A rare trip away plus an apology

I’ve been in East Anglia these past couple of days, on a hastily arranged visit to see my father. Because of the Covid-19 situation, dad’s care home is still not admitting visitors, but to the credit of the whole team there, residents and staff have managed to remain free of the virus, ever since it first raised its ugly little head.

This meant that son Matthew and I weren’t able to enter the home and instead had to communicate with dad through the window of his room. This wasn’t quite as easy as anticipated, as whilst the entire home is single storey, the ground at the rear slopes away. It was therefore necessary for Matthew and I to take turns standing on a stepladder; a surreal and rather comic experience, but one that was well worth it.

To be truthful, I’m not sure dad recognised the identity of the two strange men peering in through his window, but seeing as he hardly opened his eyes, that probably didn’t matter. We chatted, largely about nothing, as the Alzheimer’s cruelly continues to ravage his brain, depriving him of all but the most basic of memories, but he looked in reasonable shape for someone in his late 80’s.

The important thing is we saw him; the first time in 10 months for me, and over two years for Matthew - bad weather and Coronavirus both having played a role in preventing visits, up until now. We are fortunate that our choice of care home paid off, and that dad is being well looked after, in a compassionate and caring environment.

Now I know some people think nothing of driving halfway across the country, just to tick off a missing GBG pub or two, but it is a bit more of an expedition for me. For a start, I like my creature comforts, and whilst it is perfectly feasible to drive up to Norfolk and back in a day, I do like the luxury of an overnight stay.

Finding suitable accommodation proved something of a challenge, especially as the trip was hurriedly arranged at the end of one of the most stressful and tiring weeks I’ve experienced at work for a long time. Fortunately, the Premier Inn at King’s Lynn came to the rescue with a twin room for just £42. What’s more it provided the opportunity of exploring a town I’d only touched briefly on, in previous visits, so just after 11am Sunday morning, we jumped in the car and set off for deepest Norfolk.

We took Matthew’s car for a change, on what would be its first long drive since he acquired it two years ago. Even so it was dad who did nearly all the driving! Being an automatic, it took a bit of getting used to, and I had to keep reminding myself not to reach for the gear stick every time we approached a junction or came to a roundabout. We made good progress though, following a route that saw us turning off the A14 north of Newmarket, and cutting up towards Ely, via Soham.

We were in danger of arriving too early for our 2pm check-in, so turned off the A10 for a brief look around Downham Market. I’ve bypassed the town a few times, but this was the first opportunity to see the town at first hand. It seemed pleasant enough, although there wasn’t much open in the town on a Sunday afternoon, but the local Morrison’s proved handy to grab a £3 meal deal, and for a “comfort stop.” From there it was a short 11-mile drive to King’s Lynn and the fun and games trying to locate the Premier Inn – even with the aid of Matthew’s sat-nav.

Before going further, I’d like to apologise to Retired Martin, for not arranging a meet-up whilst in his part of the country. It ought to be a double apology as well, because after seeing dad we stopped off in nearby Dereham. We’d talked about a visit to the Cherry Tree pub, just off the town’s Market Place, as it appears on CAMRA’s National Inventory List, as having an interior of regional importance.

Martin has a friend who lives locally, but for reasons best known to himself, has never set foot in the pub. The plan was, that next time I was in Dereham to visit dad, we would meet up and make a point of calling in at the Cherry Tree to see what it was really like. Unfortunately, our whistle-stop visit precluded such a meeting, but if it’s any consolation Martin, I took a couple of photos as we walked by, and a quick look in through the windows indicated a pleasant and welcoming interior will await us, when we finally step inside.

I’ll leave things there for the time being, as I want to write separately about our visit to King’s Lynn, but our brief trip did mean time for some father-son bonding. It also provided a most welcome break from the day to day grind of work, and the over-crowded south east. It was also my first night away from home since February, when Mrs PBT’s and I took a trip to South Wales; albeit for a family funeral. We stayed at a Premier Inn on that occasion too – it will be worthwhile us buying shares in the chain at this rate!

