First Time in Berlin - Arrival

Touching down the other week at Berlin’s Schönefeld Airport was not at all what I anticipated, and was certainly not what I expected of the capital of the richest and most economically powerful country in Europe. Walking across the tarmac and into the tin-roofed immigration and Passport Control building reminded me of arriving in some tin-pot third world capital, and only served to reinforce my sense of bewilderment. Granted I had flown in using a budget airline, but then I have been to several other European capitals using the same carrier without this strange sense of something not being quite right.

It wasn’t meant to be like this, and if things had gone to plan my arrival would have been quite different. A few words of explanation, coupled with some history might go some way to explain this conundrum as to why. Until quite recently the German capital was served by three separate airports; Templehof, the original pre-war airport, and the closest to the city centre, was deemed too small to handle today’s large jet airliners and has now closed. This leaves Tegel and Schönefeld, both of which are post World War II creations. Tegel was hurriedly constructed in late 1949 during the Berlin airlift, to enable essential supplies of food and fuel to be flown in by the Western Allies, in response to the blockade imposed on the city by the Soviet Union. Schönefeld on the other hand, was built by the Soviets as the airport serving the eastern half of the divided city, and for decades after was the principal airport for East Berlin. It shows; the place still has that East European, former Soviet-bloc feel to it.

And yet across from  Schönefeld, and clearly visible from the runway, stands the brand new glistening terminal buildings of Berlin Brandenburg Airport; the state of the art, ultra-modern replacement for all three of he capital’s existing airports. Originally scheduled to open in 2010, Brandenburg was just weeks from its revised opening date of June 2012, when major flaws were discovered in the airports’ safety and communication systems, and was refused a Fire Safety Certificate by the local authority. Plans to move operations by all the airlines using the current airports were hurriedly put on hold, as it soon became apparent the commissioning and hand-over of Brandenburg could not go ahead, and nearly two years on there is still no date given for its opening.

Well an inauspicious arrival was made up for by a most enjoyable stay in a good hotel, situated in the pleasant Charlottenburg area of West Berlin, and by wall-to-wall sunshine coupled with unseasonably high temperatures for early March ; weather that was destined to last all week. In the next post I will be writing about the very pleasant time my son and I had in the German capital, and will be listing reasons as to why you should visit there as well.

A Visit to Pilsner Urquell

During my recent stay in Prague I made a point of making a journey to the city of Pilsen, in order to re-visit the Pilsner Urquell Brewery. My previous visit had been back in 1984, as part of a trip to what was then Czechoslovakia. The trip had been organised by CAMRA, and consisted of an overnight stay in Pilsen, with a trip around the brewery the following morning, before moving on to Prague where we spent a further two nights. This was my first and, as events turned out, only trip behind the Iron Curtain, and it proved to be quite an eye-opener.

Twenty-eight years ago the communists were still very much in control, but the in-efficiencies of a "command-economy", together with an overall lack of investment meant that Czech  industry relied heavily on traditional ways of doing things. Nowhere was this more evident than in the country's brewing industry where traditional methods, such as open or horizontal fermenters, lengthy lagering times and even dispense from traditional two-holed casks (by air pressure), ensured a pint that was full-bodied, well-matured, nicely-hopped,  free from excess gas and topped by a thick, creamy head. The Czech lands, and Bohemia in particular, were home to a tradition of brewing excellence that stretched back hundreds of years, and nowhere was this more evident than in the town of Pilsen where in 1842 the world's first golden-coloured, bottom-fermented lager beer was produced.


That original trip round the brewery enabled us to see this tradition, and taste the excellence of the finished product at first hand, so it was with mixed feelings that my son and I boarded the 11.07 train to Pilsen to see how much had changed over the course of the last quarter century or so. I was expecting some changes, especially as Pilsner Urquell is now owned by global giant SAB Miller, and knew, for example that the old system of fermenting the beer in open-top wooden vats and then maturing it deep underground in huge, pitch-lined wooden barrels had long been abandoned in favour of more modern, tall, cylindrical fermenters, but having tried the beer at home from time to time, as well as enjoying it on my more recent visit to Prague, back in late 2010, knew it was still a first class pint.

The train journey took an hour and 45 minutes, during which time we passed through some very pleasant countryside which grew increasingly hilly. The sun that had been shining brightly when we left Prague was replaced by dull-grey leaden skies as we pulled into the industrial city of Pilsen, and after alighting from the train and making our way out of the station we eventually found ourselves at the triumphal-arched entrance to the brewery; a place I had last passed under some 28 years previously.

We quickly found our way to the visitor centre and booked ourselves a couple of places on the next English language tour, commencing at 14.15. This left just enough time for a quick bite to eat, plus, of course a well-earned beer. There is a huge, cavernous restaurant situated in the old cellars underneath the brewery and although the place was heaving, we managed to find a spare table and order ourselves a beer, Pilsner Urquell naturally and un-pasteurised at that. We also ordered some soup and bread each, working on the premise that it was a dish that needed little preparation and would therefore arrive that bit quicker.

