The Royal Oak, Friday Street near Horsham 24th November 2007

I got the opportunity to come back to this pub rather sooner than expected (see post before last), to celebrate the end of the landlady's first year.

Although the pub was again full to bursting with customers, today they were amicable, even jolly, and the atmosphere was good.

Dark Star Sarah (and Clive's) Birthday Beer (4.7%): Solid tasty malty dark bitter. Very pleasant although a bit strong to start the evening.

Dark Star Best Bitter (4.0%): Very bitter tasting dark malty bitter.
Surrey Hills Ranmore Ale (3.8%): Delicate flowery hoppy beer.
Dark Star Smoke (5.0%): Dark smoky malty beer. A bit odd to start but it grows on you.

There was a fantastic buffet, morris dancing, a birthday cake and a traditional music session.

I'm very glad I came back and reassessed my view. An excellent pub.

The BBC Good Food Show, Olympia 16th November 2007

Managed to get a press ticket to this popular event.

The drinks section was branded "The fine wines, beers and spirits show", and I was looking forward to visiting the stands and tasting some of those fine beers.

Unfortunately there were no real ales present; no breweries, no CAMRA, nothing relating to real beer.

So the beers mentioned in the logo? Well there were three lager stands: Kingfisher, Singha (Thailand) and Cusquena (Peru). These were interesting to compare (the Singha was quite good for mass produced lager) but I'm now wondering if the adjective "fine" applied only to the wine.

There were some good whiskies available to try, but as neither my ticket nor any pre-publicity I'd seen failed to mention that the food stands closed hours before the drinks section, I managed to miss the whole of that section.

Overall badly organised and a disappointment. I was very pleased I hadn't wasted the best part of £20 for a ticket.

The Royal Oak, Friday Street near Horsham 10th November 2007

I was really looking forward to visiting this haunt of Sussex beer aficionados.

Whether I happened to go on an unusually busy night I don’t know, but I was unprepared for the sheer rudeness of the customers. It’s a small pub with low ceilings and narrow doorways, which makes standing in them all the more stupid, in my opinion.

I tried twice to get to the bar and twice gave up. There was Cajun food available which was lovely, except for the fight to get a plate, the fight to get a place in the queue, and then the fight to get to the serving spoon.

When I finally reached the bar I found eight real ales and a cider on.

Grand Union English Wheat Beer (4.4%): Pleasant although a bit dishwatery. Very pale.
Grand Union One Hop: Progress (4.5%): Tasty malty light coloured beer with a long, strong hoppy aftertaste.
Surrey Hills Ranmore Ale (3.8%): Unprepossessing tasteless light coloured beer.
Dark Star Old Ale (4.0%): Tasty rounded malty old, with a slight tang.

The first time I was served I had to wait until every other person had been served around me, regardless of how long they’d been waiting. I asked sensible questions about the beers but was not offered any samples, even though others around me were. I was served a half in a lined but chipped pint glass, and was generally disenchanted by the whole experience.

I will give this pub another chance because so many people say how great it is, but I’m nowhere near convinced. The one thing I can’t fault is the choice of beers that was available. The beer quality was good but not spectacular.

The Britannia, Euston Station 20th October 2007

With some time to make my train connection I thought I’d have a quick half in the pub on Euston station.

I was so shocked by the service I received, I didn’t even write down what beer I got. I asked for a half, and although I could clearly see empty and apparently clean half glasses behind the bar, I was served in an unlined pint glass. When I asked why my drink wasn’t in a half glass I was told that there was none available.

I then said that I was happy to drink what I’d been given but I thought it might be illegal to sell beer in this fashion. The bar man, whose English wasn’t great, looked at me with horror, thought I was causing trouble, and ran to get the manager. She appeared and told him that he should have served the drink in a half glass, waived one at him, and ignored me. The beer was close to undrinkable anyway so I didn’t see what difference it made. I didn’t drink it.

The Britons Protection, Manchester 20th October 2007

Unprepossessing although not unpleasant on the outside, this pub is just stunning on the inside. This picture shows the front bar; the corridors have lovely tiling (if that’s your thing) but I’m not good enough at photography to show you those. This stunning interior is worth a visit even if you’re not into beer.

Coach House Farriers Best Bitter (3.9%): Very bitter yet creamy beer with a dense foamy head.
Howard Town Wren’s Nest (4.2%): A huge amount of elderflower and grapefruit in this immensely fruity flowery hoppy golden beer.

