Living in a 15 Minute City

 There's been a lot of recent mumbling about the concept of the 15minute city.  The theory is that people who can walk for 15 minutes to access local services are likely to have a better quality of life.

A lifelong non-driver (a few years as a motorcyclist which finished some 37 years ago) this concept is not alien to me.

We bought this flat principally because I wanted easy and safe access to the train station at all times of day and night because I was travelling a lot by train (Bristol-Hitchin-Eastbourne on a very regular basis) as we consolidated our lives...

The proximity of the Barley Mow was definitely a consideration as we had enjoyed many a pre-train evening there and that need would continue.

However, at the time that was more-or-less the extent of nearby facilities (at least of which we were aware) save, perhaps, the shops and stuff in place mainly for the lunchtime-worker-audience...oh, and the 'spoons.

Ours was a the first residential new building and was still a little separated from the nearest newish (c1990) development and further still than the older Victorian and early C20 houses.

Now - there are numerous block of flats, so-called "co-living" spaces all around us and the area has definitely livened up.

If I drew a 5 minute walk circle around the flat that area would now include:

1 Starbucks (was previously here)

3 independent/small chain cafes

1 deli

1 brewery with regularly open taproom

1 Sainsbury's

1 Greggs

1 sourdough bakery (in one of the small chain cafes)

1 pasty/sandwich/other savouries shop

1 long standing sandwich shop

2 street food markets each week.

2 pubs (the aforementioned Barley Mow plus the 'spoons)

1 mainline train station (with attendant shops of last resort)

1 Deliveroo counter (no I don't really understand it either)

1 chain pizza restaurant/wine bar

A homeware/garden centre/DIY shop is a huge loss to the area (for me at least) but there have been very few reductions in facilities as a result of the development.

I don't have the time to list all the facilities within 15 minutes of our home but would include things like

2 more breweries and their taprooms

Something in excess of 20 pubs and bars

A variety of ethnic food shops and convenience shops.

half a dozen places to eat in the evenings and 5 or 6 takeout places

This circle would also border on the main shopping centre (take that as you will).

Within a one-mile radius (20 mins walk) the range is extraordinary.

Who on earth would willingly do anything other than walk - or, use the bus - in this city where roads were mainly designed for carts and the post-war road additions have only served to sever old connections and encourage people to live out of, and drive into the city.  Madness.

If we stay here for a about 2 weeks and want to drink excellent beer every day and only face a walk of 1 mile in either direction, we still wouldn't have to make a repeated visit to anywhere if we didn't want to.  How awesome is that?

Talk about yer people of habit...

 Yesterday, we wre waiting a delivery from Yodel.

Our usual time for popping out for a beer (4.30 - 5pm) came and went.  In Bristol, we don't drink at the flat very often at all.  We love that we only have to amble short distance to have beer where it's supposed to be had - the pub, or a taproom.

Weirdly, both of us got really twitchy as we tracked the delivery van coming oh-so-close and then nipping off to other places before finally landing at our address at 5.45.

Was it too late to go to the nearest places which are usually very busy by that time on a Thursday?  We decided to risk it, put coats on and pop to the 'mow.

As we approached we heard jolly voices of people sitting outside (it had been raining most of the day) and that brought further trepidation.  We crossed the threshold and Lo! loads of space - including a spot next to the fire.

Immediately we relaxed, grabbed a lovely couple of pints and settled in. Oddly, not 5 minutes after we'd sat down, than the place started to fill up.  It was exactly like what would have happened if we'd arrived around hour before, but out by an hour...almost as if everyone was waiting for us.

Weird.

Today, we both acknowledged how the imposed shift in timetable had made us edgy whilst knowing how silly it was.  Maybe that's what getting older is for other people too...being disproportionately freaked out by something that we can't control.

Anyhow, there are Amazon parcels to collect today so that might take us in a different direction.

Birthday Beers

 So it was a nearly a random day of the year that happened to coincide with the diamond anniversary of my birth.

I mused on the fact that I've been a beer drinker for approximately 37 of those years and I can confidently say that good beer is so easy to find, that it's not so much a special occasion or treat like it once was - at least not in most places I go.

Even Eastbourne which was once a "you can have anything you like as long as it's Harveys" kinda town has its bright spots of interest.  The Crown which once had regular beers of Harveys (obvs), 6X, Spitfire and Youngs Special with just a nod to modern beer styles with Dark Star Hophead now usually has Harveys (well, yes), Timmy Taylor Landlord and two other local brews (quite often Gun or Kent, but frequently other breweries) and when we first starting going there, the Hophead was lovely but there was no element of surprise.

Most of the other pubs are so-so in their beer availability (mostly representative of no real freehouses in the town) but there are a couple of tap/bottle rooms which are keg and can kinda places (and really nice with it).  But I still think Eastbourne is dragging behind other local towns, sadly.