Caught on camera

I’ve always been a firm believer in the power of using photos to illustrate my blog posts; after all a picture tells a thousand words, so with this in mind it was photos, of other illustrations, right from the word go. Wherever possible, I used my own photos, but when there was nothing appropriate or, I didn’t have a suitable picture to illuminate my point, I reverted to good old Google Images. 

This is a great way to enhance my blog, thought I and, what’s more, it’s quick, convenient, contains fine examples of what I’m looking for and above all it’s free. Unfortunately, I was wrong on that last point; very wrong in fact, for you see gentle readers, I was blissfully unaware of the law of copyright. Click on virtually any photo or picture on Google Images and you will notice the following disclaimer, in small print, underneath. “Images may be subject to copyright.”

After ignoring this warning a few times, I thought I’d better look into the issue a little deeper. I discovered that photographs are considered as “Intellectual Property,” and thus belong to the person who created them (took the photo, basically).  Based on what I discovered I took the decision to only use my own photographs or, if I did use examples from Google Images, I would ensure they were “free to use” and in the “public domain.” If you want to explore this area further, the UK Government’s website provides an interesting overview on copyright and intellectual property rights.

Since that moment of enlightenment, I haven’t really looked back, and would go as far as saying creating that perfect photo is part and parcel of producing a successful blog post, and also part of the fun. With even bottom of the range Smart Phones having a built-in high-definition camera, we’re all photographers now, and as long as you’ve got you phone handy, then there’s every chance of taking that perfect shot.

This leads nicely on to the main point of this post, which is do you need permission to take that all important snap? And is the act of pointing a camera at someone an infringement of their own personal liberty?  The answer to both questions is “no,” at least in the UK and with certain provisos, but even then, this is a very grey area, given the almost universal prevalence of Smart Phone cameras.  

I admit to being somewhat circumspect when I take photos, and in some situations, such as a quiet pub, have sometimes asked the proprietor if it’s OK to take photos. In virtually all cases it is, but a couple of weeks ago I was caught out and asked, quire pointedly, what I was doing. Son Matthew found this far more embarrassing than I did, but as he often moans when I stop to take a photo, whilst we’re out and about, he for once, felt vindicated.

It was Sunday morning and we’d been for breakfast at a small café in Tonbridge. You can read about it here. After an excellent breakfast, I took several photos as we made our way out of the café, before pausing outside to take a few shots of the exterior. Looking back I wasn’t particularly discreet with my camera pointing, so it was no surprise that the manager followed us outside.

She asked, with a hint of irritation in her voice, “May I enquire why you’re taking photos?”  I understood her concern, especially given the situation regarding Coronavirus, so I hurriedly explained that I was not from the local council or the government, and there were no sinister reasons for me taking photos of her premises.

I handed her a business card and told her I was a beer writer, with my own blog about beer, pubs and travel. My son and I had just enjoyed an excellent breakfast in her café, and I would be giving the place a good write-up.  I’m not sure she believed me, but the incident did add fuel to Matthew’s sense of snap-happy and rather embarrassing father.

I appreciate that things are difficult for many businesses, and that given the current restrictions, and the media-induced state of panic and paranoia surrounding anything even remotely connected with Covid-19, it’s understandable for owners of pubs, bars and restaurants to think that some “do-gooder” is out to get them, by attempting to show their premises in a bad light.

I will therefore be even more circumspect than usual and, where necessary, explain, out of courtesy, why I would like to take photos, whilst emphasising that I am NOT some government lackey, or local-authority prod-nose!  

 

A glass of virtual Covid-19, anyone?

Well dearie, dearie me, CAMRA – the Campaign for Real Ale, has scored yet another spectacular own goal, and this time they appear to have done so without even trying (if you’ll excuse the rugby pun).

The massive faux pas revolves around the design chosen for the glasses, that will be used for the group’s Virtual Great British Beer Festival 2020, which takes place between Friday 11^th to Sunday 13^th September.