And if the décor and the good beer’s not enough, I counted 207 different types of whiskey behind the bar, although the bar man said they have 232. Maybe I lost count.

Although I spent 12 hours travelling for 5 hours in Manchester, I can’t help feeling that it was all worthwhile.

The Rain Bar, Manchester 20th October 2007

Had to travel all the way to Manchester for a CAMRA meeting which was held in this large pub.

Lees GB Mild (3.5%): Complex nutty mild. Very drinkable.
Lees Bitter (4.0%): Very caramelly and smooth creamy bitter. Not quite what my southern tastebuds are used to!
Lees Ruddy Glow (4.5%): Delicious red mellow beer.

I didn’t get to try the Lees Moonraker, the other beer available, which was probably just as well at 7.5% with a long journey ahead of me.

Manchester was a long was to go for the afternoon so I was taken to sample some beer at another pub in town by others from the meeting who were stunned when I admitted I’d never been to Manchester before.

The Malt Shovel, Horsham 11th October 2007

This is great time of year to be a real ale drinker in Horsham. First there’s the Horsham Beer Festival, then there’s the Horsham Old beer festival at Welton’s brewery (see various previous posts), then you turn up at the Malt Shovel and starting tomorrow there’s a five week long beer drinking extravaganza, with shirts and glasses on offer if you drink enough different beers. Lovely.

Today I tasted:
Brakspear Bitter (3.4%): Revolting, so I took it back to the bar where I was told there had been a problem with some of the glasses. It was willingly exchanged for more of the same beer in a different glass, and then it was the lovely crisp session bitter I expected.
Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter: (4.0%): A decent pint of this distinctive and hoppy beer.
Hepworth's Iron Horse (4.8%): Tasty strong bitter with a thick hoppy flavour from this Horsham brewer.

As usual I was here for the traditional music session. I even managed to get the musicians to pose for a picture this time!

Welton's Brewery "Old Friday Beer Festival" 5th October 2007

Managed to get myself invited to this free event where brewer Ray Welton opens his doors (and barrels) for some beer drinking. I did too much chatting at the start and missed out on a couple of bitters than ran out early on, but still managed to get a taste of three different beers.

The event was in aid of Ray’s daughter Shirley’s forthcoming conservation trip to New Zealand and it is likely that about £400 was raised for this during the evening. Last year’s event (see Oct 06 entry) raised over £400 for a muscular dystrophy charity.

Welton’s Horsham Old Ale (4.5%): Rather better than I remember last year, this is dark and deceptively strong.
Welton’s Bodiam Gold (4.2%): Starts mellow and very bitter but soon sweetens in the mouth.
Welton’s Old Remedy (4.8%): A very sweet and strong, with a similar background taste to the Gold.

A great evening of drinking and chat, some with acquaintances from last weekend’s Horsham Beer Festival (see 29th - 30th September entry) which was topped off with the requisite Morris dancing and revelry.

Free beer at a brewery and it’s all for a good cause. What more could you want?

Beer blog anniversary 1st October 2007

Today marks the first anniversary of this beer blog. If anyone would like to comment on any aspect of the blog, please add a comment to this entry and let me know if there are pubs you would like to see added, beer reviews you disagree with or anything else (constructive please!) you’d like to say, even just a “hello” from wherever you are.

Horsham Beer Festival 29th - 30th September 2007 (copy entry)

All the below test has been copied from a previous entry. In order to fully link each brewer with a searchable 'label' I have had to create another blog entry, as there is a 200 character limit in the labels field. So for the full version, please go to the previous entry. If this means nothing to you, don't worry, just ignore this entry and read the one two entries below as it contains the same information.

Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby (6.0%): Wonderful. I always look forward to drinking as much as possible of this mild at this festival. One of my favourites.
Sharp's Doom Bar Bitter (4.0%): Well balanced bitter with a good hop taste and hints of caramelly malt.
Skinners Betty Stogs (4.0%): The name put me off a bit but this was a delicious fruity hoppy bitter. An excellent find.
Thornbridge Jaipur IPA (5.9%): A lovely delicate IPA with a big hop and honey taste.
Timothy Taylor Golden Best (3.5%): Darker than most golden beers, this was thick tasting and disappointing.
Titanic Stout (4.5%): Lovely dark, bitter, roasty stout.
Wadworth 6X (4.3%): Fresh and fruity; well balanced.
Welton's Percy Bysshe (7.0%): This tastes like it’s got apples or some other fruit in it, and is good but a little strong with a strange murky brown colour.
Westerham British Bulldog (4.3%): Smells of roasted malt and tastes like excellent bitter.
Wickwar Autumnale (4.5%): A hint of burnt flavour to this popular yet thick dark bitter.
Wells and Youngs Waggledance (5.0%): Warming honey tones with some hoppiness are present in this strong bitter.

