November 2025. Rye.
“At least the trains from Rye are reliable” I tell Mrs RM, as I head for the bus into town to start my latest 3:15 hour rail trip north (Sheffield not Waterbeach this time).
“18:48 cancelled” flashes the sign, followed by an excuse that roughly translates to “can’t be bothered.
So, a half hour wait in Rye becomes 90 minutes, but at least I’ll get my £32.60 back, and get to arrive in Sheffield at midnight after the last tram. All good.
Oh well, pub then.
I mean, where else can you shelter from the cold these days ? I can’t even go to Girl Guides now.
You might assume I’d head for the Ypres Castle, but that brings with it the certainty of two pints of strong craft keg and a glass of cider and falling asleep at Ashford.
So I settle for the only pub in town I haven’t been to yet.
Recently re-opened, no signs of life during the day but emitting that welcoming orange light at sunset, I can tell you almost nothing about The Cricketers.
It is remarkable in its un-remarkableness, particularly in a town like Rye, but I like that.
A neat one-roomer, friendly welcome, noisy with laughter, Facebook page all live music, mates meeting up on Friday evening,
Whitstable Bay on keg for £4.50.
Two hand pumps turned round, but the Sheps keg in branded glass is actually tasty and you can taste the steam.
In truth, the Cricketers is neither comfortable nor uncomfortable, I just feel a bit Billy No Mates on my own seated in the middle of the room rather than a corner seat I should have gone with Mrs RM.
But as a pub, it does the job.
Sadly, that pint only eats up 50 minutes, so I need somewhere else to dawdle for a while,
and pick the posh George, dawdling over a £4 Americano and somehow resisting the Harvey’s, even though coffee on top of beer is just as fatal on a train without working loos.
Luckily, the (also delayed) 19:48 Southern service has working toilets, and a kindly guard who phones ahead to tell the Southeastern train approaching Ashford to wait a couple of minutes so we can make it into That London.
Thanks for your service, Southern man.
retiredmartin 
At least “Recently re-opened” rather than the usual ‘recently closed’ meant you weren’t stumped at the Cricketers !
But did holding a train for the late running one from Rye mean you forfeited that Delay Repay bonus ?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t fully understand the Delay Repay terms and conditions, Paul. I had to catch a later train into London and then a later train to Sheffield so I never actually caught up !
LikeLike
It might be best looking for details on the website of the train operator whose train was delayed. They vary and, for example some pay out after 15 minutes and others only after 30. You can’t expect anything if the delay was known when you bought the ticket, and that’s a potential advantage of Advance tickets ( such as my 9.26am to Prestatyn tomorrow )
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you’ll be going in the Halcyon Quest !
LikeLike
No Martin.
My previous train to Prestatyn was in 1991 and I didn’t waste much time before walking off inland towards Chepstow.
Tomorrow will just be for collecting a motor car as my wife isn’t currently driving.
However, if I manage several days in Wales next year I hope to include a night at the oddly named HQ Pencadlys.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I shall save “Stumped at the cricketers” for future use and pay you the standard fee !
LikeLike
8½ years ago I was actually stumped everywhere but the Cricketers which was just about Bournemouth’s only good pub.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes, excellent pub.
LikeLike
Hilarious text! I do wish people would stand to the side on on rail stairs and escalators. When you say “excuse me” as you like to climb you often get looked at like you have two heads.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Apparently loudly shouting “Fire” is a good way to shift them !
LikeLiked by 2 people
And get arrested probably! One time at Butlins in the late 70s my dad shouted FIRE along our chalet row. People came running out in various states of undress. One even came with a bucket of water.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That reads like a “Carry On” sketch.
Not that I’d ever watch that filth.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They had to be the worst films, even for those days!
LikeLiked by 1 person
“November 2025. Rye.”
(looks up at map)
Is Rope Walk where they held the weekly hangings?
“So, a half hour wait in Rye becomes 90 minutes, but at least I’ll get my £32.60 back, and get to arrive in Sheffield at midnight after the last tram. All good.”
All good, eh? You have an undampened spirit my good sir.
“Oh well, pub then.”
See! Always looking on the bright side.
“You might assume I’d head for the Ypres Castle, but that brings with it the certainty of two pints of strong craft keg and a glass of cider and falling asleep at Ashford.”
(slow golf clap)
“So I settle for the only pub in town I haven’t been to yet.”
(looks down)
Which means you had to cross Rope Walk. Too bad no one decided to put a pub there called the Hanging Man. 😉
“It is remarkable in its un-remarkableness, particularly in a town like Rye, but I like that.”
Ah, diamond in the rough.
“Whitstable Bay on keg for £4.50.”
(looks down)
Good thing that was there. The rest is commercialized crap.
Also, do they call come up in that big golden tube?
“Two hand pumps turned round, but the Sheps keg in branded glass is actually tasty and you can taste the steam.”
(looks down)
Steam brew eh? We have a brewery like that over here in Vancouver. Have their own pub/bar right on site. Always go there when I’m on the mainland. I love their flagship IPA, which is called; Flagship. 😊
“I just feel a bit Billy No Mates on my own seated in the middle of the room rather than a corner seat I should have gone with Mrs RM.”
(nods)
“even though coffee on top of beer is just as fatal on a train without working loos.”
Can’t they get the parts to fix them?
(sheesh)
“Luckily, the (also delayed) 19:48 Southern service has working toilets”
Sigh, it was like that for me flying to and from camp in 2022 and 2023. No, not the working toilets (heh). I swear every flight was delayed, but that included the connecting flights so I never missed any.
“and a kindly guard who phones ahead to tell the Southeastern train approaching Ashford to wait a couple of minutes so we can make it into That London.”
Done that with planes over here.
“Thanks for your service, Southern man.”
(looks up)
Ok, love the text to Mrs RM! 😁
Cheers
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know that in olden times folk were hung daily for heinous crimes like stealing sugar lumps and jaywalking, but I assume the rope walks were where they made rope for the boats.
LikeLike
Good thing then, since you’d be in trouble, what with your sugar stealing and jaywalking!
LikeLike
Yes Martin, and hung, drawn and quartered for serving short measure while birched for asking for a taster of Manx beer only ended this century.
LikeLike
I have no idea why so many train toilets are out of action. I mean, I expect them to be less than lovely on any service packed with hen parties, but actually broken ?
LikeLike
It certainly has me flabbergasted.
LikeLike
Yes Martin, two out of three out of action I noticed recently. I was fortunate with just a short walk from the Great Western and a thirteen minute journey.
LikeLike
The texts between Mrs RM and myself are often hilarious, but would get in serious trouble if I published them all. Let’s just say, we have strong opinions on folk who put their bags/feet/coat on seats on busy trains.
LikeLike
LOL!
My wife and I usually wait until we can speak in person. No incriminating evidence. 😉
LikeLike
Yes, yesterday morning someone had their bag on my D30 seat but it was a rear facing one after I had requested a forward facing one, so I just took the vacant D34 forward facing one as its Euston to Chester booking hadn’t been taken up.
I thought £9.95 Stafford to Prestatyn booked the previous day wasn’t bad.
LikeLike