The last picture of summer

It’s officially the end of summer, and the way that the nights are starting to draw in, coupled with chilly mornings and evenings, does lend a certain credence to this change to a new season, even if it does happen every year! We are currently awaiting some much-needed rain, although we don’t want too much, as we are heading off in the morning for a short break. 

It’s a way of saying farewell to a summer that has been one of the strangest I can remember, and I’m including here the summers of 2020 and 2021, when we were in the grip of various lock-downs, or other Covid-related restrictions. The summer began optimistically enough, in the middle of June with a long-awaited cruise, which represented the longest holiday that Mrs PBT’s and I have enjoyed in nearly 40 years of marriage.

Those two glorious weeks of blissful rest and relaxation, sailing up and down the Norwegian coast, supplemented by visits to Hamburg on both outward and return journeys, were just the pick-up that we both needed. Coming after two largely wasted years, thanks to Covid, the cruise was the perfect way to re-charge our batteries. We enjoyed the experience so much that we will shorty be booking another ocean voyage, for next year.

July was altogether different, as I underwent a surgical procedure which, whilst conducted without a hitch, did mean I was unable to undertake even moderate lifting, and had to take things easy for a few weeks. The recovery necessitated some time off from work, but after a couple of weeks I felt comfortable driving, so was then back at my desk and raring to go. The consultant gave me the all-clear, at the middle of August, and although I have still been taking things easy, I completed a short ramble a couple of weekends ago, in order to cross off a small section of the North Down’s Way, that I had missed a couple of years previously.

Work hasn’t been without one or two problems, largely of a recruitment nature. This follows the resignation of two key members of the management team, and whilst we have seamlessly replaced one individual, the other person will be much harder act to follow. We struggled to recruit this Regulatory Affairs Manager in the first place, so it came as quite a shock to discover, upon returning from holiday, that this individual had been poached after less than a year. This was a shame as this person was good at what he did, and by good, I mean really good!

On the domestic front, the drought that has endured since early spring, played havoc with my carefully laid plans to grow a few vegetables. We had plenty of tomatoes, plus several attractive floral displays, but that was the sum total of it. Despite the setbacks, I enjoyed being out in garden until the point at which it was starting to get dark – around 10pm in June. This was nothing compared to the twilight we experienced on the cruise where, after departing from Alesund - the most northerly point of our voyage, it didn’t get properly dark at all.

August has seemed to vanish before my very eyes, and before you knew it, the summer was over, we were entering into September, and heading full steam ahead into autumn. It will soon start getting colder, and thanks to the continuing war in Ukraine, astronomically high energy bills seem to be the order of the day. They are also the main topic of conversation in many places, which is hardly surprising but having taken out a new contract with our supplier at the end of June, our gas and electricity prices are now fixed until August 2023.

We should therefore be alright for another year, so my main concern with this unwelcome development, is the total lack of any price cap for businesses. These unprecedented increases will undoubtedly impact on the profitability of my employer, meaning money earmarked for expansion and employee benefits, will now go towards the already sky-high profits being clocked up by the energy companies.

What I find even more disturbing about these stratospheric price rises, is the impact they will have on small businesses, such as local pubs and restaurants, and the knock-on effect this will have on independent breweries, and other essential suppliers. As if right on cue, we learned, earlier this morning that a well-known, and cask-focused, free house in the centre of Tonbridge has ceased trading. The owners claim the business had never really recovered properly from the pandemic, and this might well be true, but I can’t help thinking that a different outcome may have been possible, were it not for the massive price rises in the cost of energy.

Also closing, is a well-known and much-loved Thai restaurant, in nearby Southborough, with the owners again blaming the rising costs of living, which has affected their business far more than the pandemic. Warnings have also been sounded by Alex Greig, who is the owner of Fuggles, the well-known beer cafés, with outlets in both Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge. Speaking out on the front page of the local paper, Alex, who has written to the local MP’s that cover the two towns, quoted the example of his current £25k energy bill, which is due to increase by 400% to an astronomical £100k per annum.

Alex is not alone in facing such an extortionate rise in his energy bill and is calling for prices to be capped for businesses, in the same way they are for domestic users. He ended by saying, “Ultimately if the government don’t announce something very soon, many businesses will simply become unviable - particularly the smaller, independent businesses across all sectors, be it hospitality, retail or anything else."

