Hassocks: 21st Century Station

For reasons which I won’t go into I started my train journey at Hassocks – about 9 miles north of Brighton. Hassocks is on the main Brighton line but few trains actually stop there. I expect it used to have grand station buildings on both sides of the tracks but at some point they were taken away to be replaced with some awful prefabricated structure. To call it a shelter would be unkind to other shelters. It may gleam in its Southern Railway green paint but no amount of paint is going to disguise that the fact that it looks like old cardboard boxes. The spanking new ticket gates cruelly show up what a toilet the station is – except of course there is no toilet…

The Evening Star

Gloomy February in Brighton - the station looms at the end of Surrey Street

It was extraordinarily foggy in Brighton and when I arrived it was difficult to make out the country end of the platforms. It was cold too. But the dense, prematurely dark gloom only made the Evening Star even more welcome than normal. The atmosphere was lively and predominantly male this evening. The popularity meant that we were sharing a table with two other parties – something that often happens in the Evening Star.

Dressed lightly for a gig the cold had got to me so my first drink was a coffee. You can choose from instant or cafetiere – choose the latter, it was superb.

The welcoming Evening Star

After that it was beer. The Evening Star (pub review here) belongs to the Dark Star brewery so you expect some of their beers. Tonight the cask choices were Dark Star Hophead, Golden Gate and Sussex Original, with Milton Pegasus and another couple of guests which I’ve forgotten.

Now in London (somewhere like the Harp) I’d normally opt for Hophead but here I went for the Golden Gate. After the coffee the citrus of the Golden Gate really cut through – much more so than the Hophead that Jon had.

Only a brief visit to the Evening Star this time as we were hungry and wanted to eat before the gig. So back out into the gloom.

The Basketmakers Arms

Brighton pubs are great when the sun is shining but in this dark, misty gloom they welcome you like a long lost friend. It was fully dark by the time we reached the Basketmakers so no usable pictures from my mobile unfortunately.

Delicious whitebait from a previous visit to the Basketmakers Arms

We’d chosen the Basketmakers as the food is very good – and the beer too (See my Basketmakers review). First drink was a Gales HSB while we pondered the menu. The HSB was excellent as usual although I’m sure it’s not as dark as it used to be – something I thought during a recent trip to the Royal Oak in Borough where Gales HSB is a regular guest. Comparing the colour of what we had with the HSB photo on my photo page for the Round House in Covent Garden I’d say the current HSB seems much redder.

Food-wise I opted for a delicious Haddock and Chips – good portions, and well cooked. The girl at the next table was having a whole baked camembert which I’d missed on the menu but it looked amazing. I’d imagine a whole one might be too much – you could share it with a portion of whitebait which is also good here.

Just time for another beer so we tried the Castle Rock Preservation. Lighter in character than the HSB it’s still quite full flavoured but the hops are much more restrained than the Dark Star beers from earlier.

It’s good to see that Fullers allow two guest beers at the Basketmakers now – the other was Butcombe Bitter.

Being at two out of my three ‘golden triangle’ pubs in Brighton (we missed the Lord Nelson) of course prompted discussions about which one was best. It’s a conversation that never gets resolved but for all round appeal I’d say the Basketmakers Arms was the best pub in Brighton (that I know about). They even let children in too – a mixed blessing of course.

British Sea Power

After leaving the Basketmakers we strolled down to Komedia on Gardner Street – only to bump into a few people we’d just seen at the Basketmakers. I’d never been to this venue before but I’d definitely go again. It’s not a huge venue but it’s not tiny either. The sound and view were both superb and the placing of the bar in a separate area (like the Cavern in Exeter) makes for a better experience in my opinion. The bar sold bottles of Hepworths Sussex and Iron Horse – makes a change from Fosters etc.

British Sea Power were brilliant and they played a lot from their first album as well as the new Valhalla Dancehall. A cut-down excerpt from Man Of Aran was good too. The support – Team Me from Norway were also excellent. They weaved some amazing textures and complicated rhythms in their short set and I bought their EP.

