Unplanned loveliness

We had Saturday and Sunday pub visits to deal with and, after the sojourn to the far end of the harbour on Friday, we wanted to stick close to home.

We knew Martha's wasn't open on Sunday for the usual "games afternoon" so it was a matter of which day we went to the BM.

Then we got a message from a friend, also briefly in Bristol, suggesting meeting in a pub (she's knows us very well) but didn't want to come into town.  She was around Westbury on Trym so I asked her whether Redland was acceptable - it was.

We grabbed a train up to Clifton Down and then ambled around Redland/Cotham (god, I remember the hills from when I lived in that area) and finally landed at The Good Measure which we'd enjoyed the couple of times we'd been,but hadn't visited for ages.

I was worried it would be really busy -but at 4pm it wasn't. So we grabbed a pint and a seat.  

Friend and her dog arrived - accompanied by other friends so it was  like a proper reunion since, back in the day, we'd all been neighbours - then gradually moved out!

It was a grand way to spend the afternoon and after the buddies had to leave, we had around 45mins until we had to leave for a train.  Something rather nice by Sureshot went down a treat and then we strolled down the road to Redland Station in the dark and cold...and, of course, we were rather early.

We must remember to go back (perhaps when it's not quite so cold) before too long because the getting there, and getting home was easy and pleasant and the pub itself, and the staff therein all lovely and right up our street.

Monday was "travelling back to Sussex" day.  There was a little beer left in the fridge and we'd pre-warmed the house a little.

We lit a fire, defrosted some bolognaise sauce and relaxed.

I'd ordered beer in the hope it would arrive today but I think the weather has caused problems (it's frozen solid down here) because I've had notifications from both couriers saying there have been problems.  Best laid plans, eh?

 Never mind - I'm out and about for the rest of this week so there will probably be pub opportunities... 

Floating Harbour Pub Crawl.

 Whilst I was thinking about the Harbour it was impossible not to consider all the great pubs you could visit in the 3 mile (or so) circuit.  Also, you could get to any of the pubs, really easily from a ferry stop (but they don't run into the evenings).

Starting at Temple Quay (very close to the station, with the the far "other" end of the floating harbour appearing very much like a canal.):

Little Martha's

Unwins

Barley Mow 

Bridge Inn

Left Handed Giant Brewpub

King Street pubs if you're so inclined.

Arnolfini cafe

Lime Kiln (ok, it's a bit of a walk from the water but absolutely worth it)

Three Tuns

Bag of Nails/Cats

Grain Barge

Pump House

Nova Scotia (not my thing just on available beer, but may be yours)

Orchard (not to be missed)

The Junction (with a chance to sample the different Wapping Wharf food offerings)

Golden Guinea

Seven Stars

Cornubia

Kings Head

If after all that your thirst remains unslaked - there's always the 'spoons less than 5min away from Temple Meads station. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bristol Floating Harbour

 In our neverending quest (aka 'obsession') with vintage cameras we'd planned to go out to somewhere sunny and scenic, suitable for a weird little old camera (Ensign Full Vue II).  We already have one of these, best described as a box camera with a little chuztpah.  Its main feature is the stunningly bright viewfinder which shows an imagine far better than the very basic lens can deliver.

Anyhoo...it's one of three old cameras we're yet to test so we brought it to Bristol with us.

The weather was supposed to be quite good on Friday so we got on the ferry and went to the far end of the harbour to see if we could get a decent couple of images of "The Bridge" and Clifton with the sun on them.  Taking the ferry is such a brilliant way to get there (but actually, not really much quicker than walking) and on the way I mused about what this part of the city was like in my teens (70's/80's, since you didn't ask).  I remember how unloved and unlovable it was.  Now it's thriving and lively, mixing old and new fairly comfortably whilst still retaining bits of urban grot amongst authentic heritage and shiny aspirational housing.

The second part of our mission was to go and try The Pumphouse now it's been taken over by BBF.

