Phew!

 The heatwave was forecast to come to an end over the weekend.

The BBB was monitoring things carefully up in Bristol, I was forming a puddle in Eastbourne and doing chores once the sun had gone down.

All in all, we decided that Saturday would represent the best day for me to travel to the shire.

It was still VERY warm in Eastbourne but the red alert was now confined to the south east and I was of course, travelling northwest.

The first morning update declared the flat finally habitable.

I checked trains and there were some cancellations but it looked manageable, especially if I wasn't too worried how long it took.

I left home at about 10.15 and ambled for a bus.  It was hot outside but fortunately the bus came quite quickly. Fighting my way through annoying tennis fans arriving at the station I strolled down the platform to the far end (terminus station so the far end is the front) and got on a 12-coach train about 15 mins before it was due to leave.

Aircon was ticking slowly so it was pretty pleasant. 

We left on time(ish) and the train filled rapidly so it was standing room only by Haywards Heath - still it was cool and pleasant and the fellow passengers were largely well-behaved.

When I got to Victoria, it was really crowded and I was once again reminded that midweek travel is a real luxury. Avoiding the crowds going towards the Victoria line, I decided to take the Circle line - this probed to be a sensible move.  The tube platform was stifling - like breathing the air venting from a tumble drier.

When the train eventually came I got on at the front and had to stand for a couple of stops but the design of the trains makes the inside a continuous space so people diffuse down the length of the train much more effectively.  The aircon was keeping it pleasant and I soon got a seat for the rest of the journey.  I was getting regular updates about trains from Paddington from the BBB (what did we do before the internet and the sheer volume of useful intelligence about trains to be found online).  There had been some cancellations and delays but I was told I may be able to get a train around 1.30pm.  I couldn't remember how long the Circle route from VIC to PAD takes so I did become a bit anxious - especially as it looked possible the 2pm to Bristol might be cancelled.

I popped up at Paddington with the 13.30 not yet announced for boarding and with just enough  time to pick up some lunch - unfortunately, nothing that was readily available on the main concourse looked remotely attractive so I didn't bother.  The BBB indicated that the train might go from platform 9 so I edged towards that side of the station and sure enough, the announcement came.

The previous train having been cancelled, the train was busy but not awful and then the journey was cool and relaxed (for me anyhow). By the time I arrived home at the flat there was a cold bottle of water and sandwich waiting for me.

The sun was starting to warm the flat up again so we went to the Barley Mow earlier than we normally would.

The first lovely pint of their 4% (or so) pale, seasonal special, was glorious and it felt, like all the world like no time had passed since our last pint there. The staff were telling us how hot it had been in the pub for the last few days and how they hadn't put on more guest cask because consumption was down. Made complete sense (we also know that their cellar can sometimes be challenged by superhot temperatures).

Obviously, most people were outside since it was much more pleasant than it has been so we were left in blissful peace in our favourite corner with the general bustle of people coming in, buying beer and going back outside again making sure the pub felt peopled but not awful.

The worst of the heatwave has now passed, the weather seems to be more normal for June.  I'm looking out at the sunshine from our 10th floor flat and enjoying, rather than dreading it. 

Outlier

 It's not often a canned or bottle beer totally nails it.

 Burning Sky Bubble does - well for me.

I know that not everyone likes their beer to be astringent, bitter, grapefruity, even. 

I do.  Not for every beer I drink, but a beer with that characteristic thrown into the mix is an absolute delight.

I've had to delay travel, and the BBB had to bring his forward so that we were able to check in on the Bristol flat and its orchid residents.  That means I'm still Eastbourne.

I haven't bothered with beer for the last couple of days but it's starting to cool a little now, so I've broken out the last can of Bubble - it's absolutely hitting the spot.

I'm travelling tomorrow, now - and when I get off the train, having had to deal with people who don't normally travel by train, I'll definitely need a pint...an honest to goodness cask pint, probably by BBF (straight glass, obvs).  

When I am old, I shall wear purple...

 I was working in the new office on Tuesday, temporarily "in charge" as our office manager is on leave.

I had to stay until 4pm when our work experience student was leaving for the day.

The BBB was working from home and we were just getting glimpses of the impending heatwave.