Beer, bread and soup weer all good, and duly satisfied we arrived back at the visitor centre in good time for the tour. Unlike some of the groups we saw going round the brewery, our party was relatively small. Our guide was from Seattle, and after a short introductory talk about the company, plus their corporate global owner, we were ushered aboard a bus which took us to the far end of the site where the vast packaging hall is situated. Although all hi-tech and costing millions of Euro's, this part of the trip was the least interesting for me Being a Saturday only one bottling line was operating, and whilst it all looked and sounded very impressive I was glad to get this part of the tour over and out of the way
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Back on the bus and we were whisked back to the central part of the site, passing en-route the impressive and attractive water tower, completed in 1905 to ensure a constant supply of clean fresh water to the brewery. The tower was built to resemble a Dutch lighthouse; why Dutch, I'm not exactly sure, but the construction certainly is most pleasing to the eye. A full-on audio-visual presentation about the ingredients used to make beer then followed, after which we were led through an area showing examples of the four ingredients used in brewing, namely water, barley, hops and yeast.This led nicely into the old-brew-house which was still in use up to 2005.  There is nothing quite like a traditional brew-house, especially a European one, resplendent with its gleaming copper mashing vessels and brewing coppers;  all nicely tiled as well. Memories of my first visit came flooding back. The adjoining new brew-house looked equally resplendent, with the mash and lauter tuns once again constructed out of copper, and the wort kettles out of stainless steel. Our guide made great play of the fact that the brewery still uses a triple decoction mash, claiming they are the only large-scale brewery still to do so. I'm not 100% certain of the validity of this statement, but it's good to learn that SAB Miller have not been tempted to cut corners in relation to this.

Our penultimate point of call was the museum section of the brewery where, amongst other exhibits, we were able to see the original, oblong, open copper brew-kettle, used to for the very first brew of Pilsner Urquell. We were also shown a number of large goblets, made out finest Bohemian crystal-cut glass made for visiting dignitaries to the brewery. Foremost amongst these was Franz Josef, Emperor of Austria-Hungary whose territory at the time included what is now the modern day Czech Republic.

Finally came the part we had all been waiting for; a trip down into the old cellars beneath the brewery and a chance to sample the finished product. Our guide warned that it would be chilly, and somewhat damp underground, and also advised us not to touch, or brush up against the cellar walls. This is because they are regularly painted with a lime wash, to discourage mould growth. As we began our descent, we could feel the temperature dropping steadily, until it reached a level of around 5 degrees Celsius. We were told that the cellars were once much more extensive; a fact I already knew from my previous visit. Back then, all the beer was fermented in these underground passages, initially in large, open-top oak vats. followed by a lengthy maturation, or lagering, period in huge oak casks. The latter were coated on the inside with a lining of pitch. Wine can be fermented in direct contact with oak, but beer needs the protection afforded by the pitch lining. Once the maturation was complete,and the finished beer emptied out for kegging or bottling, the casks were brought to the surface for the old lining to be literally burnt out, before being re-coated with fresh pitch ready for the next batch of beer. This process, along with a general overview of  just how traditional things were at Pilsner Urquell back in the 1980's,can be seen on this clip taken from the Beer Hunter series, made for Channel Four by the late and much missed father of  all beer experts, Michael Jackson.

A number of the old oak vats, together with some pitch-lined casks have been kept in use, partly to show visitors  how things used to be done, but also to allow taste-matching to be conducted with brews fermented and matured in the new, hi-tech, stainless steel tanks.This is important to ensure the character of the beer remains un-changed, despite the switch to more modern methods of production, but it also allows guests to actually taste beer produced by the old method for ourselves. We were each given a glass (ok not a glass glass, but a plastic one), of beer drawn direct from one of these huge casks. Not only was the beer un-pasteurised, but it was also un-filtered. It tasted absolutely superb, being extremely well-conditioned and  well-hopped. It was a fitting way to end our visit to this pioneering brewery that is the home of  what is now the most popular style of beer in the world, by far.

Unfortunately our itinerary only allowed for a limited amount of time in Pilsen. I would liked to have visited the Pilsner Brewery Museum  and also sampled the un-filtered Pilsner Urquell again. According to the lady in the brewery shop, the beer was available at a bar called Na Parkanu, close to the museum in the centre of town. Unfortunately we had a train to catch, back to Prague, so a visit there will  have to wait for another day.

All in all though, I am glad we went. They say every serious beer lover should make a visit to Pilsen; I am proud to say I have now made two!

A Brief Diversion from Beer Drinking.

My second full day in Bamberg again dawned cold and bright, but after a day and a half of quite heavy drinking (for me), I decided it was time to get some exercise. So after breakfast I headed off to walk up to Altenburg Fortress, the former refuge of the Prince-Bishops; Bamberg's historic rulers.

