Lewes, on a wet Saturday afternoon

Last Saturday was something of a washout, so much so that the family barbecue we’d been invited to, by Mrs PBT’s’ niece, at her new home in Uckfield, had to be cancelled. Rather annoyingly, both Friday and Sunday were fine, it’s just that a rather slow-moving weather front put the kibosh on things.

Determined to do something, other than stay at home watching the rain, I suggested a drive down to Lewes.  I knew from the time I worked in the town that there is a large Tesco down by the river, and I also knew that it is only a short walk along the towpath, from Tesco’s car park to Harvey’s Brewery.

As well as wanting to stock up on some of Harvey’s rarer bottled beers - brews such as Tom Paine, Bonfire Boy, Star of Eastbourne and Prince of Denmark, I had a number of empty beer bottles to return. Harvey’s are one of the few breweries to use returnable bottles, and over the past 18 months I’d accumulated quite a few of them. A shopping expedition to Lewes would provide a good excuse to return these, whilst picking up a few new ones at the same time.

We set off shortly before midday, choosing the direct route along the A26, via Tunbridge Wells and Crowborough. This is a road I know well, having worked in Lewes for three and a half years, between 1992 and 1995. I was 30 years younger back then, so took the daily 50-mile round trip, in my stride, but these days it’s not a commute I would like to repeat on a regular basis.

It rained incessantly all the way, the rain perhaps helping to keep traffic levels down, but it did mean that moment, when the imposing bulk of the South Downs suddenly comes into view, didn’t happen. Rain, low cloud, call it what you will, meant we were driving into Lewes before the famous chalk hills could be seen, and then only because they rather dominate the town.

Some annoying, and quite major roadworks held up our entry into Lewes, so I made a mental note to select a different route for the drive home. We parked the car at Tesco’s and leaving Mrs PBT’s to do the grocery shopping (she much prefers shopping on her own, and that’s not something I'm going to argue with), Matthew and I descended the steps to the riverside towpath, and followed it towards Harvey’s magnificent looking, brewery.

Following the disastrous flooding of 2000, the company have constructed a large, but attractive, red-brick wall, right around the perimeter of the brewery – an expensive undertaking but worth every penny if it protects against future flooding. Our walk therefore took us round the back of the brewery, before emerging into the bustle of Cliffe High Street. From there, it is just a couple of hundred yard to the brewery shop.

What I’ve always liked about Lewes, and bear in mind I spent three and a half years working in the town, is the large number of independent shops. These range from book and record shops to hardware and clothing outlets, along with the obligatory antique/tat shops. There are also a few “alternative” and quite quirky shops, that don’t fit into the above categories. Pride of place, in my view though, is the Harvey’s Brewery Shop, fronting on to Cliffe High Street, at the corner of the pedestrian and small vehicle entrance to the brewery yard.

I was a regular visitor to the shop, during the time I worked in the town, walking from my employer’s factory, on the Cliffe Industrial Estate, along the River Ouse, and then following the old road (now bypassed by the Cuilfail Tunnel), making a couple of visits each week. My purpose was to fill up my Karry-Keg beer jug, primarily with Sussex Best, but also with whichever seasonal beer Harvey’s had available at the time. I enjoyed those walks, and the peace and quiet of the old road with its rows of cottages, leading to the top of Cliffe High Street. It was also good to get away from the workplace, and “escape” back into the real world, from time to time.

In keeping with the illustrious brewery buildings behind, the shop is an attraction in itself and is well-stocked and well laid out, with all sorts of Harvey’s related goodies. As well as the aforementioned cask ale and bottles to take away, the shop stocks a wide range of wines and spirits plus, for those who like to act as purveyors of some free advertising for the brewery, all sorts of Harvey’s sartorial merchandise.

Matthew and I were there for the beer and ended up filling our shopping basket with quite a range of “hard to obtain” seasonal brews, to take home with us.  We handed over the dozen or so empties, that I’d accumulated, and received a refund of 10p, covering the deposit due on each bottle.

We didn’t dally to take photos of the shop interior, as was there was a Covid restriction on numbers allowed into the shop at any one time. Pleased with our purchases, we retraced our footsteps back along the River Ouse, to Tesco, where Mrs PBT’s had more or less finished the shopping, picking up a sandwich each to eat in the car, for our lunch. Another bonus was the rain had finally stopped, making the drive home a lot more pleasant.