Now as far as I’m concerned, the whole concept of a “virtual festival” is absurd, but I’ll come onto that in a minute, but the glasses produced to mark this event are covered in pictograms that depict a virus. The organisers say the design represents Covid-19, which they claim is the defining event of 2020, but they have come in for some sharp criticism for their choice.

Irrespective of Covid-19 being one of the pivotal events of the year, the virus that has caused this global pandemic is something most people would rather forget. This especially applies to all those who have lost family and friends due to Covid-19, and everyone else whose life has been adversely affected by this disease.

Beer drinkers have taken to Twitter, and other forms of social media, to express their anger and distaste at such an insensitive choice of design. The festival organiser has issued an apology, whilst defending what is depicted on the glass. She claimed that because she personally suffered lung damage after contracting Covid-19, this somehow makes the design alright.

Whilst she has my sympathy for the adverse effects brought on by this virus, I somehow don’t follow her logic, and neither does it appear, do many others.  One critic responded, “Oh dear. It will make it look like you have Covid in your beer! Wonder who thought this was a good idea.” Another retorted, “So off the mark and insensitive. The official ‘apology’ is a joke as well. Acknowledge the mistake and make amends now.”

There were others of course, expressing their support for the glass, but whatever peoples’ views are, this was not a wise choice of design, and no amount of grovelling and back-pedalling is going to undo the damage this incident has done to the already flagging fortunes of the Campaign for Real Ale.

As for the event itself, the very idea of a “virtual festival” is complete nonsense, and like all the other ridiculous “virtual” events that have sprung up over the course of the pandemic, is an absurdity. The event organisers say “visitors” can purchase a ticket to what they describe as a weekend of live beer tastings, a series of which will take place each day. The tastings will be led by an “expert panel” of CAMRA luvvies.

Ticket holders will receive one of the aforementioned souvenir festival glasses, along with 11 beers to enable them to participate in two of the live tasting sessions. There are seven sets of beers to choose from, plus a cider & perry selection for those who prefer something a little different, but at £46 a set, this represents poor value for money – even if it does include packing and shipping costs.

Rather surprisingly,  tickets for all sessions have sold out, so perhaps I’m just being over-critical of the event but come-on people, the pubs are open, so why go to a “virtual”  pub, when you can enjoy the real thing?  Honestly, I  really do find the whole concept of these on-line happenings, absurd. Where is the atmosphere, the vibes or the feel normally associated with a beer festival? What pleasure, and what thrill is there in sitting in front of a computer screen, sipping at a beer whilst some “expert” sniffs,  swirls and waffles on about how great it is?

Now that the nations’ pubs have re-opened, I know where I’d rather be – enjoying a few beers, with friends amongst the banter of a local pub, mixing (at an acceptable distance, of course), with real people, necking drinks of my own choice.

The final words go to CAMRA, who claim that membership of the organisation helps support a brewing and pub industry that has unusually hard-hit by the Covid-19 crisis. Oh, the irony, and the absurdity behind this statement, when the very same organisation is promoting an event that encourages people to stay at home and drink “virtually,” in front of a computer screen!

 

Breweries - once you've seen one, you've seen them all?

Over the course of the past 45 years I’ve visited more breweries than you could shake a stick at. That’s probably not quite true, but at the last count, and I’m sure I might have missed some, I’ve been shown round 35 breweries, here in Blighty, and 19 overseas.

Those breweries on home soil, include 20 established/ family concerns and 15 micro-breweries. The latter ranging from “man in a shed” and pub breweries, to some quite substantial operations – Dark Star, Woodfordes and Hog’s Back. I haven’t included breweries visited, in order to collect beer for parties or beer festivals; if I had names such as Boddingtons, Brakspear’s, Wethereds, Palmers and Robinsons would feature on my list, even though the first three are no longer with us.