I assumed he wasn't keen to hack down to town, but he offered to come down and meet me.  Our office was pretty cool so working wasn't at all unpleasant.

By sheer luck I happened to see that Wolf was opening from 2pm for the week because The Tennis (Eastbourne Open) is on.  Wolf is on a direct walking route between the Devonshire Park, where the tennis is held and Eastbourne Railway station.  It takes 10 - 15 mins to walk that route.  You can't miss the place, you approach it and can see it from a good 50 yds away and to get to the station you have to walk right up the long side window which clearly shows it's a bar.

Tennis week - like the air show - is a mixed blessing for residents.  It gets really crowded and as a result, a lot of us tend to know timetable and largely avoid. 

So, before 5pm we arrived at Wolf slightly concerned it would be too busy and wholly prepared to do a bit of a sweaty walk to somewhere else or head closer to home.

When we walked in - there was one other person there.  And he's a regular.

The lady behind the bar was a little bit dejected but pleased to see us.  They'd got a special event license to put seating outside and everything...

We ordered drinks and sat down (inside, obvs), doing our best to make the place look well-used.

Crowds of people started to appear (presumably after a match had just finished) - not a single person even gave the place a second glance.

After a gap, another load came up - one older lady came in.  Asked for a pint of Nitro stout (Kernel was on offer), tried the outside, declared it too warm and took an inside seat near the door to make the most of the draught.  She clearly enjoyed her pint.  It warmed my heart to see not just a woman coming in on her own but an older woman (definitely older than me) who was probably brought up to know pubs as places women didn't really go on their own, and certainly not to drink pints of stout.  I was in awe.

This lady was the highpoint of visitors - a few people came from the tennis and stopped for one but I imagine the team who run the place would have been a bit disappointed.

For years, I've wondered about how much revenue our event visitors really bring to the party.  Yes they buy the tickets and they spend money on the seafront stalls - but those stalls are only bringing revenue to the "market" organisation who organise it and who pay a fee to the council. 
Clearly there are overnight visitors who use hotel rooms and eat out - some restaurants are noticeably busy for a couple of days.

But the day visitors just don't seem to translate to a proportionate usage of Town Centre/Seafront pubs, cafes, etc.  They mostly troop in and troop back out again.  It seems like we need to do something else to get our great little non-chain places recognised and better used.  

The Crown Nails it Again

 We were meeting family on Saturday and they suggested The Crown.  He likes cask ale - preferably nothing that scares the horses but he has come round to lighter, hoppier beer.

She likes moderately dry white wine and, despite being a very "locals" pub - the Crown has a decent wine offering. 

We happily agreed 

We'd been entertained by New Bristol Juno and Kent Brewery Prohibition on Tuesday and although Juno was still just about on, we preferred the new offering:  Track Sonoma.

We've had Sonoma countless times including:

- on cask at the Kings Head in Bristol where we were thoroughly impressed by its bunch despite the ABV (3.8%)

- On keg at Marthas (I think) and at Beerarama, where it made a good enough starter beer but was in no way memorable.

- In cans direct from the brewery where, again, it was fine and a nice opener but lacked real interest.

 So, whilst it was still the natural choice yesterday (Most pubs in Eastbourne can't offer a wide cask range) I didn't know whether it would be remarkable or not.

It was.

It was refreshing and cooling yet still a good punch of flavour. So this jury's in - it's a great fresh cask beer...but much less engaging with other dispense methods.

Also - thanks to Andy and the team in The Crown, they're knocking it out of the park for good cask beer in a way no where else in Eastbourne is managing.  Not a bad feat for a Heineken pub... 

 

Oh My Goodness!

 I was in work yesterday afternoon and we had work experience students in for their last day (yr 10/4th year in old money).  They were lovely, but exhausting.

I didn't really make inroads into the work I was trying to do.  

Meanwhile the BBB was at home boiler-engineer-wrangling and it took him well into the afternoon, meaning that it would have been pointless to hack down and try to get anything done.

I got a text message (we are that old-fashioned) - "Have you seen what Andy's got on?"

So I looked on the terrible app (Real Ale Finder) which the Crown and Beerarama use to publicise what beer's on.  It was "Aurora Australis" by Burning Sky.  There was also Downlands pale which on any other occasion would have been great but was (fittingly) totally eclipsed by the other guest (which was also much stronger).

