retiredmartin

September 2023. Church Crookham, near Fleet.

Another dull Hampshire dining pub as we approach a crescendo of sorts in Farnborough.

Church Crookham sounds like the dullest place on earth, so I hope I have no readers there.

The only point of note is that the green blob between our new Guide pub in Eversley Forest and Aldershot stood in for North Korea in “Die Another Day” (and the post-apocalyptic scenes in “Children of Men”, too).

The scariest aspect to the Foresters is the rat run from the overflow car park to the pub, especially if you have little legs.

I suspect Simon will confirm that this is a BAD pub sign.

And the first thing you see on entry tells you all you need know.

I tell Mrs RM to grab a table in the garden. Obviously, she heads for the wrong garden, opting for the tables facing the road rather than the landscaped gem with a huge tree and dahlia bath to the rear. Equally obviously, it’s my fault.

Big queue at the bar, and there’s a rumour of a group of 20 about to order. The bar staff are great and we get our simple orders in first.

Ooh, what’s that, couldn’t possibly say.

I head past the “Crumble of the Moment” sign to the garden,

which is heaving in the heat. We pick the last table, the one with giant deckchairs and abandoned lager glasses.

Mrs RM reckons the “Crafty One” (they’re from Godalming) is pretty good, better than the last one, and she’s right (NBSS 3). But where’s the TEA ?

One more in that little box of North-east Hants pubs to do now, and although it won’t complete Hampshire it will still provide that satisfaction only the ticker will ever know.