The overseas operations include 9 in mainland Europe, one in Ireland (Guinness naturally), and 7 in the United States. Apart from Guinness, there are some other “big boys” amongst this lot, including Carlsberg, Heineken, Pilsner Urquell and Stone Brewing (Richmond). I haven’t included the substantial number of brewpubs in Germany and the Czech Republic, where I have enjoyed beers brewed on the premises, but not viewed the actual brewing plant.

So, what exactly is the appeal of a brewery visit, and as some would day, once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Let’s answer the first one to begin with, and it does actually depend on the type of brewery it is. For example, there is far more to see at an established brewery such as Harvey’s, Elgood’s or Greene King.

These are family owned concerns with heritage and pedigree behind them. The same could be said of De Halve Maan in Bruges, their West Flanders neighbours Rodenbach, or Schumacher in Düsseldorf. All these places are fascinating combinations of old and new; factors which provide plenty of interest and lots of things to look at. Sadly other, traditional breweries such as Fremlin’s, Morland’s, Ridley’s and Young's are no longer with us, but at least I had the privilege of touring them whilst they were still brewing.  

Of far less appeal are the ultra-modern mega-breweries, where everything is enclosed and there is little to catch one’s interest. The aforementioned “big boys” fall into this category, although Pilsner Urquell in Plzen, does at least mange to blend in some old plant with the new. Guinness, on the other hand, was a real disappointment with virtually nothing, apart from a collection of monstrous stainless-steel vessels and tanks to look at.

Some micro-breweries are also staggeringly boring to look at, particularly if they are housed in a modern, look-alike, industrial unit. If the premises are converted agricultural or industrial buildings, then this is much better, especially if the premises have some character and pedigree associated with them.

That’s the first question put to bed, and it sort of answers the second by dismissing the absurd statement of having seen one, then you’ve seen them all. This quite clearly isn’t true, even though the process and mechanics of brewing are basically the same, despite the huge variances in size, construction and layout. In addition, as someone who was a keen home-brewer, a tour round a brewery provides insight into the brewing process and on occasion will give tips and ideas

Most brewery visits end with a sampling of the products, and some breweries are naturally far more generous than others. For some visitors this is the most interesting section of the tour, and for a handful, perhaps the sole reason for embarking on such a trip. Only real cynics, or out and out philistines would have such an attitude, but it does exist.

The end of tour enjoyment should be an opportunity for the brewery concerned to show off their wares and demonstrate the care and skill that has gone into creating each individual beer, and yet again some companies do this better than others.  A charge that covers both the brewers, or their tour guides time is not unreasonable and especially so if the sampling room is generous. Some breweries will even include food as part of the package, and here a fee to cover this really should be expected.

Now some facts and figures about the 50+ brewery tours I have experienced over the past four and a half decades.

First brewery tour – Marston’s, Burton-on-Trent c. 1974.

Most recent tour, Cellar Head, Frant, 2019.

Best and most interesting tour(s) – Harvey’s, Lewes. I’ve undertaken at least four tours of Harvey’s, and possibly a fifth. Head Brewer, Miles Jenner has been the guide for all but one of these visits, and he is a real entertainer, as well as a font of knowledge of all things brewing. Last tour – April 2019.

Most unusual tour – Elgood’s, Wisbech c. late 1990’s. Elgood’s retain a classic, open wort cooler, known as a “cool ship” at the top of the brewery; similar to the one I viewed at De Halve Maan Brewery in Bruges.

This wasn’t the real surprise though, as after chatting to the head gardener, after looking round the brewery, I was given my own private tour of the four-acre, enclosed gardens behind the Georgian brewery buildings. The gardens were in the process of being restored to their former brewery and are now open to the public (not at present, due to Covid-19 restrictions).

Most missed brewery – Young’s, formerly of Wandsworth, London.  A cask stalwart that stood firm against the keg-tide that threatened to engulf British brewing in the early 1970’s. Sorely missed, and only closed after former charismatic chairman John Young, had passed away. 