As hinted at earlier, I took a different route out of Lewes, that involved crossing the river and then heading up the rather steep, School Hill into the heart of the town, passing the Law Courts and the famous White Hart Inn, which face each other across the High Street. After passing the Black Horse Inn, now nicely restored and much improved from the time when friend Eric and I stayed there, whilst walking the South Downs Way, we headed out of town on the East Grinstead road.

We were quite high up, but I was told to keep my eyes on the road, rather than the view, as we began to descend from the Downs, and back into the Ouse valley. We passed through the villages of South and North Chailey, both of which are picturesque, and well laid out settlements. The Five Bells pub, overlooking the green, looked particularly inviting, and even more tempting!

The route home meant turning onto the A272, which took us through the much larger village of Newick. Again, there were a number of attractive looking properties and several pubs, all of which suggest that this corner of East Sussex warrants further exploration for dedicated pub-goers. Once I cut down on my hours at work, I will be taking a close look at some of the local bus routes, and planning out a few cross-border forays, taking full advantage of my bus pass.

It pains me to say, especially as someone who has live most of his life in Kent, that Sussex does have the edge on its northern neighbour, with some very pretty looking villages, surrounded by equally attractive countryside, but Kent’s proximity to London and the Thames Estuary, doesn’t help the northern part of the county.

As stated earlier, Lewes is also a town that is well worth a visit, and with the No. 29 bus running between Tunbridge Wells and Brighton, is another place easily accessible, using my "old-git’s" bus pass!

Lewes - Part Two; return by bus, train and mini-bus

Whilst it’s still fresh in my mind, I might as well launch straight into part two of my Lewes article. Not only that, but I am out tomorrow evening, attending a business meeting of the my local CAMRA branch.

We had just left the Swan Inn, when I left off last time, and were heading back towards the centre of town. We were on flat ground, at the bottom of the defensive outcrop of the Downs, on which Lewes is constructed,  passing the town’s football ground and the station on our way. The history buffs amongst you might be interested to learn that we also passed Anne of Cleve’s House, shortly after leaving the Swan.

Anne of Cleve’s, of course, was Henry VIII’s  fourth wife; the one he infamously described as looking like a “Flanders’s mare”. The marriage was never consummated and Henry granted Anne an annulment. The house in Lewes formed part of the settlement, although Anne never visited the property, let alone lived there.

I mentioned in the first part of this narrative that we had a choice of two pubs; the King’s Head or the Lansdown Arms. The former was ruled out, following a hint earlier from Jo,  that the beers were on the pricey side, so we continued on to the Lansdown. I had been in the King’s Head before, when my companion and I spent the night in Lewes, whilst walking the South Downs Way. I remember it as a very pleasant pub serving good food and, from what I could see as we walked past, little had changed. However, given the time constraints I was happy to give it a miss and try the Lansdown instead.

 

The Lansdown Arms is an attractive pub, sited on a prominent corner location, close to Lewes station. The large sign out side describes it as “An atmospheric drinking den to whet your palate and tend to your needs”. It then goes on to say, in bigger and bolder letters, “The heart of an incredible community”.

I certainly got the feeling the Lansdown was a proper community pub, with its quirky interior, and multi-level drinking areas. There were two beers from Long Man on tap, along with Harvey’s Old. I opted for the Long Man American Pale Ale. This generously hopped, pale ale, weighs in at 4.8% ABV, and is packed with rich citrus and other fruit flavours. It is well worth seeking out, and was in good form (3.5 NBSS), on Saturday afternoon, .

I had been tempted to have a pint of Harvey’s Old instead, but I knew I'd be able the drink that at the pub we were planning on stopping at on the way home. Little did I know! We commandeered a couple of the long, scrubbed wooden tables next to the window; close enough for those who wanted to watch Scotland thrashing the Aussies at rugby (well worth seeing I must say!), but not so close that conversation was stifled.

I could probably have squeezed another half in, but with a half hour bus journey ahead, and no opportunity to expel excess fluid, I wisely decided to just have the one. We departed in plenty of time to catch the 4.36 pm bus, as previously planned, but when we reached the stop, we saw a message flashing up on the digital information board, telling would-be passengers that there was currently no service to either Crowborough or Tunbridge Wells, as the A26 was closed following a serious accident.

 

Talk about the best-laid plans, but we  nevertheless waited for the bus and asked the driver what the score was. He advised us to board, and stay on as far as Uckfield. He would then radio in to control to find out what was happening. This suited Matt and I as we knew that if it came to it, we could get a train home from Uckfield, even though it would mean a 25 minute walk in order to change stations at Edenbridge.

