Meeting Da Family

 We try and meet up with friends and family when we're staying in Bristol - although sometimes we're not as good at is as we should be.  Also, because we don't plan too far in advance we can't just expect people to bend their diaries to our whims.

So it was that we missed the chance to meet with big brother last time we came up - we arrived unwell, and so we swerved all sociability.

The day before we left, bro dropped me a text to ask how we were and whether we were likely to be up soon.

Sister-in-law having had a major operation on her ankle, meant that we needed to pick a location with care.  Their natural instinct is to drive places and then one of them doesn't drink. We've been trying for years to get them to consider public transport.

This time I made a bold suggestion - for them to consider getting the bus into town and making the most of the East Bristol Brewery Trail.  Brother said he would research the feasibility and if it wasn't, then drive.

They live far to the East of the city - almost touching on Bath and so the bus service is only hourly.  However, it was close enough for sister in law to walk and at the town end I already knew it would stop very close to Wiper & True which I thought they may like.

Although there is a food offering (usually just gyoza) I did wonder whether it would be something my brother would really want to eat.  So, on our way round we stopped and picked up pasties and popped them, steaming hot, into our rucksack.

It's only about a mile, and we'd managed to time it so that we arrived at their bus stop a few minutes before them - so we waited and met them off the bus.

They both instantly fell in love with the taproom and marvelled how easy it was to get the bus (brother is old enough to have a bus pass) and how pleasant it was.  In fact, had her ankle been a bit more recovered, they would have been able to walk about half a mile from their house and have a bit more bus choice.  I took the opportinuty to extol the benefits of the bus company's app for live tracking of buses.

We decided to sit inside since it looked like it may rain a bit.  Whilst really busy, the bar staff were incredibly efficient and it took no time to get served.  Sure enough it rained so we were glad we'd found a good table before that happened.

We all found beers we liked, despite being a tiny bit disappointed in the lack of 2/3rd meaures (and plastic glasses).  Our visitors declared themselves utterly won over by the place and recommending it to their kids immediately.

All in all - and pasties included (which were still really warm after an hour in the bag) - as good a visit as it's possible to be.  We may have persuaded the family that buses aren't all bad...and that Town may actually be worth visiting on one.

On the way back, the BBB and stopped at the Barley Mow for a couple (and a card game) - the pace was picking up there by the time we left so it was nice to be back home in the quiet of the flat for a bit of decompression.

Today?  Actually, my main aim of being here for brewery trail wasn't Wiper and True (or almost any of the others...because most of them open weekly) - but Arbor.  They only open during the trail so it would be criminal not to nip up the cycle track to pay them a visit.

Bu that's for later...no lunchtime drinking for us today.

Right time, Right place

 After the Tour de France finished yesterday, we decided (unsurprisingly) it was beer o'clock.  "Where do you want to go?" I asked.  "Somewhere light and airy".

Wiper and True's brewery taproom seemed to fit the bill and is about 3/4 of a mile away.

It was sunny and reasonably warm and about 4.50pm when we arrived.

There were two cask choices on the bar so we chose Kaleidoscope and, unusually for us, sat outside.

They've done a really good job in turning a largeish car-park for a couple of industrial units into a welcoming outdoor space.  Whilst the parking bay lines remain, there are loads of planters filled with a variety of small trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants and it looks designed, rather than "plonked".

It would be very easy for them to have just filled the whole of the space with seating to maximise the number of punters but they've taken a much more hollistic approach and it's great!

All in all, it's a great place but I think, for us, the conditions have to be right to make it the perfect venue on any given day.  Yesterday was that day...

Surprise Cask

Sunday we still didn't have the energy to go far (and there was the threat of heavy rain) - so we popped to the Barley Mow.  Lovely and quiet and relaxing in the post-Sunday lunch lull.  Independence on cask is a rare and totally delightful treat.  We failed to take a game with us so we just chilled a bit.

This place still delivers time after time.

Monday we needed to pop out to get a packet from a locker so the natural place to go was LHG.  This has none of the cosy ambiance of smaller places and the larger staffing team makes for a different experience.  But I still really like the place and you can always rely on having a good range of higher strength beers to finish with. For the first time, the pizza guys didn't seem to be in attendance - but we weren't planning to eat out anyway so it wasn't much more than a passing observation.