Driest brewery tour - Hall & Woodhouse (Badger), Blandford Forum c. early 1990's.  The family and I were staying in a rented, holiday
cottage, in a small village, about 5 miles outside Blandford. We'd called in at the brewery, earlier that day, and discovered a tour was taking place that evening. I was able to join the tour, but unfortunately had to drive myself there and back.The post-tour sampling was consequently very limited, although the company did provide me with a selection of bottles to take home. 

I'm sure you've probably got the picture now and, with luck, have realised that no matter how similar they might appear at first site, brewery tours are very much distinctive and different from each other. So, if you get the chance to join one, don't turn it down.

Take the long way home

Apologies for the rather lengthy introduction to this post, but please bear with me as the points raised are not only relevant, but help to set the scene. They revolve around my journey home from work and the fact that, over the course of the summer, my drive home has often necessitated me taking a slightly different route.

My choice has, at times, been dictated by the weather, but the influence played by local geography should also be taken into account. My drive to and from work involves crossing  over the River Medway; the largest river in Kent. The Medway rises on the high ground of Ashdown Forest, before making its way to Tonbridge, Maidstone and then eventually out to sea. 

My home town of Tonbridge is the limit of navigation for all but the smallest of boats, but this still doesn’t prevent the  river from forming a significant barrier to travel by land. Apart from the viaduct that carries the A21 trunk road across the Medway flood plain, the next crossing, upstream from the town, is at Ensfield Bridge, between Leigh and Haysden. The crossing here forms part of my normal route, but  unfortunately it is prone to flooding. This means that following prolonged spells of heavy rain I am forced to use the crossing further upstream at Penshurst.

For several months now, I have been travelling home via the Penshurst route; not because of flooding, but more so because of the irresponsible behaviour of groups of “yoofs.” You see Ensfield Bridge has become popular, during spells of hot weather, as a place where the local idiots can jump off the parapet, and “dive-bomb” into the water below. Not the safest of pastimes, and one that has become known, not without some degree of irony, as “tomb-stoning”  in maritime areas, where people jump off from rocks and even piers, into the sea. 

This doesn't always end well, especially when there are underwater obstructions, or the water is not as deep as the jumpers believe, but whatever the appeal of this rather reckless behaviour, it does seem to have increased in popularity and prevalence over the course of this increasingly strange summer. If people are stupid enough to risk injuring themselves in this fashion, that’s up to them and if they are removed from the gene pool, then this is natural selection at work, but they should consider the impact this could have on loved ones and on increasingly stretched healthcare resources, before doing so.

That’s enough pontificating, but these activities have often obstructed the road that runs over the bridge, due to the limited amount of car-parking spaces available at this spot. In normal times, this would be where anglers, walkers or local farmers would park their vehicles, but with the “tomb-stoning” craze at its height, there have been times when the road has been  blocked and virtually impassable.

So when the sun is shining and the mercury is high in the glass, I tend to take the slightly longer homeward route, via Penshurst. This isn’t too much out of my way, and does make for a pleasant change of scenery. Penshurst is an attractive village and is home to Penshurst Place;  a 14^th Century  manor house that has remained largely untouched since late medieval times. It is also home to the Leicester Arms; an imposing inn situated almost opposite the entrance to Penshurst Place.

The  Leicester Arms had been closed for some months, before the start of lock-down, so driving past one afternoon in early July, I was pleased to notice the pub had reopened. A couple of days later, I saw a couple of drinkers, sat out at a tables in front of the pub, obviously enjoying a pint.

I felt as if I ought to be joining them, so for several weeks I thought about leaving work early, and calling in for a pint. There’s something really attractive about sitting out in front of a pub, bar or café, preferably with a beer in front of one, and then just watching the world go by. A picturesque village such as Penshurst, attracts plenty of passers-by, especially now that the stately pile has re-opened (for pre-bookings only), so yesterday I took the opportunity of paying  the Leicester Arms a visit, on my way home.