This was not much help for our Maidstone companions, but we boarded as suggested and waited for further information once we arrived in Uckfield. After speaking to his controller, the driver advised us to board the London bound train and alight at Crowborough. Our tickets would be valid and there would be buses running back to Tunbridge Wells.

Matt and I decided to stick with our friends, but when we left the warmth of the train at Crowborough, there was no sign of any buses, and a phone call to the bus company also drew a blank.  Fortunately, the person nominally in charge of the trip managed to contact a local taxi company who sent an eight-seat mini-bus to take us back to Tunbridge Wells.

Working out at just £3.00 a head, this was an absolute bargain, and 20 minutes later we were dropped off in Tunbridge Wells, as the station. The Maidstone contingent had a bus due in around 10 minutes, and although Matt and I had just missed a train, there was another due in 30 minutes plus a nice warm waiting room to take refuge in beforehand.

So what about our intended pub-stop on the way back? This was supposed to be the Pig & Butcher; an imposing Victorian pub owned by Harvey’s Brewery in the village of Five Ash Down, a few miles to the north of Uckfield. I was particularly looking forward to stopping there, as I had missed out seven years ago, at the end of a lengthy walk along the Wealdway long-distance footpath.

After hiking across Ashdown Forest on a baking hot June day, my friend Eric and I found ourselves at Five Ash Down. We knew we could get a bus back to Tunbridge Wells from there, but the sight of the Pig & Butcher, opposite the bus stop was also rather tempting. We were just about to cross the road, when we saw a double-deck bus approaching in the distance.

With no timetable, and no Smart-Phone with internet connection back then, we made a split second decision to flag the bus down. We were both foot sore and weary after walking for four days, from the River Thames at Gravesend, and the prospect of not knowing when the next bus might be due, plus the dangers of dallying too long in the pub, unfortunately meant giving the Pig & Butcher a miss.

We made the right decision, but ever since I’d wanted to call in and give the pub a try, and missing out again was both frustrating and annoying. The bulk of the trip had been fine though, and proved a most enjoyable way to spend a cold November Saturday. It was especially good to visit a few of Lewes’s lesser-known pubs, rather than the usual suspects of the Brewer’s Arms, the Lewes Arms and the Gardener’s.

I do plan a return visit to the town in the not too distant future; one which will include a stopover at the Pig and Butcher.

Lewes by bus - Part One

Lewes is surprisingly easy for me to reach by public transport, so I’m rather baffled that I don’t travel there more often. The number 29 service bus, operated by Brighton & Hove Buses runs at half-hourly service between Brighton and Tunbridge Wells, and whilst I still need to get to the latter, I can do this easily by either bus or train.

The fare is also remarkably cheap at £6.50 for a day return or, as my son and I found out just £5.00 each for a family day pass. We travelled down to Lewes with a select group of six members from Maidstone CAMRA, who we met up with in Tunbridge Wells.

Sitting on the upper floor of the comfortable double-deckers which B&H Buses use for this service, gives some splendid views of the surrounding countryside, and on a day like yesterday with not a cloud in the sky, allowed us to see right across to the bulk of the South Downs, looming way ahead in the distance. The return journey was not so good though, but I’ll cover that later.

We arrived in East Sussex’s county-town shortly after 1pm, but chose not to get off at the bus station. Instead we stayed on the bus as it journeyed up School Hill, into the heart of this ancient town, and finally alighted close to the Black Horse pub; our first port of call.

Now I’ve not got particularly fond memories of this pub, having used it as over-night accommodation whilst walking the South Downs Way, nine years ago. Back then it was a rather rough and ready, former Beard’s pub (an old Lewes brewery, which hung onto its pubs long after it ceased brewing), which had ended up in the hands of Greene King, after they bought the Beard’s estate.

The decision of my companion and I to stay at the Black Horse was due to our walk coinciding with an event at nearby Glyndebourne. This had left accommodation in short supply, so let’s just say it provided a bed for the night, plus breakfast the following morning, and leave it that.

Much can happen in nine years, and I’m pleased to report that today the Black Horse is an excellent and thriving free-house offering a good range of cask ales, from several different brewers. With two log fires on the go, it offered just the warm and comforting welcome we’d been looking forward to after our journey.

There was quite a range of ales on sale, probably too much for some, but the Burning Sky Plateau which Matt and I had was in excellent condition (3.5 NBSS). We found a couple of tables at the far end of the right hand area of the bar. I suspect this was once a separate bar, back in the day, but with a nice log fire roaring away in the grate I felt nicely at home and fully expecting to be staying a while.