We took 11 of our allotted 12 pictures (square format 120 film, if you were wondering), started to feel the cold a bit and headed to the Pumphouse.  The last time we were here it was sunny and warm and the previous iteration of the place definitely emphasised the very good food but had lost its sense of pub, to be honest.  Mind you, it was a useful refuelling spot for brunch with friends and the beer offering was pretty good, considering.

There were lots of people out in the sun so maybe not too surprising that it was reasonably busy at 3.30pm. It's clearly early days and the transformation to "proper pub" promised feels like a work in progress.  But, as I'd entirely expect, the beer range was very respectable and the cask beer we had (Dragon something or other) was excellent.  We were asked if we were "OK" with mugs - which was an odd way to phrase it, I guess, but it gave us the easy option of asking for straights -  supplied with a smile.

I hunted around for a cosy corner which was a bit tricky but eventually found a small table which I thought just had two chairs but then proved to have a cushioned "bench" too.  As I sat down I realised that it was atop a radiator (by design) so it was gorgeously warm.  The BBB congratulated me on finding me the best seat available (he was very much chilled by the walk around the end of the harbour).

When I went for a second, I decided it was too early for kegged Wiper and True IPA so he had Independence and I had Joy of Sesh (NBB).  Sadly no 2/3rd glasses were available but the lady behind the bar gamely offered to measure with their 1/3rd glasses which I feared would be a pain in the arse so I went for pints, whilst thanking her for the offer.  It's a BBF outlet so, no doubt, 2/3rd glasses will become available in time.

All in all, it was a nice place to go but it's not proper pubby just yet.  We assumed that this is just a time/cost factor.  We'll definitely be happy to come back...hopefully it'll have some snug corners by then.

We thought it would be a good idea to stroll back the couple of miles in more than one stage so we carried on along the northish side of the harbour thinking to look in the Three Tuns.  We passed it but it also didn't look particularly cosy, either (something we've felt before with the place) so we cut down to the Limekiln.

Now, this is definitely a proper little old pub run by a man (Paul) who definitely knows and loves his beer and makes sure there's something for everyone.  We settled in (sadly the places by the fire were already taken) with "Afghan IPA" (by a brewery I can't remember) which, at 5.4% was just about perfect strength.  I'd also whether 2/3rd was a available and the chap behind the bar had a game look for a 2/3rds glass but came up empty - so I stuck with a pint.  Very lovely it was too.

There were about 7 other folk in the pub and it felt perfectly "peopled".  We reckon that this would be a place that some of our "traditional cask" pals who remain surprised at how readily we'll enthuse about hazy keg beer would be fully approving of.  Must remember to bring them next time they come and stay.

Walking back mostly via backstreets we're reminded how walkable this city is - another reason to love it.

We're heading back to Sussex on Monday, we're excited to be going "home" (or, more correctly "other home") but in about 6 weeks we'll be gagging to be back.

 

 

Resolutions?

 Nope.  Too many other things to concentrate on.

I'm at that part of a period in Bristol when I'm looking forward to going back to Sussex.  I've heard "Your Girl" by Man, Woman, Chainsaw quite enough now, thanks.  I really only listen to Radio6 when I'm here because we share the space we're working in and R6 is a resonable compromise after lunch. 

It's lovely not having an untidy garden to feel guilty about when we're here - what we can see is a fab cityscape and water and all of it is someone else's responsibility.

But actually, I'm missing our scruffy garden and positively looking forward to some winter pruning and tree TLC (oh and ridding the pond of the excessive oyxgenators to ensure that froggies can see it's an actual pond, not some sort of weird astroturf).

The prospect of our organisation's move to a new, bigger space in the next couple of weeks is both headache (funding-wise) and project manager's delight.  We'll have a lot of short-term activity that me and the BBB will share in the new space whilst the rest of our team keep things going on a day to day basis.  We'll feel pretty justified in retiring to the pub after work and we'll soon sort out a new beery routine with Wolf, Frontier, Gun and maybe Ninkasi - whilst trying hard not to neglect current favourites.