Altenburg Fortress is situated on the highest of Bamberg's seven hills (386 m above sea level), and can be seen from many places in the city. My son and I had seen the fortress on our previous visit to Bamberg where, sitting in the shady beer garden at the rear of the Greifenklau Brewery, we could see the Altenburg Fortress lit up by floodlights, across the valley. It certainly looked impressive, so I was determined to visit it on this occasion.

It was freezing cold when I set off for the fortress, but as it was a steep and lengthy climb up the hill I was quite warm when I reached the summit. The restaurant was about to open, so I was glad of the opportunity of a coffee, and the chance to rest my legs. After that I had a quick look around the fortress. Many of the buildings were destroyed in 1553, during the War of the Margraves, but the 33 m high keep remains, together with part of the surrounding ring wall.

It was much quicker descending, and I was soon back in the Altstadt and a resumption of the beer drinking!

Cycling in and Around the Cotswolds

Here is another contemporary account I wrote; this time about a trip I made to the Cotswolds, over a quarter of a century ago.

In June 1983 I embarked on a cycling holiday in the Cotswolds. The aim of the holiday was to cycle around visiting pubs belonging to the local brewery of Donningtons - all 17 of them!

Donningtons brewery is situated just outside the town of Stow-on-the-Wold, hidden in a fold in the Cotswold Hills. The brewery is housed in a converted mill, complete with its own trout lake, and is, without doubt, the most picturesque of its kind anywhere in Britain. The company is privately owned by Mr Claude Arkell, grandson of the brewery's founder, and is a survivor from a bygone age.

The brewery itself was started in 1865, but the mill buildings which house it are considerably older. Today, the mill house functions as part of the brewery. The mill wheel is still in use to power some of the machinery, whilst the water, or "liquor", for brewing is drawn from a spring beside the mill pond.

Three draught beers are produced, all of them good, and claimed by the brewery to be brewed from recipes that have remained unchanged over many years. They consist of two bitters, plus a dark mild, and are well received both locally and by visitors from further a field. It is necessary to travel to the Cotswolds in order to sample the beers as, apart from a very local and somewhat restricted free-trade, they can only usually be obtained in the company’s seventeen tied pubs. The pubs are concentrated within a fairly compact area centred on Stow-on-the-Wold. It was for this reason that I had decided to spend some time in the area, and to visit as many Donnington pubs as possible.

The idea behind the trip was not my own. A good friend of mine had spent a year or so working in the Gloucestershire region, as part of his horticultural studies course. He stated that he had always wanted to spend a couple of weeks cycling around all the Donnington pubs, having fallen for their charms, and indeed those of the area as a whole, during the time he spent there.

Like many dreams we all have from time to time, my friend never quite got round to undertaking such a trip. I thought that it sounded like an excellent idea though, and undertook to arrange such a tour as soon as time and finances allowed. That June, my then wife and I found that we had a week to spare, and seeing as finances would not permit the luxury of bed and breakfast accommodation, decided that camping would be the next best alternative. We set about dusting off the camping equipment, sorted out the tent, loaded it all, plus our bikes, into the back of the car and set off for the Cotswolds.

We had no clear plan, apart from making for Stow-on-the-Wold, where we were certain we would find a campsite close to the town. As events were to prove though, our optimism was rather misguided, and we had the greatest difficulty in finding a suitable place to pitch our tent.

The journey was uneventful, despite the weather being overcast. We stopped for lunch at a Brakspears pub; the attractive and thatched Six Bells at Warborough, before stopping off, for a brief look round the picturesque town of Burford. We located the local office of the English Tourist Board, only to find it was closed on Saturday afternoons (unbelievable really for a popular tourist town in the middle of one of the most picturesque regions of Britain, and at the height of the holiday season as well!). This was unfortunate, as we were banking on the staff being able to direct us to the nearest campsite. 

The small but pleasant Cotswold town of Stow-on-the-Wold (where the wind blows cold) was the next stop. After parking the car we again made our way to the English Tourist Board office, only to find that it too was closed. Enquiries in the town informed us that camping was available at a nearby pub, the New Inn at Nether Westcote. The campsite was in the grounds of the pub and although rather basic, was nevertheless extremely welcome. In the New Inn that evening, we enjoyed a couple of pints of the late and much lamented Morrells Bitter with our meal, before walking up to the Merrymouth Inn at nearby Fifield. 

This was the first Donnington pub on the itinerary, and gave us the chance to sample both the company's BB and SBA bitters. The following morning we cycled into Stow where, despite it being a Sunday, we were able to do some shopping. We then set off to cycle to the rather isolated village of Ford, where we intended to have lunch at the local pub. The Plough at Ford had been recommended to me by a colleague from work, who had enjoyed a long weekend break there the previous year. 