Yesterday there was a game to be played (the one we picked up from the locker) and Martha's is the perfect place to do it.

We arrived and were greeted with a hearty hello (different staff from Friday) and they immediately leapt into "We've got a cask beer on...it's a new thing for us...". 

The chap pouring (ex-Moor) immediately said "2/3rds?"

They know their customers.

All in all, an absolutely perfect session of game and beer - the right number of people in the place, the brilliant staff and delightful beer.

Seriously, if an organisation can do all this from a railway arch, there's really no excuse for bigger places not to do it too.

Wonder if they'd like to come to Eastbourne....?

Summer Snottyness

 It buggered our plans a bit.  After we went to Hastings on Tuesday, the plan for Wednesday was to ready ourselves to travel to Bristol on Thursday.

But snot got in the way.  Wednesday morning the Boy declared himself to be unwell.  True enough there was a lot of coughing and sneezing. There was only drinking of tea, juice and water all day (even I abstained - mostly because it's more companionable, and an easy way to do a no alcohol day)

Thursday morning arrived and, although brighter, he was still coughing so we decided a raincheck on travel would be wise.  Fridge beer in the warmth of the garden was a good consolation.

Friday I awoke with sore throat and a dull headache (truth be told, it was a couple of days old but definitely more prominent on Friday).  "Shall we delay another day?", I seriously considered it but reasoned that I wouldn't be spluttering over anyone and if we didn't over-exert I'd probably find the journey relatively painless - and then things could take their course.

So we packed light (and lunch) and jumped on a bus to take us to the station.  The Eastbourne - Victoria leg was very quiet as far as Gatwick and when we got to each tube station there was a train to be leapt upon.  This meant that, having left 12.00 we were, amazingly, able to dash for the 14.00 train to Bristol.  

Unfortunately, being the last on the train, and one running on in short format (only 5 coaches) - it was standing room only.  The 45mins to Didcot felt like a LONG time and I feared for the sanity of my knees. We'd noticed a bloke had, annoyingly, sat resolutely in the aisle seat when the chap next to him vacated.  On a crowded train this really is antisocial because most people won't ask to sit in the seat.  I'm not most people, however.

The boy carried on down the carriage and found a seat further down.  

Weirdly, as soon as we were sitting, and even though we weren't sitting together, the 45minute stand melted away. The train stayed resolutely crowded all the rest of the way - and was a about 10 minutes late in.

At Bristol we reunited, went through our arrival routine (get milk out of the freezer, open windows, flush loos, turn on the water, etc) and within 30 mins we were heading out to get a beer (and escape the heat of the flat).  Being Friday, we'd normally go up to Moor but we decided to take a look at Marthas on the way.  Quite a few people sitting outside, but almost no one inside.  

Settling in, it was quiet and cosy - and not unlike putting on a comfy hoody on the first chilly morning in September. We both relaxed.  I became very glad we'd made journey and not put it off.

Their beer is great, the staff are fun and although we only appear periodically, they'll pick up a conversation like we popped in yesterday.  These are folk who know how to do this.  It felt very similar in vibe to the Courtyard.

Since then my cold has got worse, his has got better and although we managed a quick visit to Moor yesterday, I wasn't really up for much.  The decision to travel Friday was definitely a good one - I wouldn't have been up for travelling either yesterday or today.

Today, we'll likely be dodging the rain and staying local, I think  Hopefully with a slightly longer excursion in a few days.

So Near and yet so, so Far

 My periodic work excursions to St Leonards/Hastings are now pretty well rehearsed and simple.

Train to St Leonards Warrior Square, 5 minute work to the place of work, do work.  If a colleague is available there I may have a chat or catch up or we may go to Heist for lunch and a small beer (usually lunchtime, so too much beer really doesn't work).

Yesterday, most of the colleagues weren't around so Best Beer Buddy said he'd come and join me at Heist.  As always the beer is lovely - the food looked great (we didn't eat though) and it's quite relaxed - if a pretty basic set up.  I learned here that Three Legs hope to open their Bexhill taproom in a couple of months.  We'll definitely be checking it out as soon as we can.