I don’t think that any of us saw this coming, especially as most of us were just relieved to be coming out if the pandemic. I remember reading predictions that the post pandemic years could herald a repeat of the “Roaring Twenties,” the great upswing in economic performance and overall optimism that occurred as the so-called “Spanish flu” epidemic which coincided with the closing years of the Great War, came to an end.

The pundits got that one wrong, but no doubt they hadn’t bargained on the actions of a Russian lunatic who imagines himself as Peter the Great, when Ivan the Terrible would be more appropriate. I’ve nothing more to add on this at the moment, and I’m certainly not going to say anything about the latest, Daily Mail-endorsed, Prime Minister, who takes office, officially tomorrow.

Instead, we’re off to the seaside in the morning, for an end of summer break, and whilst the weather forecast is not looking good, it will be nice to enjoy a change of scenery, along with a brief escape from the madness which seems to be gripping the country.

 

The Beer Lover’s Guide to the Seasons

I’ve recently finished reading “A Year in Beer” by Jonny Garrett, a book which takes the reader on an exploration off how our tastes change with the passing seasons, and how Britain’s rich brewing heritage still influences the types of beer we drink as each year progresses. Jonny’s book was a Christmas present that I’d planned to read on our recent cruise, but as things turned out, Tolstoy’s "Anna Karenina" took longer to finish than I thought it would.

No matter, "A Year in Beer" was well worth the wait, and having now read it from cover to cover, it’s worth taking a look back at a concept that is a lot more instinctive than might be first thought. As might be guessed from the subtitle, “The Beer Lover’s Guide to the Seasons,” this pioneering book helps the discerning beer connoisseur navigate the seasonal changes, as they occur each year, and the logical way to so this is by using the calendar as a guide.

Consequently, A Year in Beer kicks off on 1^st January, a day when many beer lovers might well be suffering from over-indulgence. The start of a new year, and all that implies, acts as the launchpad for what, in effect, is a detailed tour through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter with ideas regarding What to Drink, What to Eat and Where to Go, all neatly tied in with the styles and types of beer likely to be encountered at that particular time of year.

Author, Jonny Garrett, begins with the assertion, that since the industrial revolution, and certainly since the advent of artificial refrigeration, the seasons have become increasingly irrelevant, especially when this is applied to beer. Refrigeration has allowed brewing to continue throughout the year, including the notoriously hot summer months, when beers were prone to spoilage, due to the high ambient temperatures.

So more than anything else, artificial cooling has broken the seasonality previously associated with brewing. It is thus no longer necessary to brew sufficient quantities of strong beers during March, to last through the hot summer months, before brewing activities recommence during October. Such beers were known as keeping, or “Stock” ales, and whilst they are seldom seen today, there is a growing interest in this type of beers, as there has with several other long-forgotten styles.

With this in mind the main purpose of Jonny’s book is to encourage people to once more embrace the seasonality associated with the different styles of beer and make a point of enjoying them during the appropriate season, even if they are now available throughout the year. The author digs deeper than this, by giving reasons as to why certain beers taste better at certain times of the year, by moving was beyond the generally held belief that lagers are best enjoyed when it’s hot, and stouts when the weather is cold.

You might find some of the assumptions puzzling, or even counter-intuitive, but Jonny invariably comes up with sound reasons as to why this might be the case. Sometimes the connection might be down to the harvest itself, and when in the year this important event takes place, and it is here that factors such as freshness, play an important role. For this very reason, the recent concept of IPA Day during August, is called into question. Think about it this way, the hop harvest takes place during September, so the hops used to brew beers the month before, will be as stale as they can possibly be.

IPA is probably not the best example, as the style has become so diversified and added to; some might say “bastardised,” that this probably IS one type of beer that can be brewed, and enjoyed, all year round. It has also, never been a beer that has ever been associated with any specific season.despite the historic origins of the original India Pale Ales. This is logical, especially when considering that these beers were originally designed to mature during the long sea voyage to India.

We’re moving a little away from the book, and what it has to say about the seasonality of drinking, and whilst there are no hard and fast rules Jonny manages to gently guide the drinker through the myriad of different types of beer, even though several of the world’s great beer styles are not native to these shores. Beers such as the all-embracing Pilsner, Helles and other golden coloured and bottom fermented lagers, spring to mind, but so do Wheat Beers, Abbey Ales, Saison’s, and sour beers, such as Lambic.

Despite the foreign origins of many of these beer styles, Jonny always seems to track down and recommend, home-grown examples, so by following his guidelines, drinkers can enjoy British-brewed Pilsners, Helles, Saison’s, Quadrupels and a whole host of other different, and non-indigenous beer styles. The best places to drink and enjoy these beers are also listed, again tied in wherever possible with the changing seasons. 