En route to the Plough we decided to make a slight detour, and take a look at the Donnington Brewery itself. Unfortunately this did not prove all that easy. The brewery lies down a private road, close to the village of the same name, in a picture postcard setting. Visitors are not welcome, primarily because they would soon end up over-running the place. Leaving my wife at the top of the lane, I sneaked in, as far as I dared, and managed to obtain some photographs of the back of the brewery, but was unable to get the classic shots I really wanted from across the lake.

We resumed our journey towards Ford, a distance of some six miles or so, through some very pleasant countryside, and managed to locate the Plough. The Plough claims to be one of the oldest inns in England; its cellar having formerly served as a jail. With bare walls, of Cotswold stone, and low-beamed ceilings it looked every bit the part, but being a fine day we sat outside in the garden. Here, we enjoyed a good bread and cheese lunch, washed down with a couple of pints of Donningtons SBA.

That evening we visited our third Donnington pub, the Queens Head in Stow-on-the-Wold itself. The food was good here as well, and for the first time we were able to sample Donningtons XXX Mild, and very tasty it was too.

The following day saw us undertaking a longer cycle ride, to the village of Hook Norton, in neighbouring Oxfordshire. En route we stopped off in the busy market town of Chipping Norton, primarily to stock up on provisions, but also to try beer from Halls Brewery for the first, and as it happened, last time. Halls were a brewery, based in Oxford, that had been taken over, by Ind Coope, a decade or so previously. As is usually the case with such take-overs the brewery was closed and the Halls name disappeared.

Following the general revival of local beers that took place during the early 1980’s, the Hall’s name was resurrected as part of Allied Breweries’ move towards decentralisation, and a beer called Harvest Bitter, brewed at the Ind Coope brewery in Burton-on-Trent introduced to appeal to local tastes. It was not long though before the policy providing local beers was reversed, and the Halls name once again vanished.

Suitably stocked up, and refreshed, we continued our journey. The ride took us through some very pleasant and undulating scenery, in short the English countryside at its best. Before too long we arrived in the village of Hook Norton which, as all beer lovers know, is home to a renowned brewery of the same name. The Pear Tree, in the village centre, served some very acceptable, as well as cheap, pints of Hook Norton Mild and Bitter. After our long cycle ride they were just the ticket, as was the more solid refreshment they helped to wash down. 

Before leaving the village, we cycled up the lane leading to the brewery itself. This time there were no signs warning visitors off, and we were able to see the impressive tower brewery, designed by the famed 19th Century brewery architect, William Bradford, in all its glory. From the brow of a hill, on our way back to the campsite, we were rewarded with a splendid view of the brewery from across the fields. The setting was just perfect; a fine, but rare, example of a working country brewery.

By the time we arrived back in Stow, the weather had taken a turn for the worse, becoming cold and windy. This made cycling hard work and we were both glad of the shelter and relative warmth of the tent for a couple of hours, when we arrived back at the campsite.

That evening it was back to visiting Donnington pubs, but in view of the weather we travelled by car. The splendid Fox Inn in the pretty village of Broadwell, won my accolade as the best Donnington pub to date, and the chicken casserole we enjoyed that night still ranks in my memory as being most excellent. Later that evening we moved on to the Golden Ball at Lower Swell; another fine old, stone-built Cotswold inn. We sat in the bar writing out postcards, enjoying the mild, before calling it a night, and returning to the campsite.

The next morning we decided to move on. It had rained heavily during the night, and wasn't all that better come day break. We packed the car and headed for the village of Broadway, where a campsite had been recommended by some friends. Before driving down the edge of the steep Cotswold escarpment, into the village itself, we were rewarded with one of the most spectacular views imaginable, and despite Broadway appearing to be awash with tourists it looked absolutely charming. One look at the place was enough to dispel any doubts we might have had about it being a bit of a tourist trap; a view that had initially made us reluctant to base ourselves there. The campsite too turned out to be every bit as good as our friends had suggested and after roughing it at the previous site, the hot showers, shaving points and well-stocked camp shop were most welcome! What's more the sun was shining again by the time we had finished pitching the tent.

That lunchtime we part cycled, and part pushed our bikes to the top of the Cotswold escarpment. Our destination was the Snowshill Arms, situated in the hamlet of the same name. This was the fifth Donnington pub on my list, and very nice it was too. From the Snowshill Arms, we cycled along the edge of the Cotswold escarpment to Broadway Tower, a 19th Century folly. Inside the tower was an exhibition dedicated to the work of William Morris, whilst from the top there was a spectacular view right across the Vale of Evesham.

Cycling back down the steep Fish Hill was exhilarating, if a little hair-raising. That night there were two more Donnington pubs to visit; the first was the Mount Inn, at Stanton, from where some further spectacular views were obtained. The Mount Inn could best be described as “upmarket”, and the food was certainly expensive. We therefore decided to move on to the nearby New Inn, at Willersey, which was much more to our liking. 

