Hastings Carnival Week... last week!

OK, I haven't written much for a while, other things are happening, and I've only been drinking in Hastings, though I do have plans for drinking further afield in the near future...

I have to admit to mostly drinking at the Dolphin, Rock-a-Nore, Hastings, the last couple of weeks, partly because of the dirth of £s in my pocket.  They've had an ale on from Nethergate Brewery, Vixen, 4.3% of a rather too easy to drink 'smooth' bitter, not too bitter, and I'm wondering if this is an attempt to drag 'smooth' drinkers back into the bitter ale fold?

They've also had their usual 3 regulars, Hophead, Sussex Best and Directors, their seasonal regular, Dark Star American Pale Ale, and yesterday had a familiar (for me, having lived closeby to Nottingham for years) Castle Rock Elsie Mo, 4.7% pale golden bitter, a little bit sweet, but with good body.

Also, very soon to come on the bar, is Harveys Lewes Castle Brown Ale (4.8%) - following some research by the brewery, this beer, normally found in bottles, was found to have met a niche market with very favourable reports back from pubs, including the Dolphin (how did I miss this?!?).  So, I am very much looking forward to trying this out, fingers crossed I won't miss out again, but I believe Mark has more than one firkin, so I should be reporting on this bottled beer, now a cask-conditioned draft ale, very soon!

So, what have I been doing during Hastings Carnival Week? Helped out on the 'Pram Race' night with questions for competitors; it would take a long time to explain, but the week is geared up to supplying charities with mucho money, plus competitors have a great time, dressing up, etc, in the process.

Also, Louise, of the Dolphin, carried out a bungee jump for charity on Saturday, she raised a THOUSAND POUNDS STERLING!  Well done Louise, and, though I wasn't aware at the time, as I had to rush back to drink more ale, and having been away from the bar for too long, but Mark and Brandon, also of the Dolphin, both had jumps for 'fun', if you can believe it's fun ;-)

Anyway, Saturday included the 'big' event of the week, with the Carnival Procession being the focal point, but I also welcomed a couple of visitors from London, and also spotted, for the first time, a new genre of style and, well, another excuse for a booze up, I genuinely think, 'Steampunk'...  Now, I don't know what others know about this, but look at the link which should explain a bit more about it.

Sadly, I didn't take any photographs, but there's lots online, the lass above is an example of what you may see, and, although maybe not quite as 'glam', but incredibly attractive, I did have a chat to a lovely young woman of the genre about what was going on.  Great to meet her, sad no photographs, but hey, I had a good day... and then the...

Not a post box, well, it is, but more about that in a bit, but the Olympics, and that famous three quarters of an hour in the athletics, where Team GB won 3 Gold Medals, well done!  So, the box is the one painted Gold by Royal Mail, as it is for Jessica Ennis of Sheffield (my home for 16 years) - I do still feel a large amount of warmth for the place, and respect for Jessica, and the other competitors too, of course.

Back soon, I'm off to the pub, cheers!