At this stage I should point out we were joined by a lady called Jo, and her dog. Jo was known to my Maidstone friends as she had once run a pub in the town. It was here I think that the confusion started, as Jo was aware of our visit and had let the pub know. They were obviously expecting us to eat, and I must admit so was I. One of the barmaids said as much, because the tables had been reserved for us.

It was slightly embarrassing then when my companions decided there was nothing on the menu which took their fancy. It looked fine to me; plain and simple pub grub, and reasonably priced at that, but the majority decision was to eat at the next pub, and that nearly turned out to be a mistake.

A couple of my friends tried another beer – Crème Brule from Dark Star, but I thought it best to pace myself especially as people were donning coats, ready to leave. I felt a slight embarrassment as we left, not that the decision to eat elsewhere was mine. I would still have like to have stayed for another beer though, and something to eat.

Our newly-joined companion, plus hound, guided us to the next pub; the Swan Inn situated in the Southover district of Lewes. For those not familiar with the town, it is built on a hill, over-looking the River Ouse. A partially ruined castle is sited at the highest point of the town and, when time allows, it is well worth buying a ticket and climbing to the top of the keep in order to appreciate the spectacular view over the town and across to the South Downs on the other side of the valley.

Time wasn’t on our side though, so we followed our guide through a maze of back alleys and pathways, known locally as "twittens", past the modernist, and totally out of place, bulk of County Hall, down the side of the hill to the quiet streets of Southover. There we said goodbye to Jo, who was due to do her regular stint behind the bar at Lewes Football Ground, a short distance away.

We found our way to the Swan, a delightful, old-fashioned two-bar local, owned by Harvey’s of Lewes. On entering I began to question my companion’s wisdom in not eating at the Black Horse, as this rather cramped Victorian gem was packed. We queued at the bar to order our drinks, and with four Harvey’s beers on offer, were spoilt for choice.

The fact that the Swan had the dark and delicious XXXX Old Ale on tap, made the decision a no-brainer for me, and what’s more the beer was in fine form, coming out again at 3.5 NBSS. It was also my first drop of Old this season.

We made our way through to the other bar, which was slightly more basic and must once have been the Public Bar. Fortunately a party of people were just leaving, so we were able to claim their vacated table. The menu was written on a board in the other bar, but fortunately I’d captured it on my phone. It looked remarkably similar to the one at the Black Horse, but slightly pricier, so was there karma at work here?

The lad and I opted for that old pub favourite, scampi, chips and peas. Others went for the ham, eggs and chips. The food arrived quick; it was nice and hot and the portions were plentiful, so all in all things worked out right in the end. I had time to grab myself a quick half of Bonfire Boy; Harvey’s strong (5.9% ABV), darkish seasonal special for the month of November. It was full bodied, warming and packed full of flavour; just the ting in fact for a cold winter afternoon. I scored it at 3.0 NBSS.

I highly recommend the Swan; it attracts a good crowd with a food and drink offering of a high standard. The landlord has a record deck behind the bar, and was playing a selection of  old acoustic blues numbers; not quite my cup of tea, especially as they were a bit mournful, but a welcome change from the usual piped “muzak”.  That over-worked term “atmospheric” best describes the Swan, and  as with the previous pub, I was reluctant to leave.

We then had two pubs to choose from, prior to our planned 4.36 pm departure. As there is still a fair bit of narrative to come, including a section on the trouble we had getting back to Tunbridge Wells, I will take a break here and continue in a subsequent post.

Harvey's - the Holy Grail of brewery tours

Tours of Harvey’s are notoriously hard to come by, as normally there is a 3-4 year waiting list, so when West Kent CAMRA offered a tour of the brewery to the volunteers who helped at last year’s Spa Valley Railway Beer Festival, as a “thank-you”, I jumped at the chance.

We had good reason to be going to Harvey’s, as their Bonfire Boy – a seasonal, darkish ale, had been voted “beer of the festival.” at the previous year’s event. Ex-branch chairman, and joint festival organiser Craig, had managed to pull a few strings, and being in the licensed trade himself obviously helped when it came to arranging the tour.

This was definitely my fourth tour of Harvey’s Brewery and possibly my fifth, but whatever the tally, the previous one took place a quarter of a century ago. I’m pleased to report though that very little has changed and, what’s more, as on all previous trips, we had the incomparable Miles Jenner as our guide. Miles is the renowned and highly-respected head brewer at Harvey’s; a post he has held for many years, after following his father into the role.