The latter was to be the last Donnington house we visited on that particular holiday. The following day we decided to cast the net a bit further a field, and ended up cycling to the picturesque town of Tewksbury. I can still recall the ride, skirting Dumbleton Hill, and passing through the village of Bredon.

Tewksbury itself was pleasant enough, and after enjoying some excellent Wadworth Devizes Bitter, along with fish and chips, in the ancient and unspoilt Berkeley Arms, a look round the town’s ancient abbey church was in order. Before leaving Tewksbury, we stopped off at the Britannia, a fairly basic local on the outskirts of the town. The Davenports Bitter there was absolutely superb; it was so good in fact that I had to have another pint of it just to make certain!

The ride back was via Bredon Hill, a well known local landmark. It was quite hard going, but a most enjoyable ride nevertheless. Later that year I read a book about life in the countryside between the wars, entitled "The Distant Scene". The book’s author, Fred Archer had lived and worked in Bredon, and the village plus its surroundings featured prominently in the book. It was therefore doubly interesting to read about the area that we had recently visited through the eyes of someone who had been born and bred there.

That night, a car ride was in order, following the day's exertions. My diary recalls that we visited the Butchers Arms at Mickleton. It also records that it was there that I drank Flowers Bitter and Original for the first time. These two beers, which are now very common, were at the time only available from the former West Country Brewery in Cheltenham.

The next day was Thursday, and was to be the last spent in the Cotswolds. We had arranged to visit some friends in Lincoln for the weekend, so would be spending the following day travelling. To make the most of the day, we arose early and cycled into Evesham for a brief look round, and also to visit the bank.

From Evesham, we cycled on to the tiny village of Bretforton, where there was a particularly special pub that I wanted to visit. The pub in question was the world famous Fleece, a totally unspoilt classic pub that had been in the same family for over 400 years. When the last incumbent landlady died, she bequeathed the pub to the National Trust. They in turn had asked CAMRA's pub-owning off-shoot, CAMRA Real Ale Investments, to run the pub on their behalf.

The Fleece was everything that I expected, and a lot more besides. To say that it was unspoilt would be an understatement. To say that it was caught in a time warp would be nearer the truth, but the sense of continuity that only comes when items such as furniture, crockery etc. have been handed down from generation to generation gave it an air that was truly historic, as opposed to the fake sense of history so beloved by modern day pub designers.

My diary records the following beers sampled: Marstons Capital - a light mild that was discontinued some years ago; Highgate Mild, plus Hook Norton Bitter. A Stilton Ploughman’s helped to soak up the beer, before cycling on to the small, picturesque town of Chipping Campden, high up in the Cotswold Hills. The route back was via Snowshill, which afforded one last look at the view from the edge of the Cotswold escarpment, before departing the following day.

That evening, by way of a change, we visited the Plough at Elmley Castle. The original plan had been to have a drink in the Queen Elizabeth, in the village of the same name, but found, much to our disappointment, that it was shut. The Plough was a cider house that brewed its own cider. However, the locals did not appear to appreciate strangers, and the welcome we received both from them, and from the landlady, was far from friendly. We were even charged a deposit on the glasses! Needless to say we didn't stay long, taking our halves of very pale coloured cider outside to drink. It wasn't a terribly good end to the holiday in the Cotswolds but then you can't win them all!

So far as my plan of cycling round all the Donnington pubs was concerned, that would have required a period of at least a fortnight. As it happened we only managed to visit 8 out of 17, but in the days before all day opening, that wasn't bad going at all in five and a half days!

Footnote:

Claude Arkell sadly died in 2007, and control of the Donnington brewery passed to his cousins Peter and James Arkell. Peter and James of course have their own family-owned brewery, Arkells Ltd of Swindon, a reasonably sized concern owning around 100 pubs. According to the latest edition of the Good Beer Guide, Donningtons now only own 15 pubs. I'm not sure which two they sold off; perhaps readers may be able to help here?

Peter and James have stated they will keep things much as they were at Donnington. I only hope they are as good as their word!

A Trip to Lorimer & Clarks (or Edinburgh and back in a day)

Travelling in search of decent beer is not a new interest of mine; it's something I have been doing, on and off, for most of my adult life! Here's a contemporary account of a trip I made to Edinburgh, back in the late 1980's, in order to visit the Caledonian Brewery, then known as Lorimer & Clarks.

How do you fancy a trip round Lorimer & Clarks Brewery? my friend John asked in the pub one night. When? I enquired. In a fortnight's time, my friend replied. Knowing that John worked for British Rail, and travelled everywhere by train, I gathered that our proposed trip would be by rail. Even so I was of the opinion that it would involve an overnight stop, so was somewhat taken aback when John informed me that we would be travelling to Edinburgh and back in a single day. What’s more he had managed to obtain a complimentary return ticket from Tonbridge to Edinburgh for me.

