Really into short post territory now (unlike BRAPA), with a return visit to the Shortlands Tavern while I wait for the train to trundle up from Bromley South. I had 14 minutes.
Less the three minutes I’d need to admire the hidden beauty of Shortlands Station.
Shortlands feels like the suburb of Bromley it is, notable only as the one-time home of Enid Blyton, who moved back to the Borough when the Star and Garter reintroduced Mikkeller in 1925.
Enid knocked out 10,000 woke words a day at the height of her powers, which equates to something like 25 of my posts or two-thirds of a BRAPA epic.
The banner erected by the Residents Association is a minor gem.
Not quite sure why I’ve started embracing return visits like this. Charitably, I recalled a boisterous local from a decade ago (it was probably only 2013). Less charitably, I just needed the Gents, although the quick half pint is then always going to make you need to stop two stations up the line (as it did).
It was warm, and characterful, and with touches of “boozer” and a good mix of folk. The woolly hats were being sold “3 for 2” on Bromley market so it was surprising one chap had missed out.
Perhaps it was the Christmas crowd, but it felt bit smarter than I remembered. There were people at the bar discussing tasters, which is taught as an A Level at Bromley High.
The excellent barmaid was explaining CAMRA discount and I don’t think I’ve ever heard a group of customers as excited by a 10p saving.
Being December, I had the Butcombe Christmas beer that was tasty (NBSS 3+) but a bit cold. Does Bromley think it’s in Wales ?
Proper seats, pleasing wood panelling, tables NOT reserved for groups who don’t turn up, and gin bottles put to proper use.
But if I’d stayed another minute I’d have missed my train to London Bridge, and you wouldn’t want that.
retiredmartin 
When you ask us to start discussing “helixing” I vow to stop reading. Woolen hats are normally a hipster thing aren’t they?
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We cask drinkers are all hipsters.
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I thought all hipsters want tasters though?
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“I don’t think I’ve ever heard a group of customers as excited by a 10p saving” – but a florin would have been a lot of money for Noddy. .
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Aye. Four Sixpences. They didn’t have Uber back then though.
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With all the parodies of childhood books nowadays I might expect to find in my local bookshop ‘Noddy finds two shillings and gets ratarsed in the Toytown Arms’.
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But think how many pints he could have had for that florin!!
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More than enough to get him arrested by PC Plod.
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Bastard quarter to four.
I never used to wake up at drinker’s hour.
Every time these days.
I think I’ll stop swearing now.Most unlike me.
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P P-T,
Don’t worry about it.
I’m normally asleep from 9pm to 1am and 2pm to 6am and it was normal before the industrial revolution to have two sessions like that.
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2pm to 6am ?
When do you do your drinking ?
Actually I don’t mind it too much – any time after 4am is today but before that is still yesterday.
Unusually for me though and a bit worrying – I fancy a pint !
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Sorry, that should of course have been 9pm to 1am and 2am to 6am.
I will though often have a nap from 2pm to 3pm with most of my drinking done before then.
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Why do you wake up at 1am, Paul ? To post contentious stuff on the Beer & Pubs Forum ?
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No, maybe because my body doesn’t realise that it might be a few years before I need to get up for a piss in the of the night.
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“contentious stuff” ?
Now what “contentious stuff” could we post on there ?
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I think that Paul’s description of Hebden Bridge as “proper Yorkshire” might just have been contentious here and there, Martin.
😉
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I always ask for tasters if I see 6X or Tribute on the bar. As for Christmas beer, surely it’s just a normal beer with cinnamon/allspice/nutmeg/cloves added (delete as applicable).
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I thought you never went back!!!!!
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There are no loos at suburban stations these days !
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– and of course never have been on the Underground a journey on which can be over an hour.
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You packed a lot in for such a quick visit. Recall leaving Rikke on the platform, running there and back and getting the next train. And people think it’s an easy job.
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Ha Ha, harder than negotiating BREXIT mate. You have to be clinical on these London jaunts, don’t you ?
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