TALKING U.S. POLITICS OVER STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING WITH TEXANS IN THE THOMAS BECKET

August 2024. Canterbury. A night in one of the UK’s top tourists towns, a million visitors a year, not all of them French and Italian teenagers either. Crossing over the Great Stour again, as we left the delightful Dave aka @Asthouart to his tea and his wonderful art, Canterbury looked magical. And who knew of… Continue reading TALKING U.S. POLITICS OVER STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING WITH TEXANS IN THE THOMAS BECKET

A SYMPHONY IN BROWN – THE ROYAL OAK, ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS

January 2024. Royal Tunbridge Wells. Plenty of opportunities to revisit the Wells while helping my Father-in-Law recuperate, but the last of the Tunbridge GBG entries had eluded me till now, despite being the most “Proper” of all the Guide entries. The Royal Oak looks a suburban grown-ups pub, and indeed it is. perhaps more of… Continue reading A SYMPHONY IN BROWN – THE ROYAL OAK, ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS

THE DAY THE SNOW FELL ON ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS

January 2024. Royal Tunbridge Wells. On Monday morning the snow fell in the Weald of Kent, rather scuppering any plans to take my Father-in-Law out for a drive to Lewes. Shockingly, despite having a Conservative MP, the Government was, as usual, passive in their response to this crisis; Mrs RM was working on her blog,… Continue reading THE DAY THE SNOW FELL ON ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS

SMALL STEPS, BUT FATHER-IN-LAW MAKES IT TO THE PUB

January 2024. Southborough. Royal Tunbridge Wells. We spent a couple of nights round Mrs RM’s Mum and Dad’s, seeing how my father-in-law is getting on after a lengthy period of hospitalisation and rehabilitation. He just wanted a Chinese takeaway and a trip to the pub, bless him. Only 8 minutes to the Imperial; you remember… Continue reading SMALL STEPS, BUT FATHER-IN-LAW MAKES IT TO THE PUB

HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY COUNTY. No. 18 – KENT

Finishing Kent always feels like a BIG achievement, something about all that coastline, all those different train lines, all those wrong micro opening times. And picking the first five in Kent has been the toughest pick so far. I’ve deliberately left out the Nelson Arms in Tonbridge, as that had enough publicity of late but… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY COUNTY. No. 18 – KENT