On the allotted day I was up early in order to meet my friend on the platform at Tonbridge station. We boarded the 06:20 train to Charing Cross, alighting at London Bridge. From there we caught the Northern Line tube to Kings Cross, where we boarded the 08:00 service to Edinburgh. This was my fourth visit to the Scottish capital, but was my first train journey from London during daylight hours. Previous visits to Edinburgh had either been at night, or had involved starting my journey from places such as Manchester or Sheffield.

We were joined at Stevenage by several other railwaymen, all of whom were friends or colleagues of John's. After being introduced, we settled down to enjoy the rest of the journey and admire the scenery. The trip was made all the more interesting by my friends’ commentary, and lively banter, but of particular interest to me was the section of line which runs along the spectacular Northumbrian coast. The castle at Bamburgh looked splendid against the backdrop of the sea, and as we crossed over the border into Scotland at Berwick, with its three bridges over the River Tweed, our spirits rose in anticipation of the brewery visit that awaited at the end of our journey.

We arrived in high spirits at Waverley Station, just after one o'clock, and immediately hailed a couple of taxis to take us to Lorimer & Clarks Caledonian Brewery. I recognised the brewery facade as soon as we arrived, as this was not actually the first time that I had visited the brewery. Whilst in Edinburgh, for the 1984 CAMRA AGM, me and a group of friends had been privileged to enjoy an impromptu tour around the brewery. Our guide for the occasion had been none other than the late Dan Kane. Dan was one of the pioneers of CAMRA in Scotland, at a time when Real Ale was very thin on the ground, and was later instrumental in helping to save the Caledonian Brewery when it was earmarked for closure by its then owners, Vaux of Sunderland.

We were offered a drink as soon as we arrived at the brewery; our hosts knowing that we would be thirsty following our long journey. Caledonian 80/- was the order of the day, and every nice it tasted too. It tasted even better with the sparkler removed from the beer pump, something that caused considerable amusement to our guides, but from our point of view, something which added to our enjoyment of this excellent beer.

The tour was every bit as good as the one I had enjoyed some two years previously. The last direct fired coppers in the country were especially interesting. Of particular interest to my railway companions were the sidings and associated loading dock. In days gone by raw materials were brought to the brewery, by rail, and the finished product was also dispatched by the same means. Before being led back to the sampling room, we were shown the old maltings, where the Edinburgh Real Ale Festival takes place

After drinking our fill of 80/- Ale it was time to thank our hosts and say farewell. We headed by taxi back into the city centre in order to catch the train home. John and I caught the 17:00 train; the others in the party, who faced a shorter journey than us, decided to stay on in Edinburgh, no doubt to enjoy a few more drinks!

Our journey back was enlivened by my friend describing various points of interest en route. We crossed the border back in to England, at Berwick travelling once more through the spectacular scenery of the Northumberland country side. The sea was on our left this time, and we could see across to Holy Island and Lindisfarne Priory. Shortly after, we were rewarded by the view of picturesque Alnmouth.

Upon leaving Newcastle, we took our seats in the dining car for a well-earned evening meal. We remained there for most of the journey watching as the countryside became progressively flatter as we travelled south. Arriving back at Kings Cross we re-traced our morning's journey back to London Bridge. We decided that there was time for a quick drink before catching the train home. The historic, National Trust owned George, in Southwark High Street, formed the ideal venue, and the Greene King Abbot we enjoyed there was in fine form, if a trifle expensive.

We arrived back in Tonbridge, shortly after eleven o'clock; some 17 hours or so since leaving that morning. It had been a long and somewhat tiring day, but an extremely enjoyable and interesting one all the same.

Further Watering Holes Along the Wealdway

I returned late on Saturday evening following three days walking completing the final part of the Wealdway long-distance footpath. The path runs for 82 miles from Gravesend on the River Thames to Eastbourne on the south coast. After completing the first 50 miles of the walk earlier this year, my friend Eric and I were determined to complete the trail before the weather worsened with the onset of winter.

The final stage of the walk took us from Uckfield, just south of Ashdown Forest, to the end of the trail in Eastbourne. Unlike the first part of the walk, which took place in 30 degrees of June heat, September's temperatures were much more conducive to walking. In addition, there was less distance to cover over the three days, making for a less hurried and more relaxed walk. This had the added bonus of allowing for more time in the pub, so the following is an account of the excellent hostelries we visited along the way.

Our first port of call was the excellent King's Head in East Hoathly which proved a welcome refuge on a rather damp Thursday lunchtime. This was my second visit to the pub, which is also home to the 1648 Brewery. The latter is housed in the old stable block behind the main building and like my first visit the King's Head did not disappoint. The quarry-tiled floor was a welcome bonus for two slightly bedraggled walkers, as it meant we were spared the task of removing our boots. The second bonus was the cheerful welcome we received from the friendly and chatty barmaid. We sampled two of the house brewed beers; the 3.9% Brew Master and the 4.6% Bee-Head which incorporates honey in the brew. I also gave the 4.5% Dark Star Sussex Extra Stout a go -purely for research purposes of course!

