although cases in much of Kent are way below the national average at the moment. We shall see, but as I’ve said before, all work and no play does make Paul a rather dull and very grumpy boy!

This leads me to reference a debate that I partially sparked off on the WhatsApp Beer Socials Group I belong to. The thread was given our illustrious leader has predicted another six months of "nanny-state" imposed misery, will there be sufficient time to prepare the 2022 Good Beer Guide?

“Plenty of time,” said one optimist. “Don’t be so hasty,” said I, and went on to detail the time-frame that goes into the preparation for each years’ edition. Members are normally contacted prior to Christmas and ask to nominate pubs for possible inclusion in the guide. This is normally done by email, so no problem there.

Once all nominations are received, members are invited to survey all the prospective entries, filling in those tedious GBG survey forms that I’m so glad I’ll never have to look at, ever again! Surveying can still go ahead, although limited or restricted opening times must be taken into account. This will take place against a background of will pubs be forced to close once more, or will our increasingly hapless Prime Minister have the good sense to keep them open?

Surveying’s not going to be easy, especially with table-service only. Gone are the opportunities to stand at the bar for a cosy chat with the licensee and gone are the chances to stroll around the pub, soaking up the atmosphere and getting a feel for the place.

Once the surveys are complete the fun really starts, as normally a GBG selection meeting is held, where the choice of entries is thrashed out, and whittled down to the number allocated to the branch. The meeting normally takes place late January - early February and, being CAMRA, it takes place in a pub.

This is where the problems begin. Under Doris’s edict, a maximum of six people are allowed in any one group. GBG meetings often attract numbers in excess of the "magic six," so what happens then? Also, because CAMRA wants to promote itself as a “responsible" organisation, ALL official branch meetings are suspended, until further notice. This includes socials, outings, committee meetings etc, so physical get-together to select GBG entries, are by extension automatically excluded.

Some would argue that such meetings can be held virtually, as indeed they can for the tech-savvy, but trying to coordinate and conduct such a meeting involving any more than a half dozen participants, sounds like a logistical nightmare. Such meetings ae normally lively and impassioned affairs, where discussion and debate play an important role. Trying to replicate this in hyper-space is not going to be easy!

I’m no longer a CAMRA member, so can’t participate in these discussions, even if I wanted to, but unless it’s work-related and I’m forced to, I don’t want anything to do with “virtual stuff.” If I can’t have the real thing, then I’ll go without, so that rules me out from virtual pubs, the virtual Great British Beer Festival and virtual, just about anything else.

Moving on, let’s say a branch has selected and filled its quota of guide entries, data from the scrappy hand-written forms then has to be inputted to a central database – a task CAMRA rather cynically and lazily leaves to individual branches.

Those tedious forms I referred to earlier were originally deigned to be machine-read, which is why they had to be completed all in capitals, and with each letter of every word, written inside its own little box. Boy how I hated those forms, and unsurprisingly they were hard enough for humans to read, let alone machines, so that was a waste of time.

So now, just like 30 years ago, the details for every pub must be inputted manually. Being such a tedious task, in my former branch the job was usually shared between two people. One would read out the details, whilst the other would type it into the online CAMRA database. They would swap at regular intervals.

Now two people from different households are allowed to mix – I think! At least in West Kent where rates of infection are low, but what about other areas that have been placed under a much stricter regime. Two people from different households mixing is practically a hanging offence according to the "boy" Hancock, so there’s no chance of this dual input method being mimicked in these “sinful” parts of the country.

All of the above stages are tedious, at the best of times, but with all these petty restrictions in place, it’s going to be rather tight for many branches to get their entries processed. There’s still a final proof-reading stage before the guide finally goes to print, so before you know it, that’s half 2021 gone already.

Will things have gone back to normal by then, and was this all just a bad dream? I somehow don’t think so, which brings us back to the question will the Good Beer Guide 2022 appear on time, or will it even be published at all.

The consensus on the WhatsApp group was that the guide will be published and will appear in the traditional printed and bound book version. Fine, but what sort of publication will it be? Suggestions were raised during the discussions that instead of surveying pubs, branches could rely on information sourced from WhatPub.

If this is true, the 2022 guide is unlikely to be the fresh, vibrant and up to date that its users expect. If the pandemic lasts into next summer, what’s the likelihood of this “make do and mend” approach to the GBG working second time around? Will CAMRA itself even exist as a cohesive, nationwide campaigning group, or will it disintegrate into dozens of splinter groups, that are little more than drinking clubs?

The next 12 months could prove very interesting, but not necessarily for the right reasons!