So on a sunny, and fairly warm Saturday, just over a week ago, our party boarded the specially chartered, comfortable 52 seat coach in Tonbridge, and set off on the drive down to Lewes.  There were other pickups along the way; most noticeably Tunbridge Wells and Crowborough. 

We arrived in Lewes shortly before 11am, and after the driver had parked the coach at the rear of Harvey’s, we were met by Miles and led round to  the brewery yard in front of the company’s impressive tower brewery. Miles began by recounting the  history of brewery from its founding to the present day.

It is worth noting that Harvey's is the oldest independent brewery in Sussex. It is a family business, and the brewery has been in the guardianship of seven generations of John Harvey's descendants since 1790;  with five family members from the seventh and eighth generations currently working there.

 

Miles’s  narrative was  interspersed with fascinating facts and often amusing anecdotes. For example, the Cliffe area of Lewes was a completely separate settlement from the main town, up on hill, and was rather looked down upon by the more affluent townsfolk who lived up there.

 As well as being brewers and wine merchants, Harvey’s were also coal merchants; coal being just one of many commodities brought up to Lewes, by barge, along the River Ouse. It’s probably just as well I wasn’t taking notes, otherwise I’d be boring you all to death by now. 

Suffice to say, the brewing business at the Bridge Wharf site has expanded steadily over the years and today, Harvey’s beers are well known throughout south-east England, and can be enjoyed in the company’s 45 pubs. They are also available in an extensive free-trade area covering the counties of Sussex, Kent and Surrey.

One other thing worth mentioning before we entered the brewery, is that  Harvey’s have sunk a couple of artesian wells to tap into a source of brewing water or “liquor”, as brewers insist on calling it. Prior to that they relied on the town supply which, during the 19^th Century, was sometimes contaminated.

After the  introductory talk we followed Miles up into the brewery, an attractive rd-brick building, constructed on a tower principle to the design of the well-known brewery architect, William Bradford. To increase capacity a second, smaller tower, was added during the late 1980’s in front of the original. By using bricks especially made to match 19^th Century ones, and cast iron window-frames which were copies of the originals, it is difficult to tell the old and the new apart.

We viewed the brewery’s two mash tuns, and Miles related a tale about the oldest of the pair. It was acquired, at auction, from the defunct Page & Overton Brewery at Croydon. Miles attended the sale as a young boy, with his father, who was bidding for the valuable copper vessel against a group of scrap metal merchants.

The bidding got quite heated, until Edward Charrington, of the well-known London brewing family who was in charge of the proceedings, intervened and told those present that Mr Jenner wanted the mash tun to brew beer in, at Lewes. The scrap-dealers relented, with one shouting out “Let him have it then”, and so Harvey’s acquired their mash tun.

Unlike modern breweries which have silos for bulk supplies of malt, Harvey’s still use malt supplied in sacks, and these have to be hoisted to the top of brewery before brewing can commence. We then moved on to the hop-store where whole hops, packed either in traditional “pockets” or more often now, in tightly compressed blocks, are used, as opposed to the hop pellets favoured by many breweries  today.  

Harvey’s source their hops locally, from growers in Sussex, Kent and Surrey, and contracts are placed up to four years in advance. This ensures adequate supplies of their preferred hops, which in the main are long established varieties such as Fuggles, Goldings, Progress and Bramling Cross.

We viewed the remainder of the brewing equipment,  such as the two coppers plus hop back, before moving along to the fermentation room. Harvey’s at times seems like a museum, but it is very much a working one, and the tried and tested methods used, ensure beers of the highest quality.

Because brewing in this traditional manner is quite labour intensive, production costs are higher than at more modern, fully-automated breweries, and these have to be passed on to the consumer. Miles makes no apologies for this, and the continued popularity of Harvey’s beers is proof people are prepared to pay a higher price for a premium product.  

Our final port of call, before the all important sampling cellar was the fermenting room, where the beer ferments away in a double row of open-top fermenters. Many of the vessels are quite old, but still fully functional. Harvey’s have used the same yeast for the past 60 years, and the strain originally came from the John Smiths Brewery in Tadcaster. You can watch and listen here as Miles tells the tale of how his father sourced and acquired the yeast.

And so to the sampling cellar, situated in the base of the brewery, next to the racking line. Here we were treated to a selection of different Harvey’s cask beers, all poured straight from the cask. These ranged from the 3.0% Dark Mild, to a specially-racked cask of Prince of Denmark. The latter is a strong, dark 7.5%,  bottled beer, which only very occasionally appears in cask.

