A brief walkabout around sunny Tonbridge

The end of last week started with a spot of car trouble, but more about that another time.  Perhaps I’m being paranoid, but it does seem like something goes wrong every time we return from a trip away.  This aside, Mrs PBT’s and I ended up missing our regular Saturday morning drive over to Tesco, at Riverhead. It didn’t really matter, as we’d stopped off on Tuesday, at a massive Tesco store near Emsworth, on our drive back from Southampton, so we were pretty well stocked, provision-wise, as it happened.

With the shopping trip cancelled, the opportunity for a pub visit was already running through my mind, when Mrs PBT's informed me there was a parcel of hers awaiting collection down at M&S.  She suggested I could pick it up on my way back from Fuggles. How did you know I was planning to go to Fuggles? I replied. Call it feminine intuition, was her response. As it happens, I needed to call in at the building society, plus one or two other places in Tonbridge, and had planned to stop off in Tonbridge for a beer. If I'm honest it wasn't necessarily Fuggles that I’d be heading for, but it remained a distinct possibility.

So, with the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky I set off on a short walk down into the centre of Tonbridge. I called in at the Nationwide, pleased to see that one financial outlet, at least, still remains open in the town. Now the news is that Tonbridge will soon be getting its own banking hub. This is great news for all those local people who have campaigned for such a facility in the town. Tonbridge was bustling with shoppers, all enjoying the most welcome sunshine. After withdrawing some cash at the building society, I turned off from the High Street towards Town Lock and the path along the river Medway. The towpath is well-trodden, and is one I know well from my first years of working in Tonbridge.

I lived in Maidstone at the time and not having a vehicle at my disposal, travelled into Tonbridge by train. A walk along the High Street and then a right turn into Medway Wharf Road, took me to Town Lock and from there, the path along the riverbank meant that in 25 minutes or so, I could be at my desk ready to start work. Much of the riverside area has now been developed, with rows of tall, brick-built apartments lining the nearest of the two banks, and some more pleasant looking, Scandinavian-style dwellings, with brightly coloured wooden facades on the opposite side.

The final piece of land, earmarked for development, is the site formerly occupied by two large, but obsolete gas holders. These were dismantled and removed last year, and newly cleared site is now awaiting redevelopment. The engineering company where I started my career in Tonbridge, is also gone with the 1960’s office block pulled down, and the older and more functional area at the rear also vanished. The latter was, at one time, home to the short-lived, Storey Motor Company one of the early pioneers in the field of car production. One of the new buildings, now occupying the site, is the Marks & Spencer food hall, and that is where I had to collect Eileen’s parcel from. Mission accomplished I headed back into Tonbridge, passing the site of the old Town Mill on my way.

I then turned off Bordyke and took a path leading past the Parish Church of St Peter & St Paul. Just a short distance away was the first of the two pubs I intended to visit. The Ivy House needs little introduction, as I have written about it on this blog, several times in the past. Housed in an attractive old tile-hung building which dates back to the 15^th Century, the Ivy House started life as a tollhouse. It was known as the Elephant & Castle until becoming the Ivy House, a name presumably acquired on account of the ivy which covered the building at one time.

Over time, it has undergone various changes and has developed into something of a gastropub. Despite this, it has been tastefully renovated without losing its essential character and remains a pleasant place to enjoy a pint or two. My last visit to the pub was for breakfast with Matthew, towards the end of last year, but it had been ages since I had a pint in the pub. 

Approaching the bar I noticed the pub’s two cask beers were Harvey’s Best plus Tonbridge Coppernob. Feeling slightly disappointed that Pilsener Urquell was no longer available (I’m not sure when that Czech classic was discontinued), I opted instead for a pint of Sussex Best, priced in excess of £6.00!  I took take my beer outside to recover from the shock, but mainly to take advantage of the unseasonably good and very welcome spring sunshine.

There were plenty of other customers also taking advantage of the weather, but I managed to find a little spot all to myself, tucked away in an almost unseen area behind the pub. I have to say the Harvey’s was in fine form and was worthy of a 4.5 NBSS, had I been scoring. I sat there contentedly enjoying excellent beer, enjoying the moment and generally just chilling out. Despite the excellent beer and pleasant setting, it was time to move on, so leaving the Ivy House I retraced my steps back through the churchyard, before turning right into East Street. 

There, roughly halfway down, on the right is the Man of Kent, a fine old weather boarded pub, of similar antiquity to the Ivy House, tucked away down a side street just off the town centre. This was the first Tonbridge pub that I set foot in, whilst on a reconnaissance trip, prior to starting my new job in the town. The Man of Kent belonged to Charrington’s at the time and as well as stocking Charrington IPA, also served a very acceptable pint of Draught Bass. 