I arrived shortly after 4.30pm, and after negotiating the narrow entrance to the car park, made my way to the front of the pub and stepped inside. The Leicester Arms still has the look and feel of an old fashioned country hotel, with an entrance lobby, reception area, plus dining and restaurant areas towards the rear of the building. The spacious bar area leads off to the right, and although it is a while since I last called in, not much seems to have changed; apart from an obvious spruce up.

For many years the Leicester Arms traded off the fact that film stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton had stayed at the hotel whilst filming a period drama set in the nearby Penshurst Place. There were some modern-day guests staying whilst I was there, which I took as a good sign – see below.

There was the by now obligatory hand-gel dispenser by the door, but apart from that no other obvious track and trace procedures.  I approached the bar and ordered myself a pint of Larkin’s Traditional. A beer from Brakspear’s was the other offering, but with Larkin’s brewed just a few miles away,  I prefer to remain  local.

I told the barmaid that I wanted to pay cash, which was fine, and handed over a tenner, but after her colleague had pulled my pint, she took it round the corner of the bar, and left it on a tray, complete with my change. All nice and professional, and presented with a friendly welcome as well.

I headed outside for the front of the pub, but before I left, another customer appeared and ordered pint of Guinness. He asked if he could put the beer on his room – a clue that he was actually staying at the hotel. Another clue came shortly after, when he joined me outside, at one of the other tables, and shouted up at someone looking out from an upstairs window. I presumed correctly that this was  another member of his party.

A young lad then appeared who turned out to be connected with the hotel owners. He very commendably asked the guest with the Guinness, as to why he wasn’t drinking Larkin’s. The chap looked puzzled until the boy explained it was the local ale, brewed just down the road. He muttered something about always drinking Guinness, but if truth be known he really should have been drinking Larkin’s, as it was exceptionally good.

It was by far the best pint of cask I’ve had since before lock-down, and worth every penny of the £4.25 I paid; not too bad a price for the area, the hotel and the general rise in prices, after re-opening. More to the point, it was that good that I awarded it a very rare 4.5 on the NBSS.  

I sat there enjoying my pint, watching the passers-by – dog-walkers, ramblers, visitors to Penshurst Place and no doubt locals from the village as well. I accept that lovers of the traditional pub will probably be aghast at this blatant enjoyment of café culture, and will mumble amongst themselves that I should be inside, soaking up the totally different atmosphere of the dimly-lit bar, but to hell with them. I enjoyed my little moment of beer appreciation and people watching.

As I made my way back to the car, I noticed a garden area, complete with tables and umbrellas, at rear of pub, opposite car-park. There were several groups of customers taking advantage of the early evening sunshine whilst enjoying a drink and a chat together.

All this, and more is evidence that the great British pub is still alive and kicking – even for those sat inside in the bar. Long may it continue!

 

Breakfast at Goodfellas

With pubs, bars and restaurants re-open now, albeit under certain restraints and conditions (more stringent in some, than in others), it was time for father and son team, Paul and Matthew to venture out in search of that traditional, old favourite, Sunday breakfast. But with some outlets still closed, and other operating with restricted opening times, the big question was, where to go?

Not wishing to risk the displeasure of Mrs PBT’s, we’d ruled out Wetherspoon’s (don't ask!), but even long-time fan Matthew admitted that a Spoon’s breakfast was very hit and miss these days. One possibility was the Hilden Manor, but it wasn’t clear whether booking was necessary at this Beefeater establishment. This then was where I came up with the idea of the Chaser at Shipbourne.

The latter is a scattered settlement of houses spread around the periphery of a large open green; a piece of open ground that’s almost large enough to be called a “common.” The Chaser is a large and impressive pub with a tile-hung exterior, and white-painted veranda, which overlooks the green. It is part of the Whiting & Hammond chain of pubs, which means it is very much food oriented. A check of the pub’s website the night before, confirmed that breakfast was available between 9am & 11am, so we set of in Matthew’s car, arriving just before 10am.

