January 2026. Hastings.
Look at those blue “P” markers above. Four (4) of them in Hastings Old Town alone (and a fifth, the Havelock, in New Town).
Two of those a hundred yards apart in All Saints Street,
a triumph of unexpected detail that would only be improved by getting shot of all the vehicles.
One of those lovely raised footpaths brings you to the Cinque Ports,
which you’ll see Mrs RM sprinting into without any encouragement at all from me, oh no.
When I completed the Good Beer Guide (you might remember that) I’d visited just over 13,500 pubs. The one thing I’ve learnt since 2022 is that there are many hundreds of great pubs not in the GBG, and the Cinque is one of them.
A bit blokey, by no means a beer exhibition (ugh),
just a Proper Pub for what I assume are locals.
But the locals are friendly and chatty, particularly when Mrs RM doesn’t eat all their snacks,
though she opts for a table round the corner out of sight.
A great soundtrack runs from early Depeche Mode 12″s (“See You”, since one of you will ask) to “Two Princes” to John Prine, a rare outing in a town pub.
Mrs RM pours her Guinness 0.0 from a can, and though it’s only Pub No. 2 the fizz factor is about to come into play as she declares her Non Alcoholic crawl “done“.
In contrast, that Harvey’s is sumptuous, cool and rich (NBSS 4 or better). In fact, I would say the best Sussex Best since the halcyon days of the Royal Oak or the Gunmakers.
It slips down far, far too easily, and I help Mrs RM out with here Guinness, while she tries to complete the Harvey’s jigsaw from the beer mats.
And fails.
retiredmartin 
I envy you your NBSS 4+ Harvey’s Sussex Best. I may have to visit my nephew and his lass in Hastings fairly soon, and ask them to accompany me to the Cinque.
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The guy with the dog is on my stool! My «local» in Hastings (if an out of towner is allowed to have a local). A bit cliquey and could do with some more comfortable seating (not to mention reinstating the carpet!), but a no-nonsense old school boozer focusing solely on the drink trade. The kind of place where people know your name after a few visits and the landlady starts pouring your favorite tipple when you walk through the door. Definitely in the top 100.
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You’ll have guessed our 3rd pub, I presume ?
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I’m sure the old boy sat by the door, was in the very same place yesterday, and is probably there too, today.
The Pell’s Pale was drinking well, btw.
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Yes Paul, probably the doorman ensuring no riff raff get in.
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All the top Pub Men are headed to the Ypres Castle this new year Paul !
Have you been to Hastings pubs ?
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No, though I keep meaning to get there.
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I’d seen that Pells Pale clip before but didn’t realise it was Harvey’s before.
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