Horsham Beer Festival 29th - 30th September 2007 (copy entry)

All the below test has been copied from the previous entry. In order to fully link each brewer with a searchable 'label' I have had to create another blog entry, as there is a 200 character limit in the labels field. So for the full version, please go to the previous entry. If this means nothing to you, don't worry, just ignore this entry and read the one below as it contains the same information.

Goddard's Ducks Folly (5.0%): Caramelly strong bitter.
Green Jack Ripper (8.5%): Excellent sweet strong beer with enough flavour to carry the alcohol.
Hadrian and Borders Gladiator (3.8%): Very malty red bitter with a crisp hoppy finish.
Hampshire Pink Elephant (5.4%): Unusual beer with a hint of the taste of red wine but no pink colour. Somehow this was voted “Beer of the festival” by drinkers over the weekend.
Hart Ice Maiden (4.0%): Pleasant bitter but with no distinguishing features.
Harviestoun Ptarmigan (4.5%): Very pleasant beer with a light spicy and zesty flavour.
Hepworth's Harvest Ale (4.5%): An excellent beer with a sharp hop taste. Almost tastes like an IPA.
Hogs Back HBB (3.7%): Mellow citrusy tones to this pleasant bitter.
Hop Back Entire Stout (4.5%): A very palatable and easy drinking stout.
Leyden Black Pudding (3.9%): Lovely creamy well balanced mild.
Moorhouse's Black Cat Mild (3.4%): Tasty mild with a mellow roasted malt flavour.
Oakham JHB (3.8%): Very fresh and citrusy beer with bitter undertones.
Oakleaf Green Gold (4.3%): Pleasant ‘chewy’ hoppy golden coloured bitter.
Old Bear Hibernator (5.0%): Seriously smoky dark beer.
Orkney Dark Island (4.6%): Dark Scottish beer with a chocolatey burnt malt taste.
Palmers Copper Ale (3.7%): Pleasant and hoppy beer.
Ringwood Fortyniner (4.9%): Tasty strong bitter.
St Austell Proper Job (4.5%): Very sweet bitter.

Horsham Beer Festival 29th - 30th September 2007

This year saw a larger festival than previously, with three sessions over the weekend.

As usual, I was serving behind the bar for all the sessions, which gave me the opportunity to sample every one of the fifty real ales on offer.

It’s always a great weekend and this year was no exception. I met up with people that I only ever see at the festival but at last I’m beginning to remember their names now, as well as lots of friends from different areas of life.

I had a tough time deciding on my beer of the festival, and in the end feel I have to mention four that particularly stood out. Skinners Betty Stogs was an excellent bitter, Hepworth's Harvest Ale was a good strong hoppy beer, and Essential Beers Festival Special was delightful golden and moorish. Of course the festival would not have been complete without Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby which is one of the best beers on earth (see picture).

After the event, Gareth, the event organiser who runs the Beer Essentials beer shop on East Street in Horsham (see link on the right), told me that about 4,100 pints were sold and only a little beer was left over from the 84 barrels delivered for the event. This is now being sold in the shop.