Before going any further, it’s worth noting that Whiting & Hammond also run the Little Brown Jug in the village where I work, the King’s Head at Bessels Green, near Sevenoaks and, slightly further afield, the Cricketers at Meopham.  Matthew and I had breakfasted previously at the first two pubs, so knew the quality would be good, but what we didn’t anticipate were the hungry hordes!

The car park was rammed full and the nearest available parking space, on the green, was practically in the next parish. The sight of all these vehicles, and nowhere to park, indicated that the pub was most likely full too, so without even stopping, Matthew made a quick circuit of the green before heading back to Tonbridge.

We parked up next to the castle, and descended to the High Street, past the remains of the medieval curtain wall. I was reasonably confident that the nearby Chequers would be open, but unfortunately, I was wrong, and the front door was well and truly shut.  The Gatehouse, opposite was also closed, so we did a quick about-turn, and headed off back down the High Street in the direction of the station.

We passed the Humphrey Bean – Tonbridge’s local Wetherspoon’s outlet on the way, but that looked crowded, so we continued making our way, in a southerly direction, with the provisional idea of calling in at Jimmy’s Café, just behind the station.  A few shops away from Spoon’s though, we noticed that Goodfellas Café was open, and what’s more the breakfast offering advertised in the window was looking good.

Until quite recently, Goodfellas was called Jenny’s and to add to the confusion, there is another establishment called Jel’s Café & Sandwich Bar, next door. It always struck me as strange to have two similar cafés next to each other, but despite having lived in Tonbridge for the past three and a half decades, curiosity never got the better of me, and Sunday was the first time I’d set foot in either establishment.

We chose Goodfellas because Jel’s was shut, but on balance it also looked the better of the two. We were ushered in by the friendly waitress, pausing briefly for a dollop of hand gel. The café was thin and quite narrow, extending back a long way. I remarked on

this, and the waitress agreed it was rather like Dr Who’s Tardis.  I mentioned this to Mrs PBT’s, when we arrived back home, and she told us that the café used to be Tonbridge’s Wimpy Bar. She should know, having been born in the town and this,  coupled with a mis-spent youth frequenting cafes and burger bars, means she's always been quite an expert on local eateries.

We were shown to one of the far tables, suitably socially distanced from other diners, and after ordering a large cup of tea each, flicked through the menu to see what was on offer.  Matthew was tempted by the Traditional Breakfast, but then changed his mind when I told him there was nothing “traditional” in having chips with one’s egg, sausage and bacon!

In the end we both opted for the “build your own” option; Matthew taking rather more options than his father! One egg, one sausage, two rashers of bacon, one hash brown, grilled tomato and slice of toast was fine for me, and was enough to keep me going until early evening,

The food was good quality, well-cooked, nicely presented and good value; so yes, we will return. In the meantime, it was good to discover another decent cafe in the town, even if it was somewhere I’d been walking past for over three decades!

Moving in the right direction

I took three days off from work at the end of last week. I didn’t go away anywhere and didn’t do anything terribly exciting, but it was nice just being away from the workplace for five days and just generally chilling out.

The reason I wanted to write this piece is I have noticed encouraging signs of something like a return to normal. For example, I had to take my car in for a spot of work last Wednesday, and after dropping it off at a garage on North Farm Industrial Estate, I took a stroll along to High Brooms station from where I caught the train back to Tonbridge.

My original plan had been to walk back, via the cycle-way that runs parallel to, separate from the main A21 trunk road, but with 30 degrees of heat, and no shade, I didn’t fancy a three and a half mile walk. Instead I let the train take the strain, as the ads used to say, and was heartened by the number of people waiting to board at High Brooms.

Arriving back in Tonbridge, I thought I’d chance getting a much needed haircut – my first since early March. Walking up to my usual barber’s I was just studying  the sign on the door about how to make an appointment, when the owner popped her head out and asked if I’d made a booking.