Miles had found a cask of the beer, with a BBE date of 2016. Given its high strength it was still perfectly drinkable, but most of us sensibly left this beer until last. I started off with the Dark Mild and then moved up through the gravities, enjoying a couple of glasses of the delectable XXXX Old Ale. I also sampled Harvey’s Wharf IPA for the first time. This 4.8% beer is normally only available in keg, so it was a real treat to sample it in cask form.

The company had very generously laid on a buffet for us, which helped soak up some of the beer. As well as sandwiches there were bowls of chips, samosas and chicken goujons; all of which was well received.

As stated previously, I put off sampling the cask Prince of Denmark until the end of the tour. It is certainly a complex beer, and one to be savoured, with aromas of leather, chocolate and liquorice which combine to create a lingering taste. Miles reckoned the beer had been brewed in 2015, so the stuff we were drinking was getting on to be four years old!

All the beer were served to us in what looked like plastic cups, but a closer inspection revealed they were made from plant starch. As such they were 100% compostable and 100% biodegradable. Most breweries take care to recycle items such as spent grain and spent hops, and Harvey’s are no exception, but they go a stage further with their beer bottles, as these can be returned to the brewery for washing and re-filling.

I think I’m right in saying they are currently the only UK brewery which uses returnable bottles. I had a couple of dozen, gathering dust  in my shed, so I brought them along on the trip, and returned them at the Brewery Shop, prior to the tour.

The shop proved quite a hit with other participants on the tour and was a good place to finish with. One last thing, as Peter Falk would say, if you ever get the chance to tour Harvey’s, then no matter what JUST GO!!!

The End of Pub Going - A Personal Perspective

There has been a lot written recently about the decline of the pub trade and the seemingly endless downward spiral much of the industry has got itself into. Curmudgeon wrote an excellent article a few weeks back describing the late 1970's as the peak of the pub's existence (both in terms of respectability and numbers of regular pub-goers), but since then it's been a slow, but steady downhill decline. From a personal point of view I feel partly responsible, albeit in a very small way, for this decline for it was in the mid-1980's that my pub going started to tail off.

Like Curmudgeon, I started drinking in the early to mid 1970's and for me, as with most of my friends and acquaintances, regular trips to the pub were a way of life. It was what everyone did, and it seemed an entirely normal thing to do. It would be an unusual occurrence for me not to call in to a pub on a weekday evening, and totally unheard of over a weekend. There would also be the odd lunchtime visit as well, back in the days when nipping out to the pub during one's lunchtime was not frowned on, or indeed expressly forbidden.

Things started to change for me late 1984 when I moved in with the lady who is now my wife. Eileen wasn't much of a drinker back then, whilst today she is virtually teetotal. It wasn't so much she minded me drinking, it was more a case of her preferring me to drink at home in her company, rather than clearing off to the pub to drink in other peoples'. This wasn't much of a problem back then as we lived within walking distance of an excellent off-licence that sold draught ale to take away by the pint. This was the very same off-licence that we ended up owning and running ourselves during the first half of this decade. Two or three pints of take-home draught beer a night, drank in the comfort of my own home, at least saw me supporting family and micro-brewers, even if I wasn't drinking the stuff in the pub.

All this didn't totally preclude visits to houses of refreshment. Sunday lunchtime was one session I rarely missed, and for several years I was a regular in a well-known Tonbridge free-house. Things changed though with the birth of our son, but also with a change of owners at the pub. I had less spare time, (and less spare cash), and with new owners behind the bar, my former local didn't seem the same either. To round off a year of change, the company I was working for shifted its production capacity from Tunbridge Wells to Lewes as the result of a takeover. I was now faced with either a 60 mile round trip each day, or looking for a new job.

I chose the former option whilst working on the latter. As things turned out I spent nearly four years making the tedious journey each day, by road, to Lewes and back. Working in Lewes though had its compensations in the form of Harvey's excellent Brewery Shop. For a knockdown price one could (and still can), purchase draught beer to take away. I became a regular at the Harvey's shop, calling in several times a week to re-fill my jug. Best Bitter, Armada and Old Ale in season were the staple beers, supplemented with the odd bottle or two from the Harvey's range.

Throughout this time I remained a member of CAMRA, and tried, wherever possible to attend branch socials. I was therefore still fairly au fait with the local beer scene, even if I wasn't drinking in the pubs that much. Following a further change of owners, I left my job in Lewes and managed to secure employment locally in Tonbridge. By this time I had commenced home-brewing; an activity I became quite adept at, producing a wide range of full-mash brews. At one stage I was brewing every 4-5 weeks and had a constant supply of tasty and well-crafted, home-brewed beers on tap.