By early evening we were close to our overnight stop; the un-inspiring, but cheap Travel Lodge at Hellingly. We popped into the the King's Head at Lower Horsebridge to check whether it would be suitable for our evening meal later on. It was a large old pub, with a plainly furnished bar to one side and a spacious restaurant to the other. Harvey's Best and 1648 Brew Master were the beers on sale, and both seemed in reasonable condition. However, despite being early evening there were only a couple of people in the pub and furthermore the menu looked rather un-inspiring.

On our way to the Travel Lodge we passed Horsebridge's other pub, the Wheatsheaf. Peering in through the window the pub looked much more homely and welcoming, so after checking in to our hotel and changing out of our walking clothes we returned to the Wheatsheaf and were glad we did. There was a games area at one end of the pub and an eating area at the other. The serving area was in between. Harvey's Best and the dreaded Doom Bar were the beers on sale, but we stuck to the Harvey's which was the perfect accompaniment to our evening meal of liver and bacon. It certainly proved a wise decision to call in at the Wheatsheaf that evening.

The following lunchtime we visited the picturesque, but food-oriented Yew Tree at Arlington. As on the previous day we had been caught in a heavy rain shower, so yet again the pub formed a welcome refuge. Although quite characterful inside, with a fair-sized plainly furnished bar to the right, and a plush, comfortably furnished room to the left, the pub was largely given over to diners. Harvey's Best and Armada were the beers on sale, but I'm sorry to report that they were way past their best. I ended up leaving most of my second pint, but really I should have returned it and asked for my money back.

It was not all doom and gloom, as that evening we arrived at our second over-night stop, the excellent Giant's Rest at Wilmington. Here we had a comfortable and well-appointed room and after showering and changing into something more comfortable, we made our way downstairs to the large bright and airy bar. There were three beers on sale; Harvey's Best, Hopback Summer Lightning and Taylor's Landlord, and we sampled all three along with some excellent food. The Giant's Rest seemed an extremely popular place, so it was a good job the landlord had reserved a table for us. It was certainly good to see a village pub full of happy customers on a Friday evening.

After a hearty cooked breakfast, the following morning, we left the Giant's Rest and walked up through Wilmington, under the shadow of the famous "Long Man" - a mysterious figure carved into the chalk. We then began our ascent of the steep chalk escarpment which marked the start of our walk across the Downs to Eastbourne. Approximately halfway we found ourselves in the tiny downland village of Jevington, a place we had passed through a couple of years previously whilst walking the South Downs Way. On that occasion there wasn't sufficient time to stop, but this time we were able to call into the Eight Bells, an ancient village inn with a timeless feel to it.

There were some attractive looking women on both sides of the bar and after a bit of friendly banter we settled down at one of the tables to enjoy our beer. Unfortunately I must have copped the last pint out of the cask, as my pint of Charley's Angel from Springhead Brewery was flat and un-inspiring. I couldn't really take it back as the barmaid had earlier given us a sample, and it had tasted ok then. After switching to Adnams Bitter all seemed right with the world and we continued with our "people watching". A wedding party arrived, and it was interesting seeing them in their suits and best frocks inter-mingling with the walkers, riders and dog walkers that made up the bulk of the pub's clientele.

After leaving the Eight Bells we climbed back onto the downs to complete the walk to Eastbourne. It was a perfect mid-autumn day, with bright sunshine and a bit of a breeze blowing. Once we had climbed Combe Hill we were rewarded with some fantastic views, and eventually could see the sea in two directions. With Eastbourne spreading out below us, it was worth getting the binoculars out in order to see further afield. They allowed us to see right across towards Hastings and beyond to Dungeness in the far distance.

After linking up with the South Downs Way for a while, we eventually descended down into Eastbourne and made our way to the Lamb, in Eastbourne's Old Town. The Lamb is Harvey's show pub, and is a place I had wanted to visit for many years. This late 12th Century pub certainly lived up to its reputation, with two bars and plenty of old beams, as one would expect from a building of this age. We were served by an attractive and friendly barmaid who advised us that they had Harvey's Old on sale - the first brew of the season no-less! This excellent dark ale proved a fitting beer to end to our walk with, but as it turned out it wasn't quite the last drink of the day! Travelling back to Tonbridge by train we decided to break our journey at Frant in order to call in at the Brecknock Arms in Bells Yew Green. The pub was a bit quiet for a Saturday night and landlord Joe hadn't yet got the Old on sale, (the Brecknock is another Harvey's pub), but we had a couple of pints of Best before catching the train home and back to our respective families. It had been an excellent few days away, with some excellent pubs to boot. All we need do now is to work out what walk to do next year.

