Last of the year

 OK - this is a bit of a cheat since I'm really writing it on Saturday morning, not Friday night.

With escalating cases of the COVIDs we were in two minds whether to venture out at all - as I've said before, it's not because we're worried about our health (jabbed and boosted up to here...) but we really don't want to be part of the problem.  We like to think, wherever possible, we try to be part of the solution.

We'd played a new, very pub-friendly card game and got the gist of it (we often find it hard to learn new games in the pub) and then the question "...staying in then?"

We both ummmed and ahhhed for a few moments but decided we'd see what the Barley Mow was like (it was about 5pm).  Coats on and ambled around the corner.

It was pleasantly populated when we arrived so we got a pint and sat in the least busy corner.

We noted more new bar staff and wondered whether there had been a change of some sort, or just some holiday going on.

No matter, both the chaps on duty were friendly and efficient.

So we sat and drank our beers and played our game.  The pub got a little busier by the time I went for a second beer.  It was a fresh-on keg beer by Newtown Park (just around the corner) - it was the sort of strength we were looking for (6% or so) but called itself a "Pine IPA".  I hesitated for a moment or two. Then ordered two pints.

The guy at the bar and I shared a nonsense interaction and I asked when they were open again (expecting them to be closed on 1st) - but he said "I'll be open tomorrow - maybe not until 4pm, though".  Good enough for me.

The beer was different.  Not unpleasant at all, but a bit of a shock to the system.  The pine was very noticeable - to me it tasted rather minty when it was first poured, then mellowed to a slight citrussy taste as the beer warmed a little.  I'm not sure I'd rush back to it - but glad I had more than just a taste because I'd have probable decided against it on the first mouthful.

All in all, it was a good place to spend a couple of hours on the last day of the year.

Over the next few weeks I suspect there will be a lot of bombardment of "Dry January" which, as ever, we will definitely not be adhering to.  Our lovely pubs need us and (selfishly) they will be much less busy than usual so, for us, there's no better time to go to the pub.

Frankly, I'm going to be so busy with work over the next couple of months that going to the pub will be perfect way for me to manage my work-home balance.

Onwards - and upwards

Excursion

 The sun briefly came out yesterday and the boy looked longingly out.  Weather and lack of inclination had reduced our urge to excurt but we thought we should take advantage.

I've been wanting to go back to the Royal Oak in Bath for a while but the last couple of times it didn't come off.  Himself was up for it, although possibly slightly less keen.  I took a look on Google maps to see if there was anything nice to amble around near the pub and found an old railway track that had been turned into a greenway.  It took me by surprise!

I tried to see if I could find a circular route from Bath Spa station but the geography made it look rather difficult (it's not called the Two Tunnels route for nothing).

In the end, we took the easy way which was to get to Oldfield Park station and get on the path as close as possible and do an up and back "exploratory" walk so that we could try something more ambitious in the future.

It was a really pleasant walk -  would be even nice on a spring day but beggars and that...

We walked about 4.5 miles up and back (as far as the southern portal the second tunnel) and landed comfortably in the pub about 4.45pm.

It's a very traditional sort of place - basic but airy and it was good to see the bar hadn't changed position.

The pub now also houses a brewery and they had 4 of their own beers on.  If I'm honest I didn't expect too much but was really taken aback by how tasty the beer was.  It didn't even occur to us to try any of the 4 guest casks or 8 or keg beers (not to mention the 8 real ciders on the board).

We definitely want to go back - it had the right vibe for us as well as the excellent beer.  It's a 5 minute walk from the flat to the station and a 5 minute walk from the station to the pub.  Building in the 13 minute journey and a bit of slack time, it means we could be there around 30mins after leaving home.  Quite a lot closer than other pubs we like to go to...

Hopefully we'll get another visit in before we head back south.

Christmas Cheer

 A combination of grotty weather and no confirmed local pub openings for Christmas Day meant that we decided to hunker down in the flat for the day.

Naturally, there was a fair bit of beer in the fridge but, for the bulk of the day, we did our normal thing and drank tea.  We played a complicated board game (took 5 hours in total) and switched to a modest amount of the usual sort of beer come mid-afternoon.

Christmas Day tends to be quite an understated day for us so this was entirely in-keeping.

On Boxing Day, I did a bit of research and found that the Oxford was open.  So we ambled along the first bit of the Greenway, up and over the railway bridge and up the hill.

The pub looked warm and welcoming - three BBF beers on tap and a table away from the singer.  Perfect.

IT got a little bit busier and with that came extra noise but it was nice to be in a pub again.

After a couple of pints we strolled home to a shared can of Moor Rebirth (the Fullers ESB collab).

Now we're all sitting on tenter hooks again waiting to see what the outcome of the "briefing" is.

I daresay 4pm or so will find us out on a stroll to see what's open around.  After all, we may have to re-rely on fridge beer before too long...