It wasn’t long after starting in my new position that I started calling in to the Man of Kent for a lunchtime pint, normally on a Friday and sometimes accompanied by one of my new colleagues. The pub was a real classic, old-fashioned town local, that I visited whenever I could, especially when I moved to Tonbridge, five years later. Things have obviously changed over the past four decades, and the pub trade has been altered out of all recognition. 

The introduction of the Beer Orders, at the beginning of the 1990’s, led to the selling off of many pubs belonging to the so-called “Big Six” brewers in the UK. This piece of legislation was supposed to free-up the market, by encouraging competition, and whilst full of good intentions, was badly thought out. 

Without going over too much old ground, the end result saw the Big Six brewers, being replaced by a number of equally large pub-owning companies – the so-called Pub Co’s. If anything, these organisations were far worse than the brewers they replaced. The Man of Kent was one of many pubs sold off as a result of the Beer Orders, although today it is owned by a small local company called Pendry Inns. Somewhere along the line, the partition between the Public and Saloon bars was removed, along with the Draught Bass. Fortunately, it was substituted with Harvey’s Best.

The latter was one of two cask beers on sale last Saturday, the other being St Austell Tribute. I opted for the latter, because of its rarity value, but it wasn’t exactly at its best. There was a dozen or so punters in the bar, all glued to the TV where some football game or other was taking place. Perhaps sensing my disquiet, or possibly just because he wanted to get rid of me, the landlord asked if I wanted to take my beer out to the garden. Situated at the rear, it seemed a good idea, until I discovered that the commentary was being relayed out there as well. Talk about no escape! The other issue was that the courtyard garden is surrounded by private houses on three sides, so I’m not sure how they feel about having to put up with some latter-day David Coleman disturbing the King’s Peace.

It was time to go, but despite commentary from the so-called “beautiful game” being blasted into my ears, I’m still pleased that I gave the Man of Kent a try, if only for old time’s sake. Given that most of the customers were there for the football, I feel correct in assuming that the pub remains very much a locals’ pub, so who am I to criticize it? The Ivy House, on the other hand, caters for a more transitory crowd, as well as those who enjoy “posh nosh”, and that, in a nutshell, if you’ll excuse the pun, is the Great British pub in a nutshell, as we move into the next quarter of the 21^st century.

 

Hamburg, on a wet, windy, and rather chilly Sunday afternoon

Last week’s short trip to Hamburg, represented my fourth visit to the city. Like the previous three trips, it was relatively short although on this occasion I feel that I learned more about Germany's second largest city than I did on the other three trips combined. That's not to say this fleeting visit was anyway comprehensive in nature, and certainly not all-encompassing, but it did give me much more of a feel for the city. So, what about Hamburg itself?

Located on the Elbe River in northern Germany, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, is one of the most populous city in Germany, second only to Berlin in importance. Its port and commercial centre is the largest in the Federal Republic, and one of the busiest in Europe. Shipping and trade have been Hamburg’s lifeblood for centuries, and its harbour has remained the city’s most important feature. Hamburg is blessed with a network of canals that rivals those of Amsterdam, various lakes, parks, and suburbs full of gracious houses, alongside elegant shopping arcades, well-endowed museums, plus a vibrant cultural life. Although badly damaged by Allied bombing, during World War II, Hamburg has succeeded in maintaining a sense of old-world grace alongside a rich and thriving commercial life. These attractions have contributed to a growing tourist industry, and given its maritime setting, plus strategic position between the Netherlands and Denmark, this obviously includes cruise holidays.

Going back to those aforementioned previous visits to Hamburg, they took place across a lengthy timescale, with the first one taking place in the summer of 1975. Back then, I was travelling around Europe by train, with a fellow student from Salford University. We were using an Interrail ticket, and after Amsterdam and Copenhagen, Hamburg was our third stop. Our visit was purely transitory, as the following day my friend and I would be going our separate ways, albeit for just a few days – see link, for further details. My memories of the city are confined to a stroll along the infamous Reeperbahn – home to Hamburg’s red-light district, plus an overnight stay at a rather austere* Youth Hostel, overlooking a local park. *Doors locked at 10pm, lights out by 10.30pm!

My second visit took place sometime during the early 1980’s, and only happened because my boss, at the time, wanted a colleague who could speak German, to accompany him on what was a spur-of-the moment business, trip to Hamburg. The company we worked for manufactured chlorination equipment, for use in water treatment plants, as well as swimming pools. In those pre-internet days, my boss (Ray), had managed to locate a manufacturer of gas detection equipment, and the units they were producing were of particular interest to our organisation.

