retiredmartin

January 2024. Royal Tunbridge Wells.

I told you in that last post that Southborough only has a pub and a Chinese takeaway (and, to be fair, the Weald of Kent) to commend it. I lied.

Rusbridge Family Bakery will sell you a Coronation Chicken roll, posh crisps, and a large Eccles cake for under a fiver. I asked what distinguishes Eccles cake from a Chorley and was told “orange”. Is this true ?

Bargain Travelodges abound in January;

OK, they’re not as good as Premier Inns or Wetherlodges,

but the T.Wells effort is a converted hotel in the smart part of town with free street car parking.

and there’s even a bar with a choice of, er, Guinness on tap. Get it in the GBG !

A mere 2 minutes from the pub on the common, we had lunch at the Mount Edgcumbe as the snow fell.

Honest, real snow !

This is a pub by the rocks,

if not in them like you know what.

But there is a cave inside, probably made on Wrexham Industrial estate,

though the other tat is probably homegrown.

Oh look, a robin with a flat cap, how Wells.

I remembered this stuff from a GBG tick in 2017, it’s long dropped out, but as I was DES that day I thought I’d better test the beer in a non-Guide upmarket dining pub on a Monday in January.

In a moment of madness, I got Mrs RM the Harvey’s and had the local Pig & Porter myself.

The Harvey’s looked gorgeous, and was better (3+) than a thin Skylarking (3-). I think they were the only pints pulled while we were there.

We shared a cheese and ham platter that was what we wanted but could have done with another loaf of bread,

and eavesdropped on polite society.

“I’m….sorry it was a bit rushed at the end”.

“Oh…never mind”.

I’m guessing the regret was that they’d had to rush their pavlovas as their friends were panicking about car parks, but I suppose it could have been a matter of life and death. I shall never know.

I just regretted not having the Harvey’s, but I’ve learnt my lesson.

^{Right, better do that “Half a dozen in North London post.}