New Kids on the Block (where block = railway arch)

 Last summer we learned that a new microbrewery and taproom was being planned just around the corner in one of the railway arches.  As time went on, no brewery appeared and nothing seemed to be happening so we just assumed it was vapourware and/or had been impacted by the plague.

Last Friday, on the way back from Moor we noticed people outside one of the arches...and people inside.  There seemed to be beer tanks and seating and stuff - and it looked bright and welcoming.  It looked for all the world like a soft-opening.  We'd already done our beer for the day, anyhow, but we marked it down and decided we'd come back as soon as we could.

Then one of our friends, DrP, messaged me with a link to a news story.  It indicated the place would be open imminently. It's called Little Martha.

Yesterday, I was feeling much recovered from my very mild cold which really only lasted 3 days (maybe the old advice of taking it easy and just managing symptoms with drugs rather than fighting through it actually works!) so suggested that we pop out and give it a try.

It is the closest beer place to our flat - closer, even, than the Barley Mow -  right next to the pasty shop, so about a 5 minute gentle amble (probably 3 minute power-walk).

There were about half a dozen people when we went in.

They had two tank beers, two kegs and two guests - pretty impressive.

The chaps behind the bar were friendly and engaging and the atmosphere immediately felt right.

Since two-thirds is now our measure of choice, we got a couple of their own least strong beer and sat at a comfy booth.

There was a slight tang of emulsion in the air which suggested that their last bits of setting up had been very recent indeed - it actually made me smile.

Being building material nerds we found ourselves looking at the fit-out admiringly.  Pretty humble materials have been marshalled, along with a simple decoration scheme to make the whole place feel really well designed and light and airy. Really impressed at the numbers of loos, too - which are so often an afterthought.

Anyhow - the beer is really the most important thing and it's really good. We assumed the brewer had come from another of the local breweries - but in chatting he told us this is his first venture of brewing for anyone else. In the past, we've observed that initially ex-home brewers' beers tend to taste a bit like homebrew.  Not the case here.

In all we tried three of their four own beers (time didn't allow us to try the stout) and we're keen to add it to our regular haunts.  As we observed - there are now the following taprooms within about 20 mins walk of the flat (in no particular order):

Little Martha, Moor, LHG x 2, Tapestry, Newtown/Verdant, Good Chemistry, King Street (8)

increase that radius to 40 mins and you can add

New Bristol, Wiper and True, Fierce and Noble, Lost and Grounded, Bristol Beer Factory (5)

All I can say is I'm sending mental entreaties to Arbor in case they might consider their own taproom.

Welcome Little Martha - you're in really good company and already holding your own.  If only we were here more often you'd probably see us very frequently indeed.

 

Plenty of Room at the Inn

 I was feeling considerably better yesterday and had a parcel to collect from a locker nearby. We identified a couple of other errands to run in town so decided to stroll over and see where it took us.

The walk was largely devoid of people and town, whilst a bit more populated, was much quieter than it should have been.  It was quite stark.

As we completed our final errand we mused about stopping somewhere on the way back.  Naturally, I suggested LHG and we both thought it was good shout since it's easy to look inside to see how busy it is and then bypass without hurting anyone's feelings.

Actually it was a tiny bit busier than the last time we arrived there at just-after-opening-time but there were no more than 30 customers and only about half the tables were populated.

We masked up, went in and ordered.  Then settled in comfortably.

It was another chance to marvel on the demographics of the customers - including women sitting on their own and drinking beer.  I'm pretty hardened to pubs (and a combination of factors mean I'm unlikely to be a pick-up target, on the whole) but I remember when I wasn't and how I was extremely picky about the places I'd be willing to go in on my own.

The Brewpub would definitely be one of them.  

As time went on, it should have got busier - but it didn't.  Come 7pm when we left, there were fewer people than when we had arrived.  This means it didn't have the right level of "after work" drinkers which have been so noticeable in the past.  It was a pretty stark reminder of what the pandemic and its societal adaptations is having on the hospitality industry.

We're pretty sure that LHG with its diversified business model can ride another disappointing Christmas and is more capable than most of rebounding in Spring (they have a huge covered terrace area which is enormously popular) but if this dip is so noticeable across the board then some others are going to go under. Literally, sobering thought.

Today, I've a mind to try a brand new brewery/bar which is probably the closest to us (closer than Moor or Barley Mow - actually slightly closer than the pasty shop) and looks interesting.  That's provided the man of the flat hasn't succumbed to the lurgy.

Turnip (for the books)

 Despite precautions, I find myself my first "cold" for about 3 years.

March2020 saw me with something altogether nastier although we have no way of knowing whether it was COVID or something else.

Yesterday I had a sore throat, today I'm full of snot - two LFTs indicate it's just a cold.