The company was based in Hamburg, so with remarkable speed Ray asked the department secretary to book us a return flights to the city, plus a couple of hotel rooms. (Secretaries seemed responsible for all sorts of tasks, back then). Later that afternoon, he drove us up to Heathrow, calling in at our respective houses to pick up passports, plus overnight bags. Talk about “wash and go!” Apart from Hamburg airport, I remember very little about that trip. We were booked into a respectable looking hotel, but disappointingly my companion told me he was tired, and didn’t fancy hitting the town, after our evening meal. To add insult to injury, my German language skills were not required, as our hosts spoke impeccable English!

In June 2022, I visited Hamburg for the third time, in the company of Mrs PBT’s. The city acted as a dropping off point, on a cruise up to the Norwegian fjords. That voyage was our first, and so far, only time on the Queen Mary2. The pair of us took one of the shuttle coaches that run from the cruise terminal into the city centre, and just under three years’ later, Matthew and I used the same service into central Hamburg. 

That 2022 visit took place midweek, because the shops were open, and the REWE supermarket that Eileen and I visited, was packed with workers from the nearby offices, picking up items for their lunch-break. Our lunchtime requirements were met back on-board Queen Mary2 as, after all, the cruise package was “all-inclusive,” but we did manage to find a pavement cafe-cum-bar, where we could sit out and enjoy a beer or two. Cotidiano Alter Wall, tucked away at the side of the Rathaus proved the ideal spot, and I enjoyed two slightly different beers from Ratsherrn Brauerei, in the form of a Pilsner, plus a "Hamburg Hell".

There was no possibility of sitting outside last week, as the weather in Hamburg that morning was wet, windy and decidedly chilly, but we did have a walk around following a route that took us past the city’s principle station, the Hauptbahnhof, which was bustling with travellers. I like busy rail stations, so we had a quick look around, and noticing a Yorma’s on the concourse, found ourselves unable to resist a Bratwurst roll, plus a cup of coffee. It was then a question of finding a suitable watering hole.

On the coach ride into the city, that morning, I’d noticed one particular establishment that I’d pre-listed, which was a large establishment overlooking the river. Blockbräu, comprising an atmospheric cellar-style brewery/restaurant and a scenic rooftop terrace offering views of the Elbe, Blockbräu promotes itself as the archetypal Hamburg beer hall and a great choice for large groups. The beer is brewed on site and the food is traditional and tasty. Given the adverse weather conditions we were experiencing, the 30-minute walk indicated by Google, seemed a little too far.

Instead, we made our way to Groninger Privatbrauerei, which was the other pub I had in mind. Described as a vast, and buzzing emporium where the locally brewed beer flows freely, Groninger offers large portions of hearty traditional beer hall fayre, such as homemade meatloaf (Leberkäse), pot roast and sausages. With some tables equipped with a built-in grill, customers can even cook their own sausages. Leaving the sausage cooking option aside, Groninger seemed ideal, but after navigating our way there, (the city map I picked up on the ship, from the Shore Experiences desk, wasn’t that good on detail), we discovered the place was sadly closed. The lack of lighting coming from the windows was an obvious clue, as Matthew was only too keen to point out, but the locked door plus the sign indicating opening hours (closed Sundays and Mondays), confirmed that we wouldn’t be getting a drink there!

Feeling a little dejected, the pair of us walked back towards the town hall or Rathaus as it's called in German when, quite unexpectedly I could see just make out what looked like a Bierkeller type establishment, facing out across an area of open ground. What’s more, from the signage, I could see that Biergarten Speersort was operated by Hofbräu of Munich, a brewery that both Matthew and I are very familiar with. There was still a little uncertainty as to whether this establishment was open, but after seeing lights twinkling through the windows, as well as people entering and leaving, we knew we had found our happy place for the next couple of hours.

Speersort was a large and cavernous place, of fairly recent construction, housed in a rather anonymous looking building, but upon entering, we found ourselves in a typical Bavarian beer hall that wouldn’t have looked out of place in central Munich. The clues were in the bare floorboards, scrubbed wooden tables, plus staff in traditional Bavarian dress – both sexes. There were several serving areas, and various drinking areas, including one upstairs, presumably intended for when the place becomes very busy. Last Sunday, it was closed, apart from the toilets, which are also on this floor.