Just under 10 years ago, my wife and I acquired the aforementioned Real Ale Off-Licence in Tonbridge. This was a fortuitous move for me and followed on from the voluntary liquidation of my then employer. As well as running a busy shop, I ended up being responsible for the keeping and serving of a range of cask-conditioned beers. We alternated between Harvey's and Larkins as our regular beers, supplemented by a couple of guest beers at weekends. I tried, wherever possible, to introduce our customers to beers that were interesting, well-crafted and full of character, and during winter weekends especially, I endeavoured to always have a dark ale, such as porter or old ale on tap.

The shop was virtually a 24-7 occupation, and with the cellar work on top of all the other necessary tasks it was a rare evening that saw me home much before half ten. As my wife would say though, "there's no point in having a dog and barking yourself", so most evenings I would bring home a couple of pints of draught to enjoy whilst sitting down and unwinding. The home-brewing had of necessity, long ceased, but this didn't matter given my access to a well-stocked beer cellar. The real downside though was precious little free time, and certainly no time at all for regular pub visits.

Now, having sold the business and back in the land of paid employment, whilst I have a fair amount of free time in which to renew my acquaintance with local pubs, I find it difficult to get back into the habit. It's not just me that has changed though over the past quarter of a century; pubs themselves have altered out of all recognition. The trend for knocking down dividing walls, whilst starting to take place 25 years ago, has continued to gather pace, so that today many pubs are nothing more than soulless, single room "drinking barns". Even worse is the more or less universal assault on ones ear-drums from juke boxes, piped muzak or, horror of horrors, karaoke! Many of today's landlords also seem to think their customers want a regular diet of Sky Sports, and many once unspoilt locals now resemble American bars where there is no escape from the all pervasive TV screens, or the morons wearing football shirts! Beer prices seem to have gone through the roof as well, with £3 being the average price of a pint locally.

Things have got to the stage where apart from the odd CAMRA social, or night out with friends, I now prefer to drink at home, and I'm sure I am not alone in this - as witnessed by the fall-off in people who visit pubs, or the number of pubs that have called "last orders" for the last time!

Perhaps my somewhat jaded views are influenced by the lack of decent pubs in my home town. There are some good ones a bit further afield in Tunbridge Wells for example, and there are still some relatively unspoilt rural gems in some of the surrounding villages. However, many of these pubs are forced to rely more and more on the food trade, given the hostility of the local gendarmes towards any driver who has so much as sniffed the barmaid's apron, and whilst they are fine to visit during daylight hours, particularly when combined with an invigorating walk in the countryside, they are not exactly "just around the corner"!

I was only joking when, at the beginning of this post I said I felt partly responsible for the decline of the pub trade. The trouble is there have probably been many hundreds, if not thousands of people who, like myself, stopped visiting pubs on a regular basis either for similar or for totally un-related reasons. As their customer base began to shrink, pubs tried to adapt in all sorts of unsuitable ways. The end result was even less people visiting their local - people like me who would have drifted back had there been something to go back for.

I don't know what the answer is, but if I had the means I might just be prepared to put my money where my mouth is and have a go at running a traditional, good old-fashioned, proper English pub!

November's dark compensations

It’s hard to believe that we’re almost a week into November now. It’s the 11^th month of yet another year, and like many that have gone before it, where has that year gone?  November is definitely my least favourite month, as it not only heralds the end of autumn and the start of winter, but it is the season of mist and fog, dull, overcast skies, often accompanied by a persistent drizzle, that almost imperceptibly soaks into one’s clothes and, along with the cold, seeps into one’s bones as well.  There’s something about November which makes people want to curl up in front of a nice warm fire and hibernate. 

This November, the temperatures have been unseasonably mild so far, although the same cannot be said for the amount of rainfall. It’s almost as if mother nature is attempting to make up for the shortfalls experienced over the summer months, but for those struggling at the thought of paying their heating bills, the mild weather does at least provide some respite against astronomically rising energy costs.

I've written several previous posts about November, and each time I've written pretty much the same things, so at the risk of not boring people, I won't repeat myself. What I will say is the month does have its some good points, and the best of these are the appearance of seasonal dark beers, such as Old Ales Porter's and other wintry delight's.