So straight out the door after the single encore for a swift walk/run back up the hill to the station. We just made the train…

Related Items

• My pub reviews of Brighton
• Post on previous Brighton pub crawl
• Google map of Brighton pub crawl

Harveys Brewery, Lewes

This is the third post in a series featuring a pub crawl that Jon and I undertook recently around Lewes in East Sussex. It features the last couple of pubs we visited – the Lewes Arms and the Brewers Arms. You can visit the previous two posts:

• Arrival in Lewes, and the Harvey’s brewery
• The Dorset Arms, the Gardners Arms and the John Harvey Tavern

The Volunteer and the Elephant & Castle

Back across the river bridge and then to the right we came to the Volunteer on Eastgate Street.

It’s an attractive welcoming pub, but was selling just Sharp’s Doom Bar and St Austell Tribute. These are both fine beers but we decided we hadn’t come to Lewes to drink cornish beers so we decided to press on.

Next potential stop was the Elephant & Castle up the hill on White Hill. We decided that this pub didn’t look that inviting and as time we short we passed on that one too.

Retracing our steps slightly and then up a side street we came to the Lewes Arms.

The Lewes Arms (Backstory)

The Lewes Arms in Mount Place has some notoriety in that it was the setting for an extraordinary boycott some years ago by the regulars. At the time the pub was a Greene King pub and like every pub in Lewes it stocked Harvey’s Best. GK went through a stage a while ago of purging their pubs of all but their own beers and the Lewes Arms was no exception.

The Lewes Arms, Lewes

Only here the locals didn’t take too kindly to it and organised a campaign to get GK to change their minds. When Greene King wouldn’t, the boycott was born. All the regulars stayed away and the pub was apparently deserted most nights. I believe Greene King tried all kinds of tricks to convince people that the boycott wasn’t really working – including bussing staff in for quizzes etc from towns nearby.

Eventually though GK threw in the towel and began stocking Harvey’s Best again. After a while GK sold the pub to Fuller’s and now the Harvey’s Best rubs shoulders with London Pride and the other Chiswick-brewed regulars.

In retrospect Greene King argument that Harvey’s pubs tended to stock only Harvey’s beers and that they were only doing the same was a fair one. It is interesting now that the Royal Oak in Borough which is Harvey’s only London pub always carries one beer from the Fuller’s range – usually (but not always) the seasonal guest. It is rumoured that this is a reciprocal arragement for the Lewes Arms carrying Harvey’s Best but that was denied recently by the landlord of the Royal Oak. Incidentally the Fuller’s pints in the Royal Oak are always on top form.

In another recent move many GK pubs now regularly carry guest beers from other breweries – most notably in my experience the Fulflood Arms and the Green Man in Winchester which seem to stock hardly any GK beers. Perhaps GK learned from the Lewes Arms experience – perhaps the two occurences are unrelated.

Anyway I hear you cry, what is the Lewes Arms really like?

The Lewes Arms (Review)

This was my first trip to the Lewes Arms and I really had no idea what to expect. It’s located on a small backstreet and is quite a tiny pub inside. It reminded Jon and I of the Charles Lamb near Angel tube station in London – a larger room with small areas off.

The pub seems friendly and we weren’t treated like outsiders at all. The barstaff were chatty and the atmosphere overall was very good.

Inside the Lewes Arms, Lewes

Beer-wise the selection reflects the Fuller’s ownership plus of course the Harvey’s Best’ Disappointingly the Gales HSB (one of my favourites) was lack-lustre and I thought the Red Fox to be not much good either. Ironically the best pint here was the Harvey’s Best but that wasn’t superb either.

It was a shame that such a nice pub should be let down by the beer quality.

After some hasty but tasty chips in the street from the chippy opposite the Lewes Arms, Jon and I headed off for our last pub of the evening – the Brewers Arms.

The Brewers Arms

The Brewers Arms in High Street, close to Lewes Castle, is quite large when you get inside and has two distinct halves – a subdued dimly lit front bar and a lively bright back bar.

We had no stranger-phobia that you get in some places and the barstaff were very friendly and efficient. They even let me take away a Harvey’s glass for a contribution to their charity box so I’ll always be well disposed to the pub.

