retiredmartin

Spending a week or two down in Rye presents some challenges for the GBG completist.

There’s a couple of dozen new Guide entries easily accessible by train, exciting places like Broadstairs and Hove. But I don’t want to do those too soon, so I’m also revisiting a few places I wasn’t sure about first tick round.

Like the Ypres Castle‘s companion in the GBG for Rye,

the Waterworks micro.

When I ticked this is 2019 with Mrs RM, it was just too busy on a Friday evening to enjoy, even with superb Old Dairy beers.

Let’s try again on a quieter Wednesday afternoon.

Blimey. Without the hordes the clutter really stands out. Now, Mrs RM and I love tat in pubs, just not at home.

Most of it seems to be for sale. I only stopped for a pint, not even tempted by the mysterious “Ale & A“.

My notes say “Three Kegs Pale”, which I guess means the one from down the road.

Incredibly friendly, even if the exhortations around the pub to “Talk to each other” are a bit Sam Smiths. Hey, sometimes I go to the pub to be unsociable and grumpy.

The young crowd of 2019 had been replaced by the Old Boy crowd and a few tourists, and the banter concerned the rail strike (the previous one). A man in combat trousers brought in a punnet (?) of eggs, it was a bit wonderful.

As was the beer, a cool and chewy NBSS 4.

Mrs RM was right; it’s a corker. And although Duncan and Malt and BRAPA and I often agree on the merits of a GBG pub on first visit, it’s always best to seek a second opinion from yourself.

Talking of Mrs RM, I thought of buying her a saw for Christmas,

but then remembered I DON’T BUT ANY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.