In the spirit of adventure we decided, after a couple, to stroll along to the nearest "Brewing Brothers" incarnation - at the Courtyard. It lies just the other side of Hastings Pier and so is about a 15minute walk along the seafront down the quirky "Bottle Alley".  It's a gentle and pleasant amble and soon we arrived at the Courtyard which is the external part of a huge skatepark which is one the site of the old Baths and then Ice Rink.

As well as Brewing Brothers there are 2 or 3 other outlets all doing combination of food and drink.

It's a really nice setting and although it was a tiny bit chilly (even though it's July) we were comfy and relaxed.There's both indoor and outdoor seating and some additional "backroom" space which wasn't the ambiance we wanted (perhaps in winter?)

There's a tiny open kitchen where pasta dishes are prepared and we had a ringside seat.

After a couple of glasses, we decided that eating there would be a great idea -  Spaghetti Aglio Olio for me - Tagliatelli with rocket pesto and sundried tomatoes for him.  Simple it might have been but all the better for it.

It's a truly lovely place and we'll definitely be back.  We had cause, once again, to rue the lack of quirky beer-led venues in Eastbourne.  It's clear that Hastings/St Leonards is now streets ahead.  We did vaguely consider Hastings as a potential place to live. Whilst I don't regret it, exactly, I do wonder what would have happened if we had...

Inner City Green

 The day was warm and bright. I'd found a new greenway on the map - and was very surprised by it.

Last year, one of the sisters told us she'd found this wonderful gin, made in Bristol but had been unable to find it in Eastbourne - might it be possible for us to see if we could source a bottle.

I looked where it was and it was in Bedminster, in an industrial unit with a path that ran along the Malago stream (unsurprisingly this was in Malago Road).

We'd sought it out, bought the gin and had a most delightful walk back down a mostly wooded and be-streamed concealed path back towards Temple Meads.  Sadly there weren't any exciting beer venue on the way back but, hey.

So, in the spirit of adventure I'd searched on the map to find where else the Malago might go and whether we could follow it (much as we did with the Frome).  Turned out there was a whole "Malago Greenway" to be followed.

The most feasible, and likely satisfying, way to do this was to get a bus to Bedminster Down/Headly Park and walk back.  Ironically, as a child I spent loads of time walking to and from this precise area because my beloved aunt took me to the library there from the family home, which was about a mile away.  However, I had absolutely no idea there was a greenspace immediately behind that library.

The walk through the woods was glorious and then along green valley.  There was a break in the greenway which neccessitated a short walk down a main road and then some back streets but it didn't detract.

Through another greenspace/park and then back onto the same route that we'd taken from the gin distillery.

By the time we reached the other end of Bedminster I was knackered and although I'd toyed with the idea of a couple of venues that may or may not have been open and in any case would close soon, I suggested we try the "On Point" brewery.

It was a bit of a ticky thing to find but we got there in the end.  Not only did we have two beers (one which was a collaboration with the two other breweries nearby) but he suggested we try a  Kombucha/Ginger/Lemongrass drink (0.5%) - didn't want to be rude, so we did.  Actually it was really nice!

After two I suggested we finally try the Alpha Bottle Shop nearby.  I told the BBB it was nearby but I don't think he realised quite how close.

It had some seriously good beers available and a really nice ambiance.  We only stayed for one and then walked home but we'll definitely be back.

Such a contrast from the last time we ventured...and fun (if knackering).

Old Gits

 Since the guests left last Tuesday, we've not ventured far for our beer.  Partly not wanting to overdo it again and partly quite a lot of work going on.

So we've visited Martha's, Barley Mow and Moor and - more surprisingly - The Cornubia.  This latter on Thursday because I learned that Moor no longer opens the taproom on a Thursday.

It has a garden, and plenty of space and is a very favourite after-work venue.

Usually this pub has definite overtones of Old Git (basically, people our age) but this time we felt relatively old in amongst groups of the after-workers.

It was lively and quite noisy but pleasant - we reminded ourselves why we like the pub.

Friday we sat in the garden in Moor and, unusually for both of us, chose to have the same beer in the second round as the first (me Distortion, him "The Mix"), finishing with a Mountain Pale.

It was nice to see the garden here also busy - although an event on Saturday means it'll likely be heaving today!

Current plan for today is see if we can manage a bit of a longer walk and try a couple of new places.  We're flexible, though, so it might not quite come off...