Anyway...back to the just before my birthday thing...I've always associated Harvey's Star of Eastbourne with my birthday since we once went to the Victoria after work on my birthday and there it was - it was love at first slurp. So this year, on Wednesday (T-1) I was working and suggested I met the BBB at the Hurst in the hope that it would be on there (definitely the most consistent Harveys pub in town).  Not only did they have that, but also Prince of Denmark (7.5% dark and chewy).  Let's just say I was a little squiffy by the time we left. 

On Friday most people might have expected me to go to the Eastbourne CAMRA beer festival but, these days, it's really not my thing at all.  Big room, lots of noise, loads of people and includes either lunchtime or late evening drinking - neither of which are our preferred way of things.  When I was younger and beer was much harder to come by - good beer even more so - a beer festival was a real treat:  a chance to try beers from all around the country and learn of new breweries.  Now they just don't feel like the thing I really want to do.

Instead, we defected to St Leonards/Hastings where there was a tap-takeover event taking place in a load of local pubs.  There were 6 in St Leonards alone but we wanted to concentrate on the 4 closest to the station.  Heist we already know well, the others - not such much.

Collective Fictions which is a bottle shop/tap room is tiny and hosting Polly's.  We started there.  Quirky and you have to be prepared to share tables (there are 3 inside, 2 outside and bar seating) but really enjoyable.  We moved onto The St Leonard pub just up the road.  They were offering Iron Pier and mainly on cask.  It's a proper pub and if their usual beer offering similar at other times, I could definitely be tempted to go back.  We were then joined by colleague/pal and she suggested that eating would be a good idea so she took us to a Sri Lankan place on the seafront which was magnificent and served portions that didn't knock us out.  We toyed with going off to the Piper but got waylaid by Heist who were serving "Simple Things" beer (never heard of them, very nice).  We started fairly weak but our last beers were 6.8% and 7% - the friend who says she likes beer but gets drunk very easily declared the 7% DDH the best.  Oh dear.

So we only managed 3 places but it's really nice to know that we are aware of a couple more places in that area so next time we're working over there...we could try somewhere other than Heist.

OK, so it's still a beer festival but it feels much more like going to the pub and that's all to the good.  If only we could find places in town that might be willing to organise something like this in Eastbourne... (no, I'm too busy...!)

Another chance

 The first pub Best Beer Buddy took me to in this town I call home, was The Buccaneer.

It's close to Towner where we had just been to a Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition and it was time for a sit down and lunch.

I was told tales of how it was once fitted out to be like a galleon.  The beer was good, the ambiance was pleasant and it wasn't the last time I went there when making visits before we moved here.

In the time since then, the fortunes of the pub have wavered a little and the latest incarnation, run by the council, has been extremely patchy - it's also changed it's name to the Stage Door.  Mostly, we've been giving it a wide berth.

However, yesterday, I'd been at the Tower all day - starting late morning and mostly there on my own until the troops joined ready for a gig we'd arranged there.  This meant I'd been unable to go to the loo.

We finished with the gig around 5.30pm after the clear up and I was knackered.  BBB asked where I wanted to go - and my main priority was to have a wee, then to sit down with a beer somewhere not too busy or noisy.

Beerarama had a gig on so that was out, so I suggested we just try the Stage Door on the grounds is was less than 5 mins away, had reasonable loos and would probably at least serve a drinkable (if not exciting) pint.

It was peopled but not too crowded when we arrived and there were 3 decent beers on.  We grabbed a couple of pints, I took my ease, and we settled in.  Beer was good (360 Tacoma which came as a surprise) - so we had a second (he switched to Rising Giant - I stuck with 360).

I'm genuinely happy that the place seems to have picked up again.  It's as good a place as several other pubs in town - especially for a weary project manager.

Today, I think I'm looking forward to fridge beer, and the quiet company of BBB

The Temperature's Rising...

 ...and it wasn't surprising.  It's not that the outdoor air temperature has changed much, it's more that the building and the pavements have warmed up so they contribute to the general feeling of the heat.

At lunchtime yesterday I (bravely) went to fetch pasties (next door to Martha's).  Instead of my accustomed stroll along the side of the harbour, I cowered in the shade of the tall buildings behind us.  This, as it turned out, was a wise move.

As I got to the end of the road there was a small gap in the shade and the temperature change was immediate and staggering (it was very sunny).

When we wanted to venture out it took us a while to decide where.  Wiper and True promised rugby coverage so we decided to brave it.  Walking a bit of a circuitous route to make the most of potential shade we took it fairly slowly.  Nevertheless we arrived hot and tired.  The Rugby on TV wasn't that engaging and not in the ideal spot in the building (in my humble...) - not only that but because the building is quite big and industrial we assumed it would feel airy inside.  It did not.

After about 20 mins, it all got too much so we went outside to try and get some respite under their big sheltering tent.  We had a jolly exchange with some people who spotted the same, shaded, table as us - and they begged us to share it.