The UK’s best beer festivals are also listed under the appropriate season, and the list is not restricted to just CAMRA events either. Instead, you will find both brewery inspired festivals, as well as a selection of the many craft beer events that have sprung up across the country, in recent years, and if you can’t make one of the major overseas events, such as Munich’s Oktoberfest, then the book will direct you to home-grown events, where both beer and food are German inspired. You might be spared having Robbie Williams “Angels” blaring at you out of the sound system – according to Jonny, the track is a perennial favourite at the main event in Bavaria, but at least as you tuck into the food, and quaff the tasty, locally brewed Fest Bier, you can close your eyes and imagine you are packed into a tent in the Bavarian capital, having the time of your life in the company of like-minded people.

On the subject of food, the author not only includes a number of beer-inspired recipes, that he has created and test-driven, but also includes numerous hints and suggestions for beer and food pairings. Nowhere more is this most evident, than in the section on Christmas, towards the end of the book. Here you will find recommendations for big, bold, dark, and strong Old Ales, Imperial Stouts, Quadrupels and other high-octane beers, all designed as the perfect foil to accompany mature cheeses, rich Christmas puddings, and even chocolate - that hardest of all treats to match with a suitable beer!

"A Year in Beer" ends on an optimistic note – how could it not given there are now around 2,500 breweries in the UK? But it does also sound a note of caution, by urging beer drinkers, not to stick with just one or two styles of beer, but to explore and experiment with what’s out there. With such variety available to today’s discerning beer drinker, and to those new to the world’s greatest long drink, as well, there really is no excuse not to embrace the amazing choice that is out there, just waiting to be drunk. Jonny ends by urging readers to do exactly that, as by doing so they will be helping to remake the connections that industrialisation, globalisation, and commodification have broken down.

To sum up, "A Year in Beer" is an excellent read for all those who enjoy, not just good beer, good cheer, and the good experiences that combine these with other finer things of life. If I had to make one criticism of the book, it would be the poor quality of many of the photos. They are all the work of the author but having put so much of his heart and soul into the book, I cannot believe he is a poor photographer.

I wonder instead, whether the under-exposed, and very dark-looking, mainly colour photos have been deliberately reproduced in this fashion – possibly in the name of "art." I say this because with so much enhancement software available, even the poorest and dingiest looking photos can be restored to a state of normality at the click of a computer mouse. I’ve always believed the adage that a picture tells a thousand words, and a well-composed and well reproduced photo does the same. Food for thought, although please don’t let this one criticism detract you from going out and purchasing this interesting, informative and above all delightful book.

Footnote: in common with virtually all my posts, the photos that serve to illustrate the points made in this article, are my own. Like the photos in “A Year in Beer,” the ones I have chosen reflect the changing seasons, so it is no coincidence that some resemble those taken by the book’s author, Jonny Garrett.

For example, there are photos taken at Harvey’s Brewery, Margate seafront, Whitstable – with fish & chips, the Great British Beer Festival, the Bermondsey Beer Mile, Hop Gardens, Bonfire Night, and Christmas Day. What’s more, after raising the issue of over-exposure and dark images, I can assure readers that all images that appear here, are crisp, correctly exposed and with just the right degree of colour balance. There’s modesty for you!

 

Headcorn gets the heads up

Headcorn is a large village situated on the floodplain of the River Beult, to the south-east of Maidstone, in an area known as the “Low Weald of Kent.“  It has a population of around 3,500 souls, and is one of the largest villages in the area. Headcorn can trace its history back to the 12^th Century, although there is evidence that the area was settled before this time. Parts of the parish church of St Peter & St Paul, date from this time, although much of the building is younger than this.

During the reign of King Edward III, the weaving industry became established in the area, and a century or so later, Flemish weavers, fleeing religious persecution in their homeland, were encouraged to settle in the area. The abundant flocks of sheep found in the Weald, provided a ready source of wool, and in common with larger settlements, such as Cranbrook, Headcorn prospered thanks to the weaving trade.

The railway reached the village in 1842, with the South Eastern Railway offering fast and frequent services to both London and the Kent coast. The rail connection provides an important east-west link, as with very few roads running along this axis, it is much easier to reach Headcorn by rail than it is by road. It was no surprise then that the village first entered my consciousness as a child, when I lived with my parents just outside Ashford, as Headcorn was one of the stations the London-bound trains called at.