So, there's some stuff in prospect that will keep me on my toes.

Talking to Tom Unwin in his brewery yesterday, we're looking forward to seeing what develops with his space.  His beer is really accomplished and we've liked it instantly - the taproom space will catch up and it'll become part of our regular venue list.

I really hope that Moor can find a way through the changes it's been forced to undergo - I hope, also, that it keeps its identity and doesn't become Left-Handed Giant MkII (I love LHG but we don't need another).

Having things to look forward to in both homes is probably why we've never seriously considered letting the flat go yet (I only really needed it whilst elderly parent was in a nearby carehome) but the draw of the beer city is still strong too.  Eastbourne is slowly upping its beer game (not quite as much as some of the neighbouring towns) and hopefully that'll continue.

Beer or pub of the year, though?

Beer:  no, not really.  I've continued to drink really well this year.  Maybe Star of Eastbourne in Wolf on the Corner is the most memorable conjunction of time in the "pub" and beer I wanted to drink more of.

Pub:  Well, Barleymow is perpetual favourite but the newcomer is "Blind Jack's" in Knaresborough.

As we baulk a little at the rising price of beer, we need to remember how much we value our time in the pub, mulling over our day, or planning new stuff, or playing board games or just talking sh*te.  I genuinely don't think I could do the job I do without that time at the end of the day.

 

 

Betwixt

 Call it what you will but this week between Christmas and New Year serves to befuddle.

What day is it?  What do we need to eat from the fridge? Surely mincepies and panettone are appropriate breakfast food, and so on.

Having made the decision not to seek out pubs on Christmas Day or Boxing Day (we had good fridge beer courtesy of Basement and Arbor), by Saturday we fancied some cask beer.

I'd seen that the Seven Stars was under new management (?ownership, supervision, staff - not sure) and that it was probably time for a revisit.

It's a pleasant stroll and we got a jolly welcome when we came inside and sat next to the wood burner. We had a couple of good pints of 3.8% pale beer (Goffs for him, something else for me).  Beautifully kept and in great condition, they may have been quite trad in "pale" terms but it was great.

More noticeable was the absence of smell from the gents which used to be one of the pub's defining features.  Definitely an improvement!

There wasn't really a second beer we were gagging for - but we did share a really nice low strength stout.

We needed to pick up mushrooms on the way back but thought we'd also look at the Kings Head - not sure if it would be empty or heaving. It appeared to be the latter and neither of us were in the mood for fighting our way past the cluster around the bar to see whether the snug could accommodate us.  So we headed back for our single can of Yakima Valley instead.

Yesterday, thankfully, Martha's was open as usual so we took games, caught up with B behind the bar and revelled in the pleasant number of people in the space (more than usual for a Sunday). 

I think it's Monday today and so I've had a go at doing some work - mind you, by the end of the week I'll be all confused again.  We've both found it a bit of a challenge gettng our heads back into it.

Still - nearly time for beer...I wonder where... 

 

 

Traditions

We mainly avoid the whole tinsel and tree affair of this time in December.

But we did really want a proper Panettone, from the best Italian deli you can imagine:  Licata, in Picton Street.

I've been buying Panettone, on and off, from here for 25 years or so.

But it's not just that - it's Sicilian fennel sausage, the best pasta, Italian cheese, huge bunches of basil and what have you.

It's a bit of a hike from home (I used to live a much shorter walk away) so we got the 15:46 train to Montpelier station and ambled down from there.  There's something lovely about the architecture of that area: it's really easy to read its history in its buildings.  It only takes about 10 minutes to fill your basket, pay and pack shopping bags and be on your way - and it's astonishingly reasonably priced.  By 4:10 we were approaching Basement Beer.

We were delighted to see the little "nook" was unoccupied, the only other customer at the time was a chap sitting facing the bar.

There was something lovely about settling into our "usual" seats, repacking our bags to rationalise what we'd bought - mind you there wasn't really anything sensible we could do with the stupidly long leeks!