Acorn Old Moor Porter (4.4%): Traditional porter. Very good.
Adnams Bitter (3.7%): Lovely dry hoppy session bitter.
Archers Farmers Boy (3.8%): A bit sharp with a hint of smokiness.
Arkells Kingsdown Ale (5.0%): Very malt heavy; rounded and smooth.
Arundel Sussex Mild (3.7%): Gorgeous and creamy if a little sweet.
Bateman's Valiant (4.2%): Very pleasant bitter.
Bath Gem (4.1%): Lovely malty bitter. Tastes stronger than it is.
Brains SA (4.2%): Creamy caramelly taste to this bitter. Very good.
Burton Bridge Golden Delicious (3.8%): Mellow and not too strong. A good beer to drink all night.
Caledonian Deuchars IPA (3.8%): Hoppy but weak beer.
Cotleigh Barn Owl (4.5%): Strong with a bitter flavour which continues to the aftertaste.
Cottage Metropolitan (4.7%): Fruity well balanced mellow bitter. Good but not dark coloured as described in the programme notes.
Downton Red Hop (4.3%): Pleasant malty red coloured bitter.
Elgoods Black Dog (3.6%): You’d have to do well to find a better mild than this at this strength. Even people who profess not to like mild were happily consuming pints of it.
Essential Beers Festival (5.0%): As always an excellent pint. One of my favourite beers.
Essential Beers Festival Special (4.2%): This gorgeous beer was made for the festival by blending Dark Star Hophead (which it tastes similar to but a little stronger) and Dark Star Sunburst. Fantastic beer.
Everard's Original (5.2%): Far too much alcohol and not enough flavour.
Exmoor Gold (4.5%): Slightly citrusy golden beer. Very tasty.
Felinfoel Best (3.8%): A delicate hop flavour to this Welsh session bitter.
Fuller's ESB (5.5%): Good flavour which copes with the high alcohol content.
Garton's Liquid Lobotomy (8.0%): A challenging black beer with a smooth start and tangy aftertaste.
Goddard's Ducks Folly (5.0%): Caramelly strong bitter.
Green Jack Ripper (8.5%): Excellent sweet strong beer with enough flavour to carry the alcohol.
Hadrian and Borders Gladiator (3.8%): Very malty red bitter with a crisp hoppy finish.
Hampshire Pink Elephant (5.4%): Unusual beer with a hint of the taste of red wine but no pink colour. Somehow this was voted “Beer of the festival” by drinkers over the weekend.
Hart Ice Maiden (4.0%): Pleasant bitter but with no distinguishing features.
Harviestoun Ptarmigan (4.5%): Very pleasant beer with a light spicy and zesty flavour.
Hepworth's Harvest Ale (4.5%): An excellent beer with a sharp hop taste. Almost tastes like an IPA.
Hogs Back HBB (3.7%): Mellow citrusy tones to this pleasant bitter.
Hop Back Entire Stout (4.5%): A very palatable and easy drinking stout.
Leyden Black Pudding (3.9%): Lovely creamy well balanced mild.
Moorhouse's Black Cat Mild (3.4%): Tasty mild with a mellow roasted malt flavour.
Oakham JHB (3.8%): Very fresh and citrusy beer with bitter undertones.
Oakleaf Green Gold (4.3%): Pleasant ‘chewy’ hoppy golden coloured bitter.
Old Bear Hibernator (5.0%): Seriously smoky dark beer.
Orkney Dark Island (4.6%): Dark Scottish beer with a chocolatey burnt malt taste.
Palmers Copper Ale (3.7%): Pleasant and hoppy beer.
Ringwood Fortyniner (4.9%): Tasty strong bitter.
St Austell Proper Job (4.5%): Very sweet bitter.
Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby (6.0%): Wonderful. I always look forward to drinking as much as possible of this mild at this festival. One of my favourites.
Sharp's Doom Bar Bitter (4.0%): Well balanced bitter with a good hop taste and hints of caramelly malt.
Skinners Betty Stogs (4.0%): The name put me off a bit but this was a delicious fruity hoppy bitter. An excellent find.
Thornbridge Jaipur IPA (5.9%): A lovely delicate IPA with a big hop and honey taste.
Timothy Taylor Golden Best (3.5%): Darker than most golden beers, this was thick tasting and disappointing.
Titanic Stout (4.5%): Lovely dark, bitter, roasty stout.
Wadworth 6X (4.3%): Fresh and fruity; well balanced.
Welton's Percy Bysshe (7.0%): This tastes like it’s got apples or some other fruit in it, and is good but a little strong with a strange murky brown colour.
Westerham British Bulldog (4.3%): Smells of roasted malt and tastes like excellent bitter.
Wickwar Autumnale (4.5%): A hint of burnt flavour to this popular yet thick dark bitter.
Wells and Youngs Waggledance (5.0%): Warming honey tones with some hoppiness are present in this strong bitter.

The Alma Arms, Uckfield 16th September 2007

We originally arrived at this pub early afternoon to find it closed, even though we had been told it didn’t close on Sunday afternoons, but we found our way back to it at the end of the day, and it was open then.

Harvey’s Sussex Pale Ale (3.5%): Tastes just like the Sussex Best Bitter from the same brewer but with a slightly lower alcohol content.

I was very pleased to get the opportunity to taste this beer as I haven’t seen it before.