The Brewers Arms is advertised as a true free-house and the selection was quite eclectic. I tried a Hammerpot brewery beer (forget which one – oops) which was OK but the Harvey’s Best was very, very good. And so that beer bookended our trip to Lewes. All that was left was our synchronised dash to the station to pick up the train back to London.

A Summary

Our evening in Lewes was great fun despite the rather gloomy October weather. The pubs on a map don’t seem very concentrated but Lewes is quite a small town and it doesn’t take long to get between them. Lewes itself looks interesting and is worth a visit for more than just the beer.

There’s a map of our Lewes Pub Crawl here.

The Wykeham Arms

Wykeham Arms, Winchester

After the disappointment of the Green Man being shut it was good to find a pub that was actually open.

The Wykeham Arms is located just south of the cathedral in Kingsgate Street. It’s just round the corner from Wykeham College so technically outside of the old city I believe.

An Eldgridge Pope pub when I first started visiting 20 years ago, the Wykeham Arms has been through a chequered beer history. From the Royal Oak and Thomas Hardy IPA, and then the Bass years, the Wykeham Arms was eventually taken over by Gale’s a few years ago. The Gale’s beers – especially HSB suited the dark interior of then pub. When Fuller’s acquired Gale’s in 2005 the Wykeham Arms effectively became a Fuller’s pub although one or two Gale’s beers are still stocked alongside London Pride and ESB.

From an atmosphere perspective though not much has changed over the years. The pub has always attracted the money with its location in desirable streets close to the college and the cathedral. But I feel it’s never been snooty about it – not a thought that everyone agrees with. It is however a shame they never show the 6 Nations and other key rugby games on the TV in here any more – the vibe in the pub during games was electric.

The interior hasn’t changed at all either. It’s very traditional – wood panelling, and bric-a-brac hanging from the ceiling. The links to the college are represented with photos and framed exam results.

Some of the tables are old metal-framed desks bolted together. And note the truly curved glazed door as you come in from the street – expensive to reglaze I’m sure.

I’ve already mentioned the glorious HSB (see also a previous posting about Gale’s beers) but the Wykeham Arms provided my first opportunity to taste Gale’s Seafarers – a very drinkable summery pint, but nothing remarkable. Sensibly I had this before my pint of HSB.

Gales HSB pump clip at the Wykeham Arms, Winchester

The collection of old Gale’s (and other) pump clips on a high shelf is an interesting distraction. See the really intricate HSB one here (click on the thumbnail to see the picture in Flickr).

You can probably tell that I would recommend this pub to anyone who finds themselves in Winchester.

But we have one final destination to cover tonight – the Black Boy. So a quick walk across the top of the water meadows and up the hill past the old canal wharf and we’ll be at the best pub in Winchester.

Write-up continues here.

Giles Coren always writes outspoken articles and he certainly didn’t mince words about a trip to the Wykeham Arms. Read the article here.

Read about the pubs we got to:

• An Evening in Winchester Part 1 – Albion, King Alfred, Hyde Tavern
• An Evening in Winchester Part 2 – Old Vine, Green Man
• An Evening in Winchester Part 4 – Black Boy

And the ones we didn’t get to:

• Other Winchester Gems

With a slightly earler departure from work and a bit of time invested on a train you can be in many interesting places. Using the discount available with an annual gold card is useful too.

Late last week it was Brighton’s turn and I’d like to share with you my mini pub crawl of 3 real ale pubs in the seaside city. The crawl doesn’t take you far from the station, and in fact nowhere near the sea but the sound of the seagulls will reassure you that it’s over there somewhere.

So, leave Brighton station by the front entrance and head over to the right of the cab stand and turn left down the hill that emerges blinking from under the station frontage. This is the top of Trafalgar Street. As you go down the hill look out for the first pub on the itinerary – The Lord Nelson at 36 Trafalgar Street.

The Lord Nelson

Lord Nelson, Brighton

The Lord Nelson is a traditional Harvey’s pub. It looks tiny from the outside but is actually bigger inside. The Gallery Room out the back features local art and becomes a family room at weekends.

The pub carries most of the Harvey’s range and the beers are kept very well.

Food is not available in the evenings so if you want something to eat it’s best to wait to the next pub – the Basketmakers Arms.