Travelling to Bamberg

There is an old Japanese proverb that says "It is better to travel in hope than to arrive disenchanted." I wouldn't say at all that our trip to Bamberg, in northern Bavaria, earlier this summer, was in any way disenchanting, far from it - we had an absolutely brilliant time. What I am saying though is that whilst our journey there wasn't the most straight forward of affairs, it was still an interesting one nevertheless.

The easiest, and quickest way of reaching this wonderfully unspoilt Franconian city from the UK is to fly to Nuremberg, from Stanstead, and then take the train. Air Berlin are the only budget carrier I know that operate this route, and I have used this option before, but this year, possibly because I left our booking a little late, their flights seemed rather expensive. Looking at alternatives I discovered that Easy Jet flights to Munich were considerably cheaper, so being someone who prefers to spend money on the important things in life ie. beer, I decided to explore this option further.

I knew from past experience that Deutsche Bahn offer their excellent Bayern Ticket, which allows up to five adults to travel by train, anywhere within the state of Bavaria for just 30 Euros. This ticket would also have been the cheapest option had we chosen to take the train from Nuremberg, so financially the Munich route looked by far the better deal. The only slight snag was the increased journey times; four and a half hours travel from Munich, as opposed to one and a half hours from Nuremberg, (I have included the time taken to travel to and from the airport).

Taking the time factor into consideration, we decided to go for the Munich option; after all a journey by train, with DB, would afford the chance to view the Bavarian countryside and, what's more, we had full days at the beginning and the end of the holiday to make the journey. All that remained to be done was book the flights with Easy Jet, and check on the Deutsche Bahn website for a detailed breakdown of our journey.

They say the best laid plans sometimes go astray and so it proved on the day of our departure. We arrived bright and early at Stanstead, only to discover there was a delay to our flight. In the end the delay only turned out to be a 90 minute one, but it still meant that the train times I had so carefully researched and printed off were rendered useless.

Leaving a wet and windy Stanstead behind and arriving in 30 degree heat at Munich's Franz Josef Strauss Airport, we made our way to the Deutsche Bahn booking information centre, where I proceeded, in my best German, to enquire about travelling to Bamberg by means of a Bayern Ticket. The gentleman behind the desk explained that if we caught a bus to nearby Freising, we would be able to board a direct train to Nuremberg, thereby negating having to travel into Munich Hauptbahnhof. The short bus section of the journey was covered by our ticket, and to assist us even further, along with our ticket, he kindly printed us off a detailed journey-plan, giving details of train departure and arrival times, platform numbers etc. Now that's what I call service - UK Train Operators please take note!

It was a short walk to the bus stop just outside the terminal, and then an equally short wait for the bus. We then had a ride out passed the various airport out-buildings and car parks and out into some very pleasant open countryside, before arriving in Freising some 20 minutes later.

Freising is an ancient ecclesiastical town to the north-west of Munich, and is home to several breweries, including the world-renowned Weihenstephan Brauerei. I had visited Freising five years previously, on my first visit to Munich, and had our original schedule gone to plan there would have been time to sample the wares of one the aforementioned breweries. Unfortunately time was not on our side, so after alighting at the station, and with only half an hour to wait before our train, we just had sufficient time to nip into the local REWE supermarket and buy some bottled water, plus nibbles to consume on the train, before hastily grabbing a couple of rolls from a kiosk at the station.

Our journey took us roughly north-eastwards towards Regensburg, through some pleasant country-side, but unfortunately it was rather hot on the train as the air-conditioning didn't appear to be working. Pulling into Regensburg brought back memories of an excellent holiday two years previously in this pleasant eastern Bavarian town and as we continued towards Nuremberg, the air-conditioning miraculously sprang back into life so we ended up enjoying the rest of the journey in comfort.

It was the start of the rush hour when we arrived in Nuremberg, and our onward train to Bamberg was very crowded. We ended up standing most of the way, but fortunately the journey time was only 45 minutes. We reached our destination just after 5.30pm, local time, and after checking into our holiday apartment, unpacking and freshening up, were soon ensconced in the pleasant beer garden at the rear of Greifenklau Brauerei.

The homeward journey was more or less the reverse of the outward, except that we caught the RE Nuremberg - Munich Express, which instead of running via Regensburg, took a more direct, and very scenic route via Ingolstadt. There were some high rolling hills to admire, and consequent long tunnels to travel through. We also got a good glimpse of Germany's main hop-growing region, the Hallertau, which lies to the north of Munich.

This time we journeyed right into the centre of Munich, and after depositing our bags in the left luggage lockers at the Hauptbahnhof, had the afternoon free for some last minute shopping, plus a bit of drinking. We made the obligatory visit to the Hofbraeuhaus, and after a spot of lunch spent the afternoon in the shady beer garden of the Augustiner Keller. This turned out to be a good means of escaping the high temperatures which, by this time must have been in the mid thirties!

All in all then, it was a most successful trip and whilst not the quickest route to our holiday destination, certainly turned out to be an interesting one.