It didn’t take us long to get served, and whilst at it, we ordered food, as well as drink. The latter, of course, was the famous Hofbräu Original, served in 0.5 litre mugs, although we could have had litres, if we’d wished. For lunch, Matthew chose Leberkäse, a traditional type of meatloaf that is popular all over Germany. It consists of beef, pork and bacon which is ground up very finely, before being baked in a bread tin, in similar fashion to a loaf of bread. As can be seen from the adjacent photo, Matthew’s Leberkäse was topped with a fried egg, known in German as a Spiegelei. Much as I enjoy the above dish, I opted for a chicken schnitzel, which was served with potato salad, as was Matthew’s lunch.

We hadn’t finished with the beer though, and at my suggestion switched to a 0.5 litre each of Maibock, a strong seasonal “Bock” bier, brewed for the month of May. OK, it was a month early, and I was surprised (but also delighted), to see it on sale. According to the menu, Hofbräu’s Maibock has an abv of 6.0%, which is weaker than the 7.0% claimed by Untappd, but what ever its strength, it was full-bodied, malty and very satisfying, especially on a cold day in early spring.

With body and soul satisfied, we paid our bill and made our way back to where the shuttle coaches depart from. As luck would have it, one was about to depart, but with two seats unfilled, the courier squeezed the pair of us on board, and we set off, back to the ship, through the rain-soaked streets. It was Matthew who noticed it first, but the coach took us along the Reeperbahn, which in daylight looked even seedier than I remember it looking at night! Mrs PBT’s was pleased to welcome us back on board Victoria, vanishing her unfounded fears that the ship would sail without us. Given the weather, we too were glad to be back in the dry and the warm, pleased though to have experienced some traditional German culture, even if it was from the opposite end of the country!

 

 

 

Just back from Hamburg

Early yesterday afternoon, the Bailey family returned from a short but relaxing four-day cruise across the North Sea to the port of Hamburg and back. This trip marked not only a welcome return to Germany’s second largest city but also acted as son Matthew's first visit to Hamburg. It was also his first cruise experience, and whilst he has not expressed much verbally, Mrs PBTS and I are confident that he enjoyed the trip as much as we did. Our home for this brief cruise was the lovely Queen Victoria, our favourite ship amongst Cunard's fleet of four Queens. This was our first voyage on the ship since early December 2022, when Victoria transported us across the same stretch of ocean to Amsterdam, for a short pre-Christmas break.

The weather was cold but generally bright, except for the day in Hamburg when it rained intermittently, and sometimes quite heavily. Matthew and I ventured into the city to explore, seeking beer, German fayre, as well as a spot of sightseeing. As mentioned in a previous post, our visit occurred on a Sunday, when nearly all the shops were closed. A more pressing issue was that several bars were also closed, including the one that had caught my interest, whist looking online for houses of refreshment, the previous night. All was not lost though, as in the end, and quite by chance, we stumbled upon one of the best, and one of the most traditional of venues where we enjoyed some of the best hospitality that Hamburg had to offer.

For now, I'll set aside my afternoon in Hamburg to share more about our voyage. My wife provided me with this information, but I could have discovered it myself if I weren't so lazy. Hamburg was Queen Victoria's final port of call on what had been a lengthy journey halfway around the world. The ship travelled across the Atlantic, around several Caribbean islands, before heading southwards towards the tip of South America, taking in Brazil, Argentina and Chile on the way. Victoria then sailed back up the western side of the continent before returning to the Atlantic, via the Panama Canal.

We joined the ship at Southampton, for the final leg of this marathon cruise, which was the four-night cruise to Hamburg. That marathon voyage would require a lot of stamina, as well as a considerable amount of dosh, but set against the chance of seeing some amazing sights and some equally fascinating countries, I’m sure it would have been worth it. On our voyage back from Hamburg the majority of passengers were Brits, but there was still a reasonable compliment of German nationals.

In all this, please spare a thought for the ship’s crew, the people who sail and navigate the vessel through busy and often crowded waterways. The same applies to the whole of the ship’s company, who contribute to the successful running a vessel of that size. Let's not forget either the cooks, the other kitchen staff, the waiters and the entertainment staff. 

Finally, special thanks must go to the stewards who look after the cabins, working tirelessly through long shifts, cleaning up after untidy passengers, making sure everything is in its place, and that the guest rooms are spick and span. These unsung heroes, work lengthy contracts, with little time off, and with virtually no chance either to experience the sights and general ambience of the places the ship visits over the course of the cruise.

Apologies, that there's nothing in the way of beer, and also for withholding, for the time being, details of that beer house we experienced in Hamburg. Truth is, it’s been a rather hectic first day back at work, and I’m feeling the effects of coming back down to earth with a bump. Consequently, I just wanted to get something down on the blog, after a break of nearly a week. More to come, of course, over the next few days, but in the meantime, thank you for your patience.