Branch Diary

Friday 17th June. Bus outing to the Engine Room, East Grinstead, for their Sussex Beers Festival which opens at 1pm. Take Metrobus 291 from Tunbridge Wells Royal Victoria Place (stop K2) at 11.48 arriving in East Grinstead at 12.39. As the festival will not be serving food, some may prefer to take the 10.48 bus arriving an hour earlier and eat in East Grinstead. Return buses leave at 15.40, 16.43 and 17.20. For those without bus passes, a return ticket on the 291 costs around £8 while for those starting their journey by bus before Tunbridge Wells, a day Discovery ticket costing £9 will cover all bus journeys.

Saturday 25th June. Outing by train to Thanet to explore the choice of micropubs in and around the Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate areas. Suggested outward train is the 10.22 service from Tonbridge arriving at Ramsgate at 11.49 with a change at Ashford. Suggested return trains from Ramsgate are the 20.25 arriving Tonbridge at 22.08 (no change required) or the 20.42, changing at Ashford and arriving at the same time 22.08. Advance fares are advertised at a bargain approx. £12 return based on travelling with a Railcard or 3+ people travelling together. Non-advanced fares on the same basis are normally approx. £20. For those without a bus pass, a PlusBus ticket costing £2.65 (£4 for non-Railcard holder) gives access to the excellent and frequent Thanet Loop Stagecoach bus services to take us between the towns (or you can buy a day ticket for the Loop service on the bus for a reasonable price).

Friday 1st July. Visit to the Beer on the Vine festival (opening at 5pm) at Sevenoaks cricket ground. Should the new Sevenoaks micropub located around the South Park area be open by then as anticipated, we will also pay a visit.

Sunday 10th July. Outing to Westerham using the Hams Travel 401 bus service. Take the 401 bus at 12.30 from Tonbridge (outside Lidl) to arrive at Westerham Dunsdale Lodge stop, before walking along Beggars Lane to arrive at the Westerham Brewery Tap at approx. 1.30pm. Then a choice of taking the next 401 bus at 16.19 arriving at Westerham town centre at 16.21, or leaving the brewery earlier to walk into Westerham and visiting the Real Ale Way (open from 4pm). Return bus from Westerham leaves from The Green (stop A) at 18.37. The earlier 401 leaves Westerham at 16.32 for those with less available time.

Tuesday 12th July. Branch Committee Meeting at the Anchor, Sevenoaks, 7.30pm. (Please note correction of the date from a previous newsletter).

Thursday 21st July. Evening social in Rusthall. Take the Arriva 281 bus at 19.14 from Tunbridge Wells Royal Victoria Place (stop K2) to arrive at Rusthall at 19.26. Visit the Red Lion, Lower Green Road, possibly the Beacon (still to determine if drinkers are welcome) and finishing at the Toad Rock Retreat. Return on the 281 bus at 22.06 arriving in TW at 22.17.

Events

Now until 29^th Aug – CAMRA Summer of Pub campaign https://summerofpub.camra.org.uk/?_ga=2.7478386.1755433342.1649671490-557204274.1647689240
1^st – 5^th June – White Rock, Underriver Jubilee Beer Festival https://www.facebook.com/TheWhiteRockInn
2^nd – 5^th June – Spotted Dog, Penshurst – Jubilee Beer (and cocktail) Festival https://www.facebook.com/events/377790927733858/?ref=newsfeed
2^nd – 5^th June – Halfway House, