On the way back home from Gosport I thought I’d stop in the Fox at Crawley (not that one) for a quick half.
Somewhere between Winchester and that national pub of the year at Wonston we all love, 10 minutes off the M3.
Look it up yourself, I’m typing this in a campervan parked up in a cattle market in Hawes.
The Fox is a gastropub for gentlefolk stockbrokers.
Open all hours, every day. At least before Covid.
Their Facebook page talked about “lunch” and “dinner” and bookings, so I phoned up and asked if they’d mind awfully if I popped by for a quick half, no need for a table etc etc.
“You’ll need to a book a table on line”
No I won’t.
Being posh, they were open to negotiation and I got away with giving my name and phone number to the guard greeter.
A barrier met me at the door. It would have been easier getting in to see Pablo Escobar. “There’s no bar” they said, pre-empting my move toward the bar.
I’m not complaining. They were lovely. They took Covid more seriously than our Government, they gave me a choice of tables in the light drizzle outside.
The Old Boy, my first post Covid, chatted about Saturday trade and arrows over beer and chips. He was a gem.
It took 15 minutes to get in, get seated, and get a beer. Hilariously a Swift One from Bowman.
Not bad, NBSS 3+, and pleasingly selected from a range of one.
3 minutes to drink it, 5 minutes to find someone to pay by card, then a funny little dance at the entrance to the Gents as Old Boy and I waited for a loo that was empty. The chap who left the sign on “engaged” was ostracised.
I went out the wrong door, the one that said “exit”.
Little more than a lovely hamlet, I stopped at the pond to admire the micropub in the lake.
“It’s a bit differently from Crawley” said oyr Alresford lycra man, confident in my hatred for Simon Calder’s hometown.
“I prefer the West Sussex one” I said. At least you can still get a quick half there.
retiredmartin 
Blimey!!!! Beer looks good though ….and it’s decent blogging material!
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Not going to be on your “proper boozer list”, but some of us like that about the Beer Guide 😉
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An open pub is generally a good one 👍 just different levels of good 😎
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Great words.
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I did laugh at your line “It would have been easier getting in to see Pablo Escobar.” A good many of your ticks have required effort on this level, I reckon!
It may be a gastropub for gentlefolk stockbrokers, but that building is more striking than almost any pub in America. I’m with you, this “booking something or other online” business makes me immediately decide maybe I don’t need to give these people my money after all. Glad they were able to bend the rules for you.
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It is a lovely building. I hope you appreciate I’m not being rude about the pub, which was doing a splendid job getting people out in a Covid world, just describing my struggles 😉
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Hawes!! I have to get back to not trying to follow you on a map. It cannot be done.
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Following you, that is.
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It can be done by Huawei, if you believe our Government’s anti-China hysteria.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-W40iW2MRs ?
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Hope you can get to the Victoria (not in GBG this year but an unmissable experience). And all the Swaledale entries.
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Who is this ?
I’m sure someone mentioned the Victoria in Wortin to me and I’d never heard of it 🤔
“Beer terrible, rarely open” wrote someone on Trip Advisor. Sounds great.
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The handwash has posh boozer stamped all over it, but full marks for your dedication and persistence in grabbling a swift half. Pubs will be daft if they refuse to serve the casual drinker, especially when they’re half empty!
Thanks for the screen grab of my comments from Chris Dyson’s blog. Like you, I have no intention of booking a table every time I just want to pop in for a swift pint!
The world seems to have gone utterly mad over this.
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You and Chris seemed the voice of reason 😉
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When are you due to regale us with the current Brunning and Price experience?
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Leaving those reports for Old Mudgie.
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