All in all an excellent weekend where we discovered some good pubs and a few new beers.

The Abergavenny Arms, Rodmell near Lewes 16th September 2007

Again, the bar man was friendly and chatty at this big pub on the main road. The cars were racing past so fast in the 30 mile an hour speed limit outside that I almost got run over taking the photo.

Hogs Back England's Glory (4.3%): Tasty well balanced light bitter with honey tones.

The Rugby World Cup is on at the moment but this beer was allegedly brewed for the Football World Cup, so I was a bit confused. It’s good beer though.

The Jolly Boatman, Newhaven 16th September 2007

Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): Tastes a bit metallic and only slightly like it should.

This small, town pub was busy and full of loud people. The man behind the bar was enthusiastic and told us we had to come back, which was friendlier than in a lot of places, and the drunken customers I talked to were jovial. It was a shame that the beer let it down.

The Trevor Arms, Glynde near Lewes 16th September 2007

One bar in this cosy pub was full of people while the rest of the pub appeared empty. The bar staff were friendly and chatty.

Harvey’s Longman IPA (3.5%): An interesting bitter citrus hoppy beer although far too weak to qualify as an IPA in my opinion. Very pleasant with the distinctive Harvey’s taste.

Never having had this beer before I was very pleased to get the chance to taste it.

The Cock Inn, Ringmer near Lewes 16th September 2007

By the time we arrived here we were ready for lunch and we were not disappointed. Clearly a popular Sunday lunch venue, the pub and garden were full of diners.


Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): A good pint of this fine bitter.

The food was excellent although a little pricy and the staff were very helpful.

The Laughing Fish, Isfield near Uckfield 16th September 2007

Arriving at lunchtime on a Sunday, this pub was full of the smell of roast dinners and although we weren’t eating here, the massive platefuls looked very appetising.

Greene King Swing Low (4.3%): Pleasant bitter without a strong flavour. Reminiscent of LBW by the same brewer.

The Fireman's Arms, Five Ash Down near Uckfield 16th September 2007

A large pub with two bars, the customers were friendly and the man behind the bar was extremely helpful.

1648 Signature (4.4%): In the pub it was chilled and didn’t taste too bad, but by the time it got home it had warmed up to normal beer drinking temperature and was sour and unpleasant.

I'd like to give this pub another chance and try other beers at the pub.

The Station, Preston Park, Brighton 15th September 2007

For the first time in any Sussex pub I felt distinctly uncomfortable walking in here. The customers at the bar were rude and made stupid comments, although the woman behind the bar did her best to be welcoming.

Arundel Sussex Mild (3.7%): Incredibly sweet mild. A little too sweet for me but good and smooth.

There was an unusual mural on the outside wall but I didn’t want to spend any more time at the bar, so I didn’t ask for any details. You can just see it in the picture above the bonnet of the white van.

The Neptune, Hove 15th September 2007

This small local was very difficult to find and the parking was so bad I had to jump out of the car and take the container in on my own.

Dark Star Hophead (3.8%): Delicious seriously hoppy yet not too strong golden ale.

The customers gave the impression that they spend a lot of time in the pub and mid afternoon on a Saturday were quite vocal yet very friendly. They told me that taking away pints of real ale in a plastic container was no way to drink beer, which I agree with to an extent but it was the only way for a driver to taste it.

The Stanley Arms, Portslade 15th September 2007

We turned up to find a beer festival in full swing. What a delight! There was also a barbeque in the back garden so we stocked up on sausages, burgers and salad which went down well with the beer.

Kemptown Kemp Town (4.0%): Just had to have a taste of this to make sure Wednesday was not a one-off (see The Hand In Hand, Brighton 12th September 2007) and again, it tasted bad. Not like off beer this time, but distinctly of fag ash. Maybe there’s a new secret ingredient.
Goddard's Ale of Wight (3.7%): A mellow yet hoppy pale golden ale.
Langham Hip Hop (4.0%): A very drinkable light golden beer but with far less hoppiness than the name suggests.
Langham Halfway to Heaven (3.5%): Pleasant bitter but slightly lacking in the flavour department.
Hop Back Hopfest (4.6%): The hoppiest beer I’ve ever tasted from the UK although not quite at the level of some of the new IPAs from America. Tasty and bitter but I’m not sure I could manage a whole pint.

