Christmas Eve 2023. Tonbridge.
Finally, at 20:24, (almost) appropriately, we headed back to our Premier Inn ahead of the ordeals of a family Christmas.
Blimey, don’t some folk make an effort !
It looks like Mrs RM almost wandered into the Somerhill by mistake.
I remember that fondly from the short-lived Hooden Horse chain that accounted for 35% of dried hops sales in the late ’90s.
In truth, we really didn’t need a nightcap at the Vauxhall, but you’ll always wonder what your hotel bar was like, and besides, Mrs RM said “shall we get a pudding ?”.
Of course, the chef had long gone home to wait for Santa, and we felt daft asking for food at 8:40pm on Christmas Eve, but something called us;
So while the rest of the family enjoyed family conversation, mostly about City’s title challengers,
I waited at the bar for four halves of Rocking Rudolph to be pulled.
It was a half too far. The beer was good enough, but the experience of drinking it in a thin Peroni glass as staff patiently waited for us to drink up probably wasn’t.
retiredmartin 
The Vauxhall has a reputation for closing early. I remember, one New Year’s Eve, being asked to drink up, as the pub would be closing shortly. This was around 10.30pm.
It was doubly embarrassing, as my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew were over from the States, and expecting to see in the new year, inside a traditional English pub.
I made it up to my brother-in-law, and nephew, the following morning, by driving them out to a couple of unspoiled, and quite remote, country pubs, whilst my sister and Mrs PBT’s went shopping.
The pubs in question were the Spotted Dog at Smarts Hill, and the Rock at Chiddingstone Hoath. My nephew Jack, couldn’t believe how narrow some of the roads were!
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Shutting early on New Year’s Eve !
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Paul,
You’ve reminded me that long ago I’d see the New Year in in Wolverhampton – the Great Western or the Newhampton – and then it was a few Black Country pubs at lunchtime before the train home.
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