Back to Hastings via the Junction again (Friday 17th May 2013)

So, back to Hastings, but laden with paperbacks to read, courtesy of my stepdad, so I caught the bus rather than walk... Also, I wanted to include a visit to the Falcon at Clapham Junction (The Junction being where I regularly catch my train, the largest railway 'Junction' in Europe), and the Falcon being the pub with the longest continuous bar in the UK/England/whatever (according to the Guinness Book of Records, though like 'oldest' pubs, etc, many different claims and ways of reaching decisions).  Whatever, it is a very long circular shaped bar, with indentations, partitions, beer engines and pumps galore, and varying corners...  

...and loadsa ales, with up to 20 different ales served from handpumps!  I'll not go into them all, but they included Castle Rock Sheriff's Tipple (3.4%), and we all know Robin Hood came from Sheffield, of course; Broughton Greenmantle (3.9%), which was my main tipple when I lived in the Scottish Borders, not a lot else available at that time; Adnams Southwold Kristal White (4.2%), a "clear golden wheat beer"; St Austell Proper Job (4.5%), and when I lived down in Cornwall there wasn't too much available there either! "Proper job" being a colloquialism; Titanic Cappucino (4.5%); but I drank the excellent Thornbridge Jaipur, 5.9% of pale hoppy ale, a bit sweeter than their slightly weaker Kipling, which I prefer, and happy memories of drinking a 'dry hopped' version of Jaipur when I lived up North will always remain with me, proper job!   

 

After sorting myself out on my return to Hastings, I decided to visit the Dripping Well in Cambridge Road early evening, and an excellent decision that was.  Nick, the landlord, was serving that evening, always a pleasure to have a chat with him, and the lovely Maria, a Portuguese 'regular' was this side of the bar, on her way home from work, and I had a very pleasurable lengthy chat to her too, cheers m'dear!  Oh yes... ales too. At the moment, Nick is only selling the Wadworths Henry's IPA (3.6%) and the 4.7% darker ale that is Adnams Broadside, which I enjoyed a few pints of too.  Nick is considering trying Wadworths 6X (4.3%), a fine West Country ale that I first drank many years ago when visiting friends down in Devon, so watch this space, or the bar of the pub...

 

Back soon, cheers!  

Friday 20th July

Yesterday, I walked to Bexhill-on-Sea and back along the front, and a nice day it was (mostly);  I returned to Hastings via St Leonards-on-Sea, where I walked uphill to the Tower, 251 London Road TN37 6NB. 

I was looking forward to having a chat with the landlady, Louisa, sadly (for me, not her, obviously), she was having a short break away from work, so I shall have to put that chat on hold.  However, I was very happy to meet Linda, who provided a friendly and efficient presence behind the bar. I also had a good chat to a few lads this side of the bar, about anagrams, books and cricket mostly. I also had (what is left of) my hair 'ruffled' by a very pretty young lass, though, for more than one reason, I think she may have been a bit 'merry', and she did call me 'cheeky'  ;-)

Anyway, I drank 2 pints of Dark Star's American Pale Ale (APA), at 4.7%, which, as regular readers will realise by now, I do like, and at only £2.40 a pint, I was very happy to imbibe! There were also Sunburst (4.8%) and Saison (4.5%) from Dark Star, and Boadicea Ale, at 4.5%, from Rother Valley Brewery. So, 4 great ales from 2 local breweries, I'm beginning to like the Tower more and more the more often I visit the pub ;-)

Still a lovely bright day, though I was passed on the way down Bohemia Road, and I reached the Dripping Well, near to the centre of Hastings, where I had a good chat to the landlord, Nick, and discourse with very interesting and delightful charafters this side of the bar as well. 

Nick has been experimenting with ales on offer at the Dripping Well since he took over the pub, but has kept serving Directors and Henry's IPA as regulars; them being the two ales his regular customers drink mostly. Today, he had Hastings Best Bitter (4.1%), a very local ale, and quite a tasty medium coloured bitter, a well-balanced bitter typical of the South East, and at only £2.70 a pint, I was happy to drink a couple of pints (and the rain that persisted down during my visit meant I had to drink a couple of pints, it would have been rude, and very silly, to leave). 

The regular Sunday lunchtime music sessions are less regular now, next to be in September, but now there are Wednesday evening sessions too, I think it's the first Wednesday in the month, but I shall check on that next Wednesday week and, consequently, pass on more info then. 

Cheers!

Dripping Well visit and 'hot off the press' news...

"Hot off the press"? Yep, Tony and Carole have, sadly (for us, though not for them, I presume), retired from the pub-trade, yesterday being their last day in charge of the Dripping Well, 1 Dorset Place TN34 1LG.

Here's trusting any new ventures bring you happy times, Tony and Carole, best wishes to you.

So, apart from a rather emotional day at the Dripping Well, and for other reasons too, which included a plaque for a previous regular becoming a fixture, what happened at the Dripping Well yesterday?

The usual jazz Sunday, that occurs every second week, an even bigger buffet than usual with some great food being appreciated, an extra band playing more diverse music later in the day, I not only chatted to the new landlord and landlady as well as Tony, more chat and sharing beers with Chris and Steve the Fireman, and others, on this side of the bar, and I became a little bit 'merry' too...