No contest then, the Crown it was.

I pretty much gave up working around 3.45pm - packed up and then caught up with one member of staff I haven't seen for a while and bade a fond farewell to the WEX students.

I checked bus times and saw there'd be a but around 4.20pm and advised the BBB.

When I arrived at the pub he was just paying for the first round.  I flopped into a chair with a sigh of relief.

That beer was clearly in utterly perfect condition, with all the right things going on with the malt and the hops. Despite the strength, the first pint went down in less than 30 minutes (we usually take much longer), despite trying to slow down a bit.

The second pint would usually not hold the same thrill as the first - only in this case, it really did.

The post work wind down was a real tonic - and we wanted to prolong it all a little longer so we had a final shared pint (if he'd have suggested a full one, I'd have weakened...but he was playing 'sensible one' yesterday).

Much like an astronomical aurora - that cask will be transient.  I very much doubt it'll last into Sunday so it now lives in the memory of an outstanding pint when its impact was also very much welcomed.  Thank you Burning Sky - you've done it again! 

 

 

Never Satisfied?

 We're now about two weeks from our next trip to Bristol.

We went to the Crown on the walk home from work yesterday afternoon/evening rather than stay in town for craft beer.

We had two pints (each) of Three Acre Mosaic beer which was great, not spectacular, but a really nice, fresh pint in lovely condition.  

It was 6.30pm when we left - would we have stayed for another if there'd been something else on the bar? Yeah, probably. But midweek Eastbourne doesn't really work like that.

It's cool - just now we're kind of resigned to the way it is and we frequent places to help keep a bit of momentum, but even then only if the beer's worth having.

Tomorrow, because of work I daresay we'll pop to Wolf with a colleague who is coming over for work stuff.

Friday could easily be Beerarama if they've got a cask on.

Work's very full on - in person - at the moment so I'm already fantasizing a little bit about travelling to Bristol, then having a choice - an actual serious, difficult to make choice - of cask beer at the Barley Mow.

And my work will be remote admin, but I may be able to spend some time organising some files...luxury! 

Watching Playoffs in the Pub

 I'm not really a serious football fan - but there are certain events I find quite entertaining.

About 12 or so years ago, I sat with the BBB in a pub which would charitably be called a "locals" pub and watched all the playoffs for various football divisions.  All accompanied by McMullen's beer (probably IPA).  It was the closest pub to the BBBs house in Hitchin and the only one we knew would be showing all the football.

The Saturday of this Bank Holiday, I was volunteering at the Wish Tower but, following a couple of weeks of a lot of peopling, I excused myself a little early and, instead of the BBB meeting me in Town (it was ridiculously hot) we convened at The Crown.  

 We were quite excited that a Beak/Harveys collab beer could be on offer.  Sadly, it was gone before we even arrived.

However there was Oakham "Citra" and Pentrich "Wish Fulfillment" on offer so we definitely couldn't complain.

We were able to sit next to a window offering the combination of a bit of shade (admittedly from the portaloos which were outside and ready for a Sunday event that we knew we'd avoid, but they were freshly delivered and not in use) and an open window with a bit of a breeze.

Only one playoff match on offer:  Hull v Middlesborough following some shenanigans over spying or something and follow-up pouting about Hull having prepared to play Southampton or somesuch.

There was never a chance that all the people could have been pleased, even some of the time.

After 90 minutes of dull as ditch-water play it very much looked like there would be extra time and penalties.  Thankfully, an added-time goal put us all out of our misery.

It was very jolly and convivial in the pub, the beer was excellent and, because we had no real skin in the playoff result, even the entertainment was low-stress.

Being a only a 10 - 15 minute walk home, it made for the perfect venue - even though the day had been so stupidly hot.  

Yesterday, we could sit in our garden with fridge beer (not something we can ever do in Bristol) and listen to the event at the Crown at a distance (a little bit 80's-tastic to be honest).  We kept an eye on the closing day of the premier league season only in text format and I was glad (given the 3-0 defeat to Man Utd) that we were sat amongst greenery with birds, bees and butterflies rather than watching the match in the pub.