Unlike previous years, I’m somewhat ahead of the game, having already tracked down both Larkin’s Porter, and Harvey's Old Ale. Finding the porter on sale at the Nelson Arms, a couple of weeks ago, was both a bonus and a big surprise, as up until now, it had always been something of a tradition for Larkin’s to hold back release of this strong and satisfying dark ale, until Bonfire Night. That’s this weekend, and a brief visit yesterday to Lewes, was proof that November 5^th celebrations are very much alive and kicking.

According to rumour, Larkin’s are making their porter beer much more widely available, and there was even talk of it being on sale all year round. Personally, I can’t see much porter being sold during the summer months, as whilst it is undoubtedly good, it really is a beer that is far more suited to late autumn and winter drinking. However, with founder and owner Bob Dockerty now in his 80’s, there might be a change of policy at Larkin’s, with the possible aim of introducing the porter to a wider audience.

It was that visit to Lewes which, unsurprisingly, provided the perfect opportunity to enjoy a glass of Harvey’s delectable XXXX Old Ale. It was just a glass, as I was driving, but I used the visit as an excuse to call in at the Harvey’s Shop to drop off the dozen empty bottles I’d accumulated over the past year (Harvey’s are one of the very few UK breweries to wash and then refill their empties), pick up a few full ones and also get my 4-pint carry-out container filled with something dark and strong.

I dropped off Mrs PBT’s at the large Tesco superstore, overlooking the River Ouse, and then took a walk along the footpath that runs adjacent to the river, and into Cliffe High Street. This part of the town was obviously preparing for the following day’s November 5^th celebrations, with banners hung across the street, commemorating the 17 Protestant martyrs, burned at the stake between 1555 and 1557, during the reign of Queen Mary. The town marks this event alongside celebrations marking the discovery of the 1605 plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament, so the anti-papal theme, evident in parts of the town, come as no surprise.

Lewes can become very over-crowded during the bonfire celebrations, so much so that non-residents of the town, are actively discouraged from attending. The large windows of Harvey’s Shop were shuttered with plywood, as a safety precaution, although there were signs yesterday, stating that the premises were open for business as usual. Before calling in there, I walked a little further, to the John Harvey Tavern, opposite the brewery entrance, confident that this pub, which acts as the brewery tap, would have Old Ale on sale.

My confidence was not misplaced, and whilst the pub was pleasantly busy, both inside and out, I was able to get served at the bar, more or less straight away. As might be expected of the brewery’s showcase pub, there was a wide range of Harvey’s beers on sale, alongside the Old, but I only had eyes for the one brew. XXXX Old Ale is one of my favourites of this style of beer, although it is only available during the autumn and winter months (October – March). It is only normally available in Harvey's tied pubs but can occasionally be found the free trade.

A bottled version is also produced, and several off licences close to where I live stock the beer, but for some inexplicable it is brewed to a significantly lower strength – 3.6%, as opposed to 4.3% for the cask version.  The cask was on top form at the John Harvey Tavern, but as we’d driven to Lewes, I could only have the one. I’d also arranged to meet Mrs PBT’s at the supermarket checkout.  There was a good mix of casual drinkers and more serious diners at the pub, with some from both groups, sitting outside, enjoying the unexpected bonus of a sunny day, after all the recent rain.

I finished my beer and headed to the brewery shop. There was quite a queue of customers waiting to be served, so I joined them after first selecting a few bottles. When it was my turn at the counter, I handed over my two bags of empties, along with my 4-pint container. As well as Best Bitter and Old Ale, the seasonal Bonfire Boy was also available on draught. In my opinion, the latter is one of the best seasonal ales in Harvey’s cannon, so I requested that my container be filled up.

I only just made it back to Tesco’s in time, but the lady of the house was in a good mood, having procured several items that hadn’t been available locally. The store itself was very busy, presumably due to people stocking up ahead of the following day bonfire celebrations. The local council had been busy putting out traffic cones, to restrict most on-street parking, and the lady on the checkout informed us that the store would be closing at 4pm on Saturday. 

That’s almost it for the time being, certainly on the beer front, although I am slowly replenishing my stock of bottles and cans ready for the approach of Christmas. I’d deliberately allowed stocks to run down over the summer months, and with foreign trips few and far between this year, there’s been little coming in from overseas. My visit to the Harvey Shop was just the beginning of this re-stocking exercise, and I’m looking at several other options for home drinking, including one or two of those 5 litre mini kegs. In the meantime, I’ve got a few pints of Bonfire Boy to get stuck into, so until the next post, it’s farewell for the time being.