This really is my kind of pub. The staff and management were friendly, the beer was good, the food we had was good and the standard menu also looked appetising. Of course a beer festival on the day of our visit may have enhanced my impression.

The Romans, Southwick near Shoreham 15th September 2007

Harviestoun Ptarmigan (4.5%): Very sweet but slightly too strong for its fruity and interesting flavour.

An immense pub where most of the patrons were sitting outside on picnic benches eating.

The Downsman, Hove 15th September 2007

In order to complete the “Brighton and South Downs Ale Trail” we needed to visit twelve more pubs, many of them not easily accessible by public transport. Our solution was spend the weekend driving to each one with a container for takeaway beer, which we could then drink at our leisure at home. As I can't drive, Dan who can was able to drink as well.

First stop was the Downsman.

Sharp’s Doom Bar Bitter (4.0%): Pleasant bitter with a delicate floral aroma.

The Mitre, Brighton 12th September 2007

This pub was decorated more like a hotel chain than a local, with Edwardian style wallpaper, brown leather effect banquette seating and 1990s design curtains.

Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): Another stunning pint of one of the best beers around.
Harvey’s Sussex XX Mild (3.0%): A slightly gentler version of the Sussex Best with almost the same hop taste.

We managed to find a place to sit where we could not see or hear the televised football, although to get to the bar it was necessary to walk past a dog so friendly that I got both arms licked from fingers to elbows.

The Bugle, Brighton 12th September 2007

Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): Possibly the best pint of Harvey’s in Brighton. Very smooth and served at exactly the right temperature.

The bar had “no football” signs up which was comforting and the locals, although fairly drunken, were friendly. The only downside was the cigarette smoke drifting into the bar through the open front door.

Just when I thought the music was too loud it was turned down. And my drunken companion Dan was pleased to discover they sold Peperami which he decided was the perfect bar snack.

The Horse and Groom, Brighton 12th September 2007

Another large pub in Brighton, this was in a residential area near the town centre.

Hogs Back TEA (4.2%): A decent standard bitter.
White Heart of Rother (4.5%): A tasty bitter with an interesting malt taste, this was advertised on the pump clip as “Supporting St Michaels Hospice”.

An incredibly friendly pub with enthusiastic staff and jolly locals. It was great until they put on the football when we hurried our drinks and left.

The Greys, Brighton 12th September 2007

The pub had a Belgian beer menu listing sixteen varieties of bottled beer as well as two on draught, alongside two British draught real ales.

Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): Another good pint of this excellent bitter.

Whereas two other pubs today looked the part but were let down by incongruous music, this pub looked wacky and trendy from the outside but was friendly with chatty pleasant staff, good beer and quiet easy listening guitar based music, which seemed to fit in well.

The Sir Charles Napier, Brighton 12th September 2007

Down a residential street, this pub is a little off the beaten track and presumably is very much a locals pub.

Butcombe Bitter (4.0%): An excellent well balanced bitter. Lovely.
Fuller’s Discovery (3.9%): A sweet golden beer with honey tones, served fairly cold. Just right for those women and lager drinkers.

A pleasant old pub with a large collection of golfing memorabilia displayed on the walls. What on earth are they doing playing rap music?

The Hand In Hand, Brighton 12th September 2007

I was really looking forward to this pub as the beer was great last time I came here.

Kemptown Kemp Town (4.0%): What previously tasted like a stunning bitter, today tasted like sour fag ends. I guess it was off. Revolting.

It is an unusually decorated pub, bright orange-yellow on the outside. Inside the ceiling has pictures of female flesh, old skis and a collection of ties allegedly cut straight off their original owners. What a mad pub!

The attached Kemptown brewery is currently for sale.

The Waggon and Horses, Brighton 12th September 2007

Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): Very slightly tangy Harvey’s with its unmistakeable fantastic taste.

The interior of the pub looked traditional with red leather wing back chairs and painted glass windows, but the effect was tempered by quiet yet insistent pop music.

The Basketmakers Arms, Brighton 12th Septmber 2007

We came all the way here looking forward to the unbeatable steak and ale pie, and were disappointed when it wasn’t on the menu. But the food we had was excellent, as was the beer.


Butcombe Bitter (4.0%): Pleasant standard bitter with a tangy hop character.
Fuller's Gale’s Seafarers Ale (3.8%): Mellow bitter with a good balance of warming malt and bitter hops. The pump clip informs us that 5p per pint goes to “Seafarers UK” maritime charity.

A lovely pub that was a pleasure to visit again.

