"Albatross!" - Revisiting Bexhill

As I travelled to Bexhill-on-Sea to undergo training this morning, and the training was over by 12.00hrs, it felt reasonable to visit the Albatross Club again, the Royal Air Force Association's club, down by the beach near the De La Warr Pavilion; which is open to RAFA members, and CAMRA members too, hence my ability to gain entry. 

Convivial chat, good value food, and crackin' ales.  Todays ales included Dark Star Old Chestnut, as I drank this yesterday (see Pissarros), I gave it a miss today, but 2 excellent paler ales on too. Blackwater Monkey Business, 5.2% of pale beer with a hint of malt and dry aftertaste; this would have been good enough to drink anywhere, but they also had the, even better, in my humble opinion, Salopian Hop Twister.  This was 4.5% of even hoppier ale, pale, dry and bitter, with a 'fresher' taste, excellent!

Feeling suitably refreshed, I walked back along the fron to Hastings, nice walk, great ale and chat, cheers!

Bar of the Day - The Albatross Club, Bexhill

Thursday, 29th March 2012, and the bar of the day had to be The Albatross Club in Bexhill, East Sussex, which was midway in my walk along the seafront, in the wake of the Normans, even if many centuries later, from Pevensey Bay to Hastings. A word of warning, though, to gain admittance, you either need to be a member of the Royal Air Forces Association, or more recently admitted, a member of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), which, fortunately for me, I am.

The Albatross Club won CAMRA's South East Sussex Branch 'Club of the Year' for 2011, so having left Pevensey in time for me to reach Bexhill by 11.45, I thought I should sample what the Albatross had to offer me, other than memories of John Cleese and Mont Python, and what a good decision it was.

The Club is open from 11.00 to 2.30pm, and 7-11pm, as I said above, to members of the RAFA and CAMRA, and invited friends (who are discreetly asked to contribute 50p for a visit, so discreetly, I fell compelled to place a golden nugget in the box, after all, I'd saved much more than that just on the ale prices). I was given a very warm reception, despite this being my first ever visit (it shan't be my last) from Geoff the Chief Steward, and everyone I spoke to really, and what diverse backgrounds people I chatted to had! Geoff, who hails from the North East originally (test his accent), is also a member of CAMRA, and sells up to 3 very reasonably priced real ales, and a daily special and other food is available at reasonable prices too.

So what ales were on offer yesterday, Youngs Special (I had a pint), Dark Star's Chestnut (I didn't try, but you'll understand why shortly) and Dark Star's American Pale Ale (APA), and people who read what I write will know why I sampled a couple of pints of the APA, it is a crackin' ale! Anyway, suitably refreshed, and Geoff does keep a good ale (I shall be back), I set off on the final 5 miles of my walk...

Following an uneventful wander into Hastings, I had to finish off in a pub that regularly sells Dark Star Hophead, I'd have preferred APA on the day, but Hophead is a crackin' ale too, just a little less so. The Dolphin at Rock-a-Nore, Hastings, it was then. Anyway, I had to inform others I had just walked from Pevensey Bay for a few drinks, which I thought was a bit impressive, even if a debate on how far you can walk in an hour was started.... Cheers!

Lewes - Black Horse Inn

On my way to the Black Horse Inn, I passed, and investigated, the oldest church in Lewes, the 'Norman' Parish Church of St Anne, the earliest parts of which date from the early 12th century, ie the tower, nave and the south chapel.

Bit of memory time for me here now, the Black Horse Inn was my B&B when I stayed in Lewes in the late 1990s whilst attending a conference for a few days at Sussex University. This is still a cracking pub, with 3 ales on offer at any time, ostensibly a Greene King pub, B&B and food too, but the only Greene King ale on offer was the Hardys & Hansons Olde Trip, now brewed by Greene King, in it's guise as a new 'national' brewer (See CAMRA). They also had 2 Sussex ales on offer, Dark Star's Old Chestnut, and one of my new favourites, Hophead, which I drank here.

I enjoyed meeting and chatting to the barman (from Doncaster) and a fellow drinker (from Aberdeen). Great time, and fond memories stimulated, cheers!