BBB was still not sure he wanted to stay but gradually, we cooled down, the overwhelming urge to find a fridge to lie down in subsided and we decided to watch the rugby on a phone instead (thank you W&T for decent wi-fi).

The walk back was a little more pleasant.

Today we've already had a little rain, but I still think it's best to stay fairly close to home...

We're having a heatwave...

 ...it's not exactly a tropical heatwave and it's not quite as extreme as it was last year.  Nevertheless, this is really not my favourite weather.

This flat also rather serves to amplify the warmth, thanks to the glass curtain wall.  The first couple of days it wasn't too bad first thing in the morning because there hadn't been that long summer heat build-up.  Now, however, 5 days in, the fans come out earlier and earlier in the day.

I'm genuinely not moaning - just a little bit sad that I'm too hot to head out far.  The furthest we've managed is Kings Street to try the Beer Emporium (large, underground, vaulted) which we figured might have a relatively stable temperature.  Sadly, however, despite all their social media and their website saying they were open on a Monday...they weren't.

Almost next door, though, is the "Volly" which has always been a little bit hit and miss both on beer and service. Nevertheless, the inside was empty and pleasant, the beer was cool and the staff attentive(ish).

We were happy there and it was really nice to see not only a long list, but a good range and many different strengths of beer.

The journey there was SO hot that himself was a little bit overwhelmed so we took it really slowly.

For the next couple of days we didn't really want that sort of repeat so we stuck local and safe.

One day we even ventured to the Cornubia and sat in their garden. We always hesitate a little because their favoured beer styles are quite traditional.  However, we were really very happy with some halfway-house beers that we were happy with, and which wouldn't have frightened the traditionalists' horses too much.

Yesterday we went to Moor.  The beer is always brilliant, but as they've swapped bar staff with less experienced ones it's not quite the same experience as it used to be. Nevertheless, sitting in the garden trying to make the most of every tiny waft of air and playing cards was a good way to spend our time.  AND they had Hoppiness on - which they haven't for a good while.

There's rugby today but it's not clear whether we want to go far yet.  The sun's still hot and although there are thunderstorms promised for later this evening, it'll be a while until going too far is bearable.

Unacustomed, as I am...

 It's pretty clear from most of these vague ramblings that the Boy and I like our beer - but we like it in quiet places.  Not for us the "shared" experience of being around a lot of people - we seek out the quiet and revel in going to really popular places when they have fewest punters.

No, it's not altruistic - and whilst we like the idea that we're peopling a bar/pub/taproom which has committed to opening but whose sales probably struggle its staffing bill at certain times of day -  it's mostly that we like places to be relatively calm.

Is it because we're getting on a bit?  Not really - both have of us have eschewed crowds for most of our lives - although it's easier to hear each other without the clamour of a busy clientele.  No, we are just those kinda people that likes to be with a limited number of other people at any one time.

In fact - when I've had particularly peoply days at work - I can really only bear to go to somewhere really quiet with only himself, since he understands.

Anyhow this is preamble by way of explanation as to why us going to what amounts to a sports bar on a Saturday afternoon is an anomaly.

Brighton were playing in the 5.30-kick-off slot  - this means televisation, and that means (usually) Sky.

The competitive beast in him makes even watching on the TV quite stressful - so we don't always do it.  However, yesterday he was quite keen.  However, if the beer's not good - we wouldn't do it.

We settled on heading to King Street which is a maelstrom of drinking people from Friday to Sunday which is why we usually give it a very wide berth.  The Brewhouse always has TVs on, just up the road is the Volly and just around the corner is a Fullers pub which could work in a pinch.

As we rounded the corner to go in we braced for impact a little bit - the outside seating was RAMMED but inside it was quiet.  All the big windows and doors were open giving an outsidey-insidey thing going on (useful for a hot lady-of-a-certain-age).  There was initially a big queue and a couple of chancer young men attempted to cut in front of me (poor, naive little boys) but I soon came away with a couple of pints and the Boy had settled himself in a lovely quiet little corner - perfect spot.

As always, the beer was fine.  Crowds of people came and went to the bar but even the group who inveigled their way to our little corner of quietude were pretty well behaved (ie:  not too loud).

Three pints, two hours, periods of serious stress,  and a 3-1 scoreline later - we cheerfully ambled home leaving the throngs behind.

What I found interesting was that depsite many hundreds of people converging on these two drinking streets and who were clearly spending a long time there I only saw one young woman very obviously worse for wear (ie - she'll be the one having her hair held back by a mate later as she voms into the gutter) - and OK it was about 7.45 when we left and I'm sure it got a lot more feisty later - but it seems to suggest that with the right sort of establishments and arrangements many of the issues can perhaps be managed pretty well.  Well done KingStreet and Welshback you make this part of town pleasant to be in - even at the weekend!