The Brewers Arms, Lewes 5th September 2007

Another of Lewes’s fine pubs, this is on the high street near the castle and serves a good pint.

1648 Lammas Ale (4.2%): A tasty, warming and mellow bitter. A good choice to contrast the Harvey’s I’ve tasted in most of the other pubs today in Lewes.

All in all a good day out and the accidental three mile walk part way through even meant that I got some exercise at the same time.

The Black Horse, Lewes 5th September 2007

We were walking around Lewes to visit the pubs then returning home by train. We followed what seemed to be the right road on our map but ended up walking about three miles before finding this pub. So we were a little grumpy and very thirsty once we arrived.

St Austell Tribute (4.2%): The only non Greene King branded beer available at this Greene King pub, this was a tasty hoppy bitter with a delicate flavour and a strong smell of hops.

We sat in the back garden of this deceptively large pub with no one else to disturb us, and enjoyed the good beer.

The Elephant and Castle, Lewes 5th September 2007

Never having been to this pub before, I was delighted to discover not only real ale, but also the cricket on a big screen.

Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): Another excellent pint of Harvey’s.

The food was interesting and delicious, as well as being reasonably priced. The staff were friendly too.

The John Harvey Tavern, Lewes 5th September 2007

Another Lewes favourite, this pub sells such good Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%) that we just could not resist drinking this and this alone while we were here.

The big disappointment of the visit was not being able to get food. We had been looking forward to homemade pie or fish and chips, but with several more pubs in Lewes on the day’s itinerary and an hour and a half until the kitchen opened, we had to give it a miss.

The Gardeners Arms, Lewes 5th September 2007

A popular hangout for real ale drinkers, today we tried Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%) which was excellent as usual, and Mighty Oak All Washed Up (4.2%), a pleasant fresh, light coloured beer with a hint of spices and citrus.

The Dorset Arms, Lewes 5th September 2007

A pub crawl around Lewes started here at the Dorset.

Harvey’s Olympia Golden Ale (4.4%): A wonderful hop flavour to this slightly tangy golden beer.
Harvey’s Southdown Harvest Ale (5.0%): A strong chewy bitter, this has the colour of a standard bitter but tastes a lot more robust, with the distinctive Harvey’s hop flavour.

A pleasant pub with a large garden, although it looks out onto a car park with traffic noise from the main road.

The Windmill, Littleworth, Horsham 4th September 2007

And back to an old haunt for some dancing and drinking.

Badger Tanglefoot (4.9%): Seemed ok to start with but quickly became chewy and tangy. Wasn’t bad enough to take back, but for a Cask Marque pub in the Good Beer Guide I’d expect better.
Badger King and Barnes Sussex Bitter (3.5%): A strong nutty caramel malt flavour and very little hop character. Very pleasant but nothing like it usually tastes!

Being in the garden certainly brought back memories. Until this evening when I stood looking at the spot where twenty years ago there had been a chicken shed, I’d forgotten that I had once been locked inside it, complete with chickens. Not the best childhood reminiscence!

The Dun Cow, Durham 23rd August 2007

We managed to fit in just one more pub during our week in Durham.

Castle Eden Ale (4.2%): Uninspiring yet not unpleasant lightish bitter.

This cosy, friendly pub, which happened to have a traditional music session in progress in the lounge bar on our visit, is apparently very popular with students.

The Sun Inn, Beamish Open Air Museum, Co Durham 23rd August 2007

It seemed only right to check out the beers at the pub in the 1913 town within the museum at Beamish as we were wandering round.

Bull Lane Nowtsamatta (4.5%): Caramelly hoppy bitter with a fresh bright taste and golden colour.
Bull Lane Ryhope Tug (3.9%): Bitter tasting beer, a good ‘ordinary’ bitter.

While supermarkets and other new ways of shopping have revolutionised the way we buy most things, the most striking part of the visit to this pub was how similar it was to pubs up and down the country today, almost a century on.

The Water House, Durham 22nd August 2007

Managed to find the local Weatherspoon’s for a reasonably priced evening meal.

Jarrow Rivet Catcher (4.0%): Fresh hoppy beer but not quite ready.
Wylam Hedonist (3.8%): An unusual thin yet tasty flavour.

This was a large open pub with a friendly atmosphere which looked popular with different groups of people.

The Victoria Hotel, Durham 21st August 2007

A beautiful old pub which was recommended as the place to go in Durham, The Victoria had an impressive array of real ales to try.