But even this gives me slight worries about going anywhere - the last thing people need is yet another different illness to cope with.  I know we wouldn't have thought twice about it a couple of years ago - I'd never have let some slight snotties impact my work or more social plans.

Yesterday, I really didn't fancy beer so settled on a combination of pear juice and some fizzy water.

Right now, I could kill a pint but I really don't want to pass on whatever I've got - and I also don't fancy being the ill person sitting in the corner of the pub - so we'll give it a miss (again) today.

It's eerily quiet around the offices next to the flat - and I'm pretty sure that'll translate to fewer people in the good beer places.

The measures announced today will help a little bit - but the uncertainty about just when further restrictions will hit will make planning a nightmare.

I strongly suspect that those making the decision just think you can close the doors and take away the half-opened bottles of wine for home consumption and then leave the rest to look after itself, without any further impact.

They probably don't understand (or care) about beer being a live thing since they probably just have bottles and cans in the fridge.

So I'm still coming down on the side of trying to support my much-loved outlets nearby since, once they've gone they don't come back and that would be a tragedy.

Thwarted Plans

 We had decided to visit a taproom on Saturday but we hadn't decided which one.

But Saturday weather was cold and grim, himself got stuck into a new programming project and so was totally absorbed, I was doom-scrolling and becoming increasingly uncomfortable at infection levels etc.

By 5pm it was a toss-up between attacking the beer in the fridge or trying somewhere not too far away and being willing to come home if we didn't fancy it.  Unsurprisingly, that meant heading to the Barley Mow.

There was a table free, the rear door was open to help with ventillation and, to be honest, it wasn't all that full.  Mask wearing whilst walking around was at a rate of about 60% (more in young people than older, unfortunately).  We settled in and we enjoyed the beer - but probably didn't exactly relax fully.

Clearly people are more retiscent at mixing and that has to be a good thing - but really sucks for the pub trade.

Brother and Sister-in-Law are coming over for dinner tomorrow evening - we checked in with each other to see if either wanted to call it off but we've settled on pre-meeting LFTs instead.  We'll all have been jabbed to the hilt but, even so, caution is definitely needed.

I have no feelings either way about Christmas - it's a celebration I've not really enjoyed that much since my teens but I do understand that other people feel very differently. 

 My big fear is that the pubs we love, who are under the cosh again, will simply decide it's just too much effort and will cut their losses, even without financial support. 

Let's do what we can to help, when we can.

Crunch Time Again

 With COVID cases increasing hugely, the government is doing what it did just before the first lockdown:  telling us not to go to places and gather with people, but not supporting the businesses about to be hit by lack of customers again.

So that leaves us with a bit of a dilemma.

It'll be abundantly clear that we really don't like ANY busy places at ANY time of year.  We had learned to tolerate it in the Basketmakers and the Evening Star on match days and in the Barley Mow in December.

Nearly two years into this dratted pandemic, Best Beer Buddy and I are much, much less likely to see lots of people gathering in a place as being a necessary evil to suffer in order to see the benefit of our wish to drink good beer.

Yesterday we travelled back to Bristol and decided to avoid London (and specifically the tube).  One way wold have been to travel via the South Coast - but there's a lesser-encouraged route:  Eastbourne-Gatwick-Reading.  We didn't like the idea of not getting on the Bristol train at its origin point since we'd probably be on the last off-peak train and it is usually pretty busy.  But we decided that it was worth a try.

The last transfer - off the train from Gatwick and then onto the train from London involved a bit of a trek since we'd managed to get ourselves on the last carriage thanks to a direction reversal at Redhill (sigh).  Also the transfer time was only about 6 minutes.

It was a tiny bit stressful to make the crossing but the train pulled in just as we landed at the bottom of the escalator.  We got on the nearest carriage and found a seat really easily so there was a gentle sigh of relief of catching the train and there having been no crowds en route.

There was a minor/annoying fridge incident to be dealt with when we arrived at the flat but within 20 mins we were heading to the Barley Mow braced to give it a miss if there were too many people.

We were in luck.  Plenty of space, LOADS of beer and a fair bit of mask wearing whilst walking about so we settled in.  A really nice early evening ensued and we didn't manage to exhaust the range of beer available to try.

Clearly the working from home mandate has affected the BM but we find ourselves wondering what our most responsible course of action is now.

Do we support the pubs we love so much by doing our usual drink-whilst-avoiding-crowds thing, or do we stay home so as not to be part of the virus vehicle?

We're both jabbed to teeth (3 COVID + 1 Flu) and we wear masks where we can. We don't really socialise, nor do we talk very loudly in the pub - we sit in the corner, drink at a rate of approximately 1 pint per hour each and generally don't clutter up the place too much.  We also test a couple of times a week.

I think it's too much the industry to expect to rely on December drinking to recover everything that's happened but I'd like to think there's a balance we can help with by going to the pub - but carefully.

I really hope I'm right.