So when you’re ready to move on, carry on down Trafalgar Street and then take one of the roads on the right – Sydney Street is a good one for North Laine shops and then turn left onto Gloucester Place. The Basketmakers is down the hill on the right hand side.

The Basketmakers Arms

Basketmakers Arms, Brighton

The Basketmakers Arms (12 Gloucester Rd) is a Fuller’s pub these days, but was formerly one of Brighton’s Gale’s pubs. This pub is consistently busy but that is due to it being one of the finest pubs in Brighton. It’s a friendly, lively place.

As well as the standard Fuller’s London beer selection, The Basketmakers offer one or two Gales beers and there is usually a guest beer of some sort. The Gales HSB is always excellent, and when available the Gales Festival Mild hits the spot too.
I always eat at the Basketmakers Arms when on pub visits to Brighton as the food is superb. Choose from a varied and reasonably priced menu.
As well as beer and food, the pub is worth a visit just for the collection of old photographs, signs and other memorabilia.

But come on now, it’s time to move on to the 3rd and final pub. So head straight back up Gloucester Road – right to the top, carefully cross over into the middle of the small one way system and turn right into Surrey Street and there you’ll find The Evening Star.

The Evening Star

Evening Star, Brighton

The tiny Evening Star (55 Surrey St) is run by the Dark Star Brewery so you’ll not be surprised to hear that several beers from their range are available including Hophead permanently, as well as guests from other micros, real ciders, and a good selection of belgian bottled beers.

Now you’ll understand why there are only three pubs on this crawl and that this is the last one. Don’t forget to actually get your train home – fortunately the station is not too far away.

The pub is full of friendly people who love good beer – whether that’s what you’re looking for is up to you. For me the Evening Star is a must for any trip to Brighton.

That is the regular pattern of my evening trips to Brighton, but if you’re feeling adventurous and looking for an alternative then try the Shakespeare’s Head.

The Shakespeare’s Head

Situated about 10 mins walk north-west of the station The Shakespeare’s Head (1 Chatham Place) is Brighton’s Hall & Woodhouse pub.

It’s location means it’s away from the central circuit but it’s still worth a trip – don’t be put off by the dingy exterior. If you like Badger beers then 2 or 3 are available on draught and they carry many of the bottled range too. The Badger Best I had tasted very good.

Another significant reason to visit the Shakespeare’s Head is the famous selection of sausages. First choose your sausages then choose your mash (yes, more than one type) and then choose your gravy. End result is a plate full of heaven.

View a Google map of this pub crawl.

Next week, Winchester.

Pint of Gale's HSB

Why is it getting harder to find Gale’s HSB in London?

25 years ago when drinking in Fuller’s pubs in London I’d have been pleased to discover a pump with Chiswick, London Pride and ESB pumps at the bar. It was something special to find a pub that sold both Chiswick and ESB – not all did.

10 years ago of course the selection was broader – the staples having been joined by the regular quarterly seasonals.

For the last 4 years since the Fuller’s take over the Gale’s brewery in Hampshire I’ve also got pleasantly used to drinking Gale’s beers in London as well. In fact most times I’d opt for an HSB in preference to a London Pride or ESB. Perhaps that’s a reflection on the care that Fuller’s have taken to match the taste of that fine dark beer now it’s brewed in Chiswick, and to deliver it consistently.

Fuller’s pubs in London would even occasionally carry the elusive Festival Mild – another superb prizewinning Gale’s creation that Fuller’s delivered well.

But recently things have changed. On my last few visits to London Fuller’s pubs I’ve only found one (the Counting House at Bank) that still carries HSB. The Shooting Star in Middlesex Street and the Hung Drawn and Quartered at Tower Hill no longer seem to carry it when they did before. The Shooting Star used to carry Butser as well for a while.

HSB and other Gale’s beers are available of course at ex-Gale’s pubs – eg the excellent Basketmakers Arms in Brighton. But much as I love drinking in Brighton it’s a long way to go for a lunchtime pint. (Brighton is certainly worth a trip for an evening – see my next post).

Are Fuller’s gradually phasing out the distinctive Gale’s beers? I do hope not.

Is anyone aware of other pubs that stock HSB regularly?