The 4 ales on sale, all at under £3 a pint, despite recent tax increases, were Fullers London Pride (my choice for the day; my historic connections to West London mean I've drunk a fair few pints of this in my time), Wadworth's Henry's IPA, Adnams Southwold Bitter and Courage Directors. All ales, as ever, served up in great condition, good stuff.

So, if you're in the centre of Hastings and fancy a visit, carry on up the gradual hill that is Cambridge Road, first go past the Post Office on the right, and a couple of minutes up on your left, on the corner with Dorset Place, is the Dripping Well. Always friendly, and with a similar service to be continued by the new landlord and landlady, with a bit more music envisaged, so welcome to the previously described 'lovely' Pinar and Nick Brookes (I can't yet put such a friendly epithet for Nick as I've only just met him, and he is a bloke, but he certainly showed a friendly visage yesterday ;-)...

Great to meet you both, Pinar and Nick, and a very warm welcome to the Dripping Well, trusting your tenure will be memorable for all the correct reasons. Cheers!

Pub of the Day - Dripping Well, Hastings

A lazy sunny Sunday afternoon...

... and every second Sunday lunchtime, the Dripping Well in Hastings has a Jazz gig, so this was my target today.

The Dripping Well is a freehold pub, near the centre of Hastings town, that serves decent cask conditioned ales, at a very reasonable price for the area.

I'm not a regular here, in the every day of the year way, but I always receive a decent reception with friendly discourse to be shared, and Sunday lunchtimes not only include the ubiquitous 'meat raffle' and great free Sunday grub, but jazz too, every second week.

Amongst others, earlier today, I chatted to Tony the landlord, Steve the (retired) fireman, Chris the ex-publican, and the very lovely Turkish barmaid, sigh...

... There are 4 cask conditioned ales on sale at the bar, all at under £3.00 a pint, which are very reasonable prices down here, if not too acceptable for people from up in t' North, but I don't live in Sheffield anymore! Indeed, Wadworth's Henry's IPA costs just £2.60 a pint...

... and very enjoyable free live jazz music is provided, from a less than the regular sized combo today (due to other Mother's Day demands!) This is a good session to be enjoyed, even for me in my knackered state, due to working a 13 hour night shift and no sleep for over 30 hours!

Cheers m'dears ;-)

Hastings 4 - Town Centre

OK, the town centre. Now, I've been down here a while, and the town centre isn't necessarily the place to take out your woman friends, or any friends for that matter, if they are of a nervous disposition...

Or so I was led to believe! Before I moved down here I checked up on the crime stats, as you can do that now on a special website. Now, I compared the stats between the area of Sheffield I previously lived in and central Hastings. Hastings came second with just a quarter of the reported crimes, so why do those living in more celubrious areas of Hastings have such a downer on us living in the centre of town? The real Old Town, ie, the Castle sits above US, although most of the buildings are Victorian or newer, this is where Hastings was when Willie the Conker landed a few miles away, and set up his HQ above this, the real OLD TOWN!!

So, I'm losing my way here... The Clarence, as you can see, work is ongoing here to refurbish the building, and I shall post further photographs when the work is completed. Mr Big of the FILO advised me The Clarence is selling real ales, and what a delight to discover in the town centre. It opens 10.00, or soon after, and serves up 3 regular ales and a guest. The regulars are the ubiquitous Sussex Best, Directors, and Landlord; the most recent guest was Brains Reverend James. I drank the Landlord, which, for pubs down here aside from Weatherspoons, was a bargain £2.50 a pint (they try to keep one ale at that price, others £3+), the cheapest ale in the centre of Hastings, apart from in t' 'Spoons'. They also sell a great selection of beers in bottles, eg Waggle Dance, Tanglefoot, 6X and Old Peculiar.

Had a good chat to the landlord, Mick, or 'Savage' to his mates, don't ask! Opening will be from 09.00 to midnight in April, when the work should be finished, and to 02.30 Fridays and Saturdays. This is a live music venue, and the place to be if you want a long night out coupled with real ale drinking. Good luck to Mick!

The Dripping Well, a freehouse, selling all its real ales under £3.00 a pint! Henry's IPA at just £2.60 a pint, Adnams Bitter, Directors and London Pride. The more I come into this pub, the more I want to return, friendly, and, well, good value too. Music (jazz/blues) every second Sunday lunchtime, I'll report back ;-)

Finally, Pissarros, OK, only 2 real ales, the uniquitous Sussex Best and, for now, Dark Star Old Chestnut, is the second ale, though this may change in the Spring (soon then!). Comfy, foodie bar, with live music for many evenings, late nights, and fun. Plus the 3 barmaids (including manager) today were in co-ordinated black and purple! Very fetching...

OK, so it wasn't quite finally, but the General Havelock hasn't re-opened yet. Jamie, the landlord from the North Star, will be the new boss here when it does reopen in April. He'd hoped to get the pub opened before then, but a few problems with planning permission have arisen, so you can expect it to be very sensitively refurbished when you do visit. There will be real ales, but, because of history (not the nicest place to drink at in recent history apparently) no children and no live music. Watch this space, as I want to give Jamie support for this venture. Good luck mate!