In lovely Dover, we parked up in the Bluebell, an exemplary Guest House in a less than exemplary area on the Folkestone Road.
As the view from the bedroom window shows.
While Mrs RM and Matt recovered from Punk IPA/Salted caramel fudge cake respectively, I took the Dover Priory train to Folkestone.
Just a flying visit, an hour between trains to find the Troubador, establish that Folkestone gentrification was continuing apace, and perhaps to get one of the UK’s best ice creams.
Two out of three ain’t bad, as someone said.
I’m not sure if the Bridge Coffee House counts as gentrification, but I loved the font.
The street art is all over the place as you approach the (ambitiously titled) Creative Quarter.
I passed the Troubador a year ago and thought “Bet that’s in the Beer Guide soon“. I suspect the word m**** was the giveaway.
Yes, it has the tell-tale signs of micro, but also the quirkiness you get in Dover or Margate, rather than the strict high tables round the walls format you get on the Kent/London border.
Beers you’ve (nearly) heard of alert !
A lovely barperson whose opening line “How’s your day been ?” may be unique.
Just two Professional Drinkers, one of whom recommended the Milk Stout, and a good call too. Cool, chewy, warming (NBSS 3+).
The pub’s the hub for the informal music scene, and a couple of folkies came in with a flyer for the accommodating barmaid to stick up next to the GBG sticker.
“Oy, it’s a pub, buy a drink” shouted one of our heroes as our artists left.
“They can’t afford to, they’re artists” said his mate.
I know who I agree with. Next door you have the frontage of the Brewery Tap, a gorgeous old pub that didn’t get enough custom.
But Folkestone is on the up. The pedestrianised Old Town isn’t quite on a par with Hastings, but new bars are popping up all over the place.
It’s a transformation from retired gentlefolk weekender to crafty daytripper staple that seems to have gone unnoticed. If in doubt, just count the burger joints.
retiredmartin 
“No idea what this one is”.
Cheriton Road !
Reminds me somewhat of the Morland Artist who used to guard the front doors of the once-great Abingdon brewery.
I’m now expecting someone to say not to be silly, that it is an effigy of Slimey.
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You’re right, it does Fred.
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Bit of a slow news night on here today. Anyone might think that all of the regular correspondents are down at the pub, or at evensong at their local church.
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Strictly Grand Prix Who
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I spent quite a few of my teenage years in Folkestone. It was quite a well-to-do town back then; not that that interested me and my friends. Saturday nights at the Lees Cliff Hall, seeing the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Uriah Heep, Caravan, Groundhogs and a host of other groups whose names elude me.
Two pubs spring to mind, one called the Shades, appealed to us because of its “cool” sounding name. There was another particularly nice pub called the Globe, tucked away on a hill, over-looking the old town.
Glad to hear the place is on the up.
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Folkestone would make an interesting case study. It lacks the closeness to London of Hastings or Brighton, the “preserved in aspic” feel of Rye, or the arts of Margate, but there’s a more than serviceable Old Town. Chap in Troubador told me there’s 5 or 6 micro pubs, but don’t let that put you off.
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“New bars popping up”, I’d rather have old pubs surviving. I’d still go though. Sounds like a great town, even if comparisons with Brighton is slightly offputting.
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“A lovely barperson whose opening line “How’s your day been?” may be unique.” — love this detail (and the ““Oy, it’s a pub, buy a drink” bit); it’s nice to be asked how your day has been, a bit more specific than ‘how are you.’ 🙂
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I don’t get asked “How’s your day been?” but maybe 10am is too early to know !
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