Many years later, and now living in Tonbridge, I was able to travel to Headcorn by train, in just 22 minutes - a journey time that would just not be possible by road. For the same reasons, good rail links to both London and the coast, ensures that Headcorn remains popular with today’s commuters, but, as I discovered on my recent visit, there is far more to the village than a dormitory town for people working in the capital.

Last Friday, Headcorn station was the meeting for myself and a handful of other beer writers, who were due to visit Hukins Hops, just outside Bethersden. Dom, the tour organiser from UK Brewery Tours, had arranged for a taxi to take us to Hukins, but having purposely travelled on an earlier train, I walked into the centre of Headcorn village and, liking what I saw, decided to take a closer look on my way home, when there would be more time. So, after leaving my companions to await their train, I took a left turn at the top of the station approach, and headed along the High Street, towards the village centre.

It was only a 5-minute walk, but along the way I was pleasantly surprised by the number and diversity of independent shops, restaurants, and cafés. Without really counting, I noticed a hardware store, an independent off-licence, an Indian restaurant, a Chinese takeaway plus a obligatory Kebab shop. Next door to the pub (more on that later), was the rather appealing Bill’s Tea Shop. As far as I could make out, this was nothing to do with the “Bill’s” chain of restaurants that operates locally.

Of particular note was the Post Office. I say this because Tonbridge is currently without a permanent Post Office, after its current host (WH Smith), shut up shop. This is a ridiculous situation for a town the size of Tonbridge, but that's for another time. Opposite the Post Office, and fronting onto the High Street, is the George & Dragon pub, a substantial 19^th Century building, and one that I remember as a Courage pub, from limited past visits to Headorn. It still looks like one from the outside and venturing inside for what I believe was the first time, I can confirm that the G&D shows evidence of its past ownership, internally as well.

I got the odd, strange look as I approached the bar, even though I’d remembered to take off my hat (necessary for protection from the ferocity of the sun, whilst in the hop gardens). Harvey’s Best was the sole cask ale on offer, but given the high temperatures outside, I wasn’t feeling overconfident about its quality. I still went for a pint, as apart from a few samples courtesy of Hukins, I was gagging for a beer.

I had to wait a while, whilst the young girl behind the bar sorted out a glass of Fosters, for one of the regulars, who was due in shortly. The glasses kept in the fridge, with their frosted appearance seemed very Australian, although my remark that I didn’t want my Harvey’s served that cold, was met with a smile that was both pleasant and friendly. The Harvey’s itself was perfectly drinkable too, and served cool, rather than frozen, but rather than hang around in the bar, I headed for the enclosed and paved garden area at the rear. I found a spot that was shaded and settled down to enjoy my beer.

The latter wasn’t good enough for a second pint, although I was also conscious that Mrs PBT’s was expecting me home in time for our evening meal. I returned my empty glass to the bar, and after leaving the pub, headed along for a quick look at the parish church, at the far end of the High Street. On the way, I was looking out for the former Whitbread-Fremlin’s pub I remembered from past visits to Headcorn. These would have taken place during the early 1980’s, when I was living in Maidstone, and at a time when I was a member of the local MMK CAMRA branch.

I carried out a spot of research using a couple of old local CAMRA guides, and the most likely candidate was the green-painted building on the corner, where the High Street turns into North Street. This would have been the Kings Arms, a pub listed in the 2009 Gateway to Kent Guide, and with the address of No. 1 High Street. Described as a “Local community pub, offering bed & breakfast,” this outlet obviously ceased trading some time during the past decade, for reasons unknown – to me at least!

Looking at What Pub, the most promising, and most appealing pub in Headcorn today, has to be the White Horse, in North Street, an establishment that according to its website, offers a good range of beer, good food, and open fires in winter. The only other outlet in the village is a tiny micro, called Tap17 Micro-Bar. No cask beers are stocked, but the range of “craft beers” looks interesting. The only trouble is that due to its small size, visitors need to pre-book a table via Facebook, so count me out on this one as, in my book, this type of establishment is NOT a pub!

After this spot of “research,” I made my way back to the station, and caught the 16.45 train back to Tonbridge, and then, having clocked up over 15,000 steps, caught the bus back to the top of my road, using my “bus w*nker’s pass." The conclusion from my brief exploration of this attractive Wealden village, is that, even without a spot of hop-picking, Headcorn is well worth a further visit, or perhaps even two!