We drank, variously, a 4%ish pale ale, a stout, a sour and an NEIPA - all really enjoyable.  As people drifted in, the atmosphere became noisier but the nook still allows you to hear each other.  There was plenty of Talking Heads to be heard (and we discussed what era each was from) and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there, once again.

It's lovely to be able to support small brewers/pubs - and when they're as good as this, it's really no hardship to do it.

Today, I'm hoping we can revisit Unwins because...well, just because, really. 

 

How the pub is meant to be

 Two pub visits since we've arrived have reminded me what a great experience a good pub visit is.

In the BM on Thursday, we couldn't sit next to the fire because there were Christmas meals being had.  We looked in the other half and the BBB looked at the two-person table next to the gents and grudgingly settled in there (it's the worst space in the pub).  As I arrived with the beers the two chaps on the next table (the one with the wobbly leg) said "we're just about to go - you're welcome to this table...".

Naturally, we gladly took up the option and settled in.  The leg was wobbly again.

Still, we were in the BM and we were happy.

BBB went to get a second drink but in the fluster of the queue forgot to get beer mats. No matter.

After a while a lone chap settled into the table by the gents, then another guy came in.  Instead of sitting with us where there was loads of space, he asked the other guy whether he could sit at that table.  The resident guy was gracious but I could see a look of near-horror of sharing a really small space with a stranger.

I caught the incomer's eye and suggested there was plenty of room at our table.  He thanked us and said "it's OK, I'm really quiet".  He wasn't.  Clearly a chap wanting a bit of company - and we know, from work, that just a small amount of interaction with people can make them feel better - even though it's not something we necessary thrive on. It would have been churlish not to.  I can't really remember what we chatted about.

I tootled off to get a third beer (and some beer mats to fettle the table) and opted for very strong Wiper and True keg beer.  The lady at the bar poured them and put them on the bar whilst I paid.  They looked quite different colours but I then held them up to check it wasn't just a trick of the light.  To be honest, it was difficult to tell.

The BBB once again took one for the team - tasting them to see if there was anything awry.  He said they tasted slightly different from each other but both were fine.  So we shrugged and settled back in.

Meanwhile the bar manager had noticed that they didn't look quite right - and called over that he wanted to replace them.  I'm not sure he said what the reason was but the replacements were grand.  Maybe the keg had been tipped or something...who knows?  This is god-tier bar management in a pub that was heaving with people.

Then, yesterday, we went to the Kings Head.  We had no idea if it would be busy or not - you can't always tell.  It was. We knew there was a possibility that it would be the stools at the far end of the bar - as I passed them I did notice they were both covered  coats - probably from the blokes on the adjoining stools.  I made a mental in case the snug was  full.

It was very busy with three groups:  one of 8 blokes at one end, a small young group on one side of the entrance and about 5 blokes on the other.  However, between the two groups of blokes there was a bottom-sized gap on the bench, and a table barely being used.

Immediately one of the chaps on the nearest group shuffled along to make more space for me.  I asked the other group of men if they were ok with me using the table and they were delightful and waved me in.  The last piece of the puzzle was a stool.  There was a little cluster next to the young group, confirmed to be unused so I tucked that next to the table and allowed the BBB to sit on the bench so that it was easier for me to get the next round in (he has a  more svelt backside, too).

The big group swelled to 10 but somehow everyone managed to squeeze in with a reasonable degree of comfort. The tramcar snug is the only route out from behind the bar so we despaired of the staff trying to clear glasses.

 Then the small group of chaps nudged us to alert us that they were moving on and that we might want to slide into their space.  We did so gladly but were amazed that the bigger group didn't immediately make themselves a bit more comfortable and spread out.  We were impressed.

It was time for a second, but the previous incumbents of the space we'd moved had left their glasses, so I picked them all up and took them back to the bar.  The lady on duty thanked me profusely and I ordered fresh beers.

The behaviour of everyone in the place (save, perhaps, for the people who be-coated the stools) taking some personal responsibility for the enjoyment of everyone - and of excellent bar work, too.

This is how it should always be.