Big Lamp Big Lamp Bitter (3.8%): Interesting standard bitter with complex malt flavours.
Durham Definitive (3.9%): Sweet and fruity with citrus tones, particularly grapefruit. Very pale coloured with a good delicate flavour.
Big Lamp Old Durham Dark (4.0%): Gently rounded taste to this Moorish mellow dark beer.
Wylam Gold Tankard (4.0%): A golden beer without a huge amount of flavour and slightly more alcohol than the taste caters for.
Big Lamp Old Arthur (4.2%): Incredibly good hop character, this pale beer tastes like a regular bitter. Brewed in memory of a recently departed pub regular.

This was one of those pubs that when I walked in, I felt immediately at home. Each of the three bars was decorated in a different William Morris wallpaper with many pictures on the walls including several of Queen Victoria herself. With the wood panelling the effect was very cosy Victorian parlor.

I counted 52 whiskies including many interesting single malts at the bar. The only incongruous feature was a topless calendar!

The Shakespeare, Durham 19th August 2007

On holiday in Durham and determined to try a few of the local pubs. The people I was with seemed sure that this was the place for us.


Everard's Tiger (4.2%): Pretty strong flavoured with a tangy hop taste, better when it warmed up a bit.
Caledonian 80/- (4.2%): Bitter with a warm malty taste in spite of being served so cold.
Caledonian Deuchars IPA (3.8%): Distinctive complex hoppy taste.

All the beers were served far too cold for my taste which was a shame as they might otherwise have been good.

An interesting old fashioned pub with several small rooms and a very unprepossessing frontage. The staff were great, the pub was lively and the singing was raucous once it got late!

The Wrotham Arms, Broadstairs 16th August 2007

I was determined to return to this pub before the end of the week as it was my favourite by far in the town. Although on my previous visit the beer hadn't been great, the atmosphere and staff made up for this.

Shepherd Neame Canterbury Jack (3.8%): Slightly honey flavoured very weak tasting yet pleasant beer.

An acoustic duo called "Table Nine" were playing Simon and Garfunkel and Beatles covers as well as original material and we stayed for some time at the bar, as all the seats were taken.

The excellent barbeque was going at the front of the pub and we were offered chocolate mice by the bar staff (but declined). We had a good time chatting to the staff and locals, a pleasant change from some of the other pubs in town. And the beer was good.

The Pavilion, Broadstairs 15th August 2007

Another gig, this time outdoors in the pouring rain with the wind gusting in from the sea.

There was no real ale available at the Pavilion Garden bar (pictured) so I got a John Smith's Courage Directors' (4.8%) from the main Pavilion bar upstairs. It was surprisingly pleasant and a welcome change from Shepherd Neame beers.

Ye Olde Crown, Broadstairs 13th August 2007

Another Okee Dokee Band gig, this time there were two beers available, neither of which are ones I would choose to drink if others were available.

John Smith's Courage Best Bitter (4.0%): Just about drinkable bitter. Best avoided.
Greene King IPA (3.6%): Weak and tangy with a hint of hop flavour. Insipid and unpleasant and I was pleased I was trying someone else's.

The gig was good although the pub seemed a bit seedy. When I was served in a "plastic glass", I explained to the person serving that I was unlikely to "glass" someone as I didn't know how, but then a kind local at the bar described it to me in detail!

The Albion Hotel, Broadstairs 13th August 2007

Again there were just Shepherd Neame beers available at this pub so I opted for the organic Whitstable Bay (4.1%). This was refreshing and pleasant and a good choice for a sunny afternoon.

The Wrotham Arms, Broadstairs 12th August 2007

Came to see the Okee Dokee Band play, and they were great.

Shepherd Neame Master Brew Bitter (3.7%): Unexceptional bitter.

I also had a taste of keg Shepherd Neame Mild but it just tasted cold and fizzy to me as I haven't had a keg beer in years.

This is a lovely pub with really accommodating staff, who appeared to actually enjoy having music on, a seemingly rare treat in a pub which hosts live music.

The Neptunes Hall, Broadstairs 12th August 2007

This time I chose the Shepherd Neame Spitfire Ale (4.5%) as I had the alternative on my last visit. The Spitfire was fairly strong drinkable bitter but without a hop taste.

Maybe the Shepherd Neame beers do really taste of hops and I was spoilt at the Great British Beer Festival with the strong hoppy American IPAs!