I said that I hadn’t, so she said she could fit me in, if I wanted. Well, after sweltering in the heat, with a mop of unruly hair, I of course said yes, but before sitting down in the chair, there were the Covid safety procedures to perform. Name and contact number, followed by having my temperature taken. I was slightly concerned that having walked up from the station, the reading might have been too high, so I was rather shocked when I was informed it was 34° C!

If her thermometer was that accurate, I would have been suffering from hypothermia, so rather than relate this information I instead  just smiled sweetly and said nothing. It was nice and cool in the barbers, due to the recently installed air-conditioning, and whilst in the chair, we’d chatted about trade and the situation in general. The hairdresser’s had been busy, and whilst operating mainly on an appointment basis, the proprietor said that she wasn’t going to turn away walk-up trade, if the shop was quiet.

One haircut later, and a promise to send my son up for a haircut as well, I was on my way to pick up some shopping, before heading home. Tonbridge High Street was bustling as I walked along to son Matthew’s shop to inform him it was safe for him to get a haircut. The hardware store he works at has remained busy, since reopening at the end of June, and the same seemed true of several other nearby shops. I was tempted to stop off for a coffee, but wanted to get home before temperatures climbed much higher.

The following day I was up extra early, as we were due to have a section of our garden fencing replaced. The contractors advised they would be on site between 7.30 and 8am, and true to form they were ringing the bell at just after 7.30am.  There were just two of them, but they worked like a couple of Trojans, slaving  away in the heat and high humidity of the summer heatwave.

I kept them liberally supplied with cold drinks and coffee (most contractors drink tea, surely?), nipping out for a short while in order to drive Mrs PBT’s to her place of work. The fencers were finished, just after 1pm, having replaced three damaged and two missing panels, along with new fence posts, where necessary.

We’d been waiting to get that job completed since the winter storms had first wreaked havoc with our fence, back at the end of last October, so that was another item to cross off the list. In the weeks leading up to the installation, I had the job of removing a Leylandii conifer hedge, that was long passed its prime, so whilst the garden looks a little bare at present, I will be planting some less rampant and far more colourful replacement shrubs.

Friday proved a welcome chance for a trip out. The weather was a lot cooler, so Mrs PBT’s and I took a drive down to Peasmarsh, in order to pick up some “luxury” grocery items from the Jempson’s  superstore on the edge of the village. I have written about this emporium before, so won’t repeat myself here, but it proved an enjoyable ride out in the country and the chance to do something a little different.

One thing we did notice was the leaves on many of the trees were already starting to turn yellow. Some were even brown, indicating that autumn has either come early, or that the trees were suffering from a lack of water, given the near drought conditions we’ve experienced over the past few months.

Continuing in that vein, I’ve noticed a similar autumnal effect on many of the trees, whilst out on my regular lunchtime walks. I’ve also come across plenty of ripe blackberries, whilst out on these jaunts; another indicator that autumn is on its way.

The following day we drove over to Gravesend, for a socially-distanced get together in the garden, with Eileen’s brother and his girlfriend. It was quite wet on the drive over, but fortunately there was a large gazebo which kept us dry.

Keeping us wet, on the inside, was some draught beer which Mrs PBT’s brother had collected earlier from the local Iron Pier Brewery. I took a look at their website, which demonstrated that Iron Pier produce a myriad of different beers – far too many in my eyes, but their standard bitter that we glugged was a very drinkable, dark and malty 4.0% brew, which went well with the fish and chips, ordered from a local takeaway.

The point of this article is not so much to bore readers with domestic trivia, but to demonstrate  that a degree of normality is starting to return to our lives. Yes it's a pain having to wear face-masks in shops and other places, but if they allow us to mingle more freely whilst we go about our business, then I can put up with it for a while longer.

Getting that much needed haircut was another step in the right direction, as was that ride on the train. It was encouraging to notice a lot more passengers than on my previous journey, three weeks before, and whilst I didn’t get the chance to visit any pubs over the course of my short break, I’ve received reports from friends that suggest things are picking up too in the licensed trade.