Unexpected Pleasures
I keep enjoying not going to the Bubble.
Wednesday, I was meant to go to London and do the Scott and Shackleton exhibition and the Hockney, but after Worlds Apart I lacked the energy, and thought about a trip to the seaside, only to leap upon a bus to Ashford. I was seized with the idea of drinking Abigale Samphire, but it's not at all clear who sells this and the Locomotive seemed the best best. Only I realised that the bus going to Ashford was also going to Tenterden, which is close to The Old Dairy Brewery, and maybe that would be fun. After all, deep in the heart of Kent's hopfields is bound to be a good place to find beer.
Well.
There's The White Lion, which has interesting beers, but one of them was Marston's, and another was from the New Forest, and it is good to support LocAle as far as you can. The other two pubs in Tenterden are Shepherd's Neame, which I can avoid drinking all over Kent, so after fish and chips watching a steam train, the buying of a local beer (Rother Valley Brewery Blue, Northiam, Sussex) and an Americano in Caffe Nerd, I caught the bus to the Chequers, High Halden. The choice here was Fullers London Pride (which shouldn't be drunk for political reasons) and Harvey's Sussex Best, which is very drinkable.
I then set off walking to Bethersden, past the Fat Ox (Sheps) and the Bull Inn (Sheps), to the George, clearly a former Courage pub, now a freehouse, about three miles away. There was a choice of four ales, but the Kent Brewery Pale Ale was the only local choice I fancied, and this was very pleasant indeed.
The journey home was a little more stressful - the bus ran late, I had to change at Ashford, and then change again, despite the destination on the bus frontage. I passed a number of pubs that look worth checking out - the Hoodener's Horse at Great Chart for a start (which might be on the Stour Valley Walk ... hmmm).
On Thursday, I needed to see a potential student, and hoped that I would be finished in time for the 11.50 number five bus to Whitstable via the big Tesco. However, it was clear that I would miss it, and I pondered going to Sandwich, but I ran into an 89 bus for Dover, which I've never used. This took me through various old pit villages and Miss Marple stylee villages, some what of a mix. At the back of my head was visiting the Prince Albert, where there were rumours of Abigales, and, yes, the nearby secondhand bookshop.
However, when I went into the pub, it had Brakspeare and Timothy Taylors, both nice but not Kent or Sussex. By then, a Facebook message had suggested that Old Brewery Dairy's Wild Hop was to be found at the Beret, in Walmer - a bus ride from Dover, a walk from Deal - and multiply CAMRA East Kent Pub of the year. It looks as if this was the pub for the old barracks, which was once in Walmer and now is a private estate. In September 1989 there was an IRA bombing at the Royal Marines School of Music; the remains of the chapel (burned down in 2003) is still visible among some toytown housing.
A very cute cat was waiting for me as I arrived, and eventually followed me indoors, and decided to sit on me whilst I drank. There were eight hand pumps of bitter, with a couple of ciders and perrys. I sampled Wantsum Yellow Tail 4.5% (the first Wantsum I've likes; I gather the name is taken from a French nickname for the Kentish), Old Dairy Silver Top 4.5% (a dark, coffee-flavoured beer), Dark Star Black Coffee Pilsner 4.8% (Czech-stylee lager) and Gadds' No. 3 10th Anniversary Brew 5% (a revived version of the original recipe from 2002). This was the last of the barrel of the Dark Star - I've had better - but fortunately the Oakleaf Stoker's Stout which replaced it was from Hampshire not Kent nor Sussex. I will be back.
I walked to the coast, and followed it round past the new bandstand and the Deal busstop, along the Saxon Shore Way. This was perfect timing for the bus back home via Sandwich. Again, I passed a few pubs which look worth checking out. I have to say my bladder wasn't really up to a seventy minute journey... and the learner driver made it a little bit stressful.
Wednesday, I was meant to go to London and do the Scott and Shackleton exhibition and the Hockney, but after Worlds Apart I lacked the energy, and thought about a trip to the seaside, only to leap upon a bus to Ashford. I was seized with the idea of drinking Abigale Samphire, but it's not at all clear who sells this and the Locomotive seemed the best best. Only I realised that the bus going to Ashford was also going to Tenterden, which is close to The Old Dairy Brewery, and maybe that would be fun. After all, deep in the heart of Kent's hopfields is bound to be a good place to find beer.
Well.
There's The White Lion, which has interesting beers, but one of them was Marston's, and another was from the New Forest, and it is good to support LocAle as far as you can. The other two pubs in Tenterden are Shepherd's Neame, which I can avoid drinking all over Kent, so after fish and chips watching a steam train, the buying of a local beer (Rother Valley Brewery Blue, Northiam, Sussex) and an Americano in Caffe Nerd, I caught the bus to the Chequers, High Halden. The choice here was Fullers London Pride (which shouldn't be drunk for political reasons) and Harvey's Sussex Best, which is very drinkable.
I then set off walking to Bethersden, past the Fat Ox (Sheps) and the Bull Inn (Sheps), to the George, clearly a former Courage pub, now a freehouse, about three miles away. There was a choice of four ales, but the Kent Brewery Pale Ale was the only local choice I fancied, and this was very pleasant indeed.
The journey home was a little more stressful - the bus ran late, I had to change at Ashford, and then change again, despite the destination on the bus frontage. I passed a number of pubs that look worth checking out - the Hoodener's Horse at Great Chart for a start (which might be on the Stour Valley Walk ... hmmm).
On Thursday, I needed to see a potential student, and hoped that I would be finished in time for the 11.50 number five bus to Whitstable via the big Tesco. However, it was clear that I would miss it, and I pondered going to Sandwich, but I ran into an 89 bus for Dover, which I've never used. This took me through various old pit villages and Miss Marple stylee villages, some what of a mix. At the back of my head was visiting the Prince Albert, where there were rumours of Abigales, and, yes, the nearby secondhand bookshop.
However, when I went into the pub, it had Brakspeare and Timothy Taylors, both nice but not Kent or Sussex. By then, a Facebook message had suggested that Old Brewery Dairy's Wild Hop was to be found at the Beret, in Walmer - a bus ride from Dover, a walk from Deal - and multiply CAMRA East Kent Pub of the year. It looks as if this was the pub for the old barracks, which was once in Walmer and now is a private estate. In September 1989 there was an IRA bombing at the Royal Marines School of Music; the remains of the chapel (burned down in 2003) is still visible among some toytown housing.
A very cute cat was waiting for me as I arrived, and eventually followed me indoors, and decided to sit on me whilst I drank. There were eight hand pumps of bitter, with a couple of ciders and perrys. I sampled Wantsum Yellow Tail 4.5% (the first Wantsum I've likes; I gather the name is taken from a French nickname for the Kentish), Old Dairy Silver Top 4.5% (a dark, coffee-flavoured beer), Dark Star Black Coffee Pilsner 4.8% (Czech-stylee lager) and Gadds' No. 3 10th Anniversary Brew 5% (a revived version of the original recipe from 2002). This was the last of the barrel of the Dark Star - I've had better - but fortunately the Oakleaf Stoker's Stout which replaced it was from Hampshire not Kent nor Sussex. I will be back.
I walked to the coast, and followed it round past the new bandstand and the Deal busstop, along the Saxon Shore Way. This was perfect timing for the bus back home via Sandwich. Again, I passed a few pubs which look worth checking out. I have to say my bladder wasn't really up to a seventy minute journey... and the learner driver made it a little bit stressful.