retiredmartin

April 2025. Gillingham.

The in-laws took a post-Dockyard nap at the Travelodge; I reckoned two hours, plus half an hour to make themselves a cup of tea, which gave me 150 minutes to restore my sanity.

Absolutely no new GBG ticks possible in that time, so let’s revisit much maligned Gillingham.

You’ll see from the red markers on the What Pub map that pubs in Thanet come in clusters. The mile from Brompton takes you past Kings,

a Prince, a Monarch, a Marquis, and a Royal Marine. There were Princes, and there were Kings; sounds like a 1980 pop classic.

Actually, most of those pubs are long closed, and Gillingham High Street doesn’t inspire much confidence I’ll find lots of craft replacements.

But what it lacks in quantity, Gillingham makes up for in quality. Top scores at all 3 GBG entries (which NEVER change), most recently Past and Present. I’m always giving this an extra half mark as they use “AND” rather than “&”. Don’t ask why.

I’m absolutely sure this place looks different to the micro I ticked 9 years ago.

“I’m absolutely sure this place looks different to my last visit” I overexplain to the landlady, who then explains my confusion to everyone in the pub. No-one else is interested.

Yes, it’s a relocated micro. Here you go;

“This venue was previously called One for the Road (bar), initially opening in September 2018, and was renamed the Gin & Tap Room (bar) in February 2019, and was renamed again the Past & Present Ale House in April 2020, after another micropub also called the Past & Present (and run by the same couple at 2 Skinner Street) closed on March 23rd 2020 and its operation moved here.“

If you like yer ‘istree, that’s for you. Still, the Kent Superdelic is as cool and crisp as ever (NBSS 4), and those classic old pub pictures remain.

A pub to engage in conversation rather than take notes, which on the one hand is A Good Thing, but on the other hand means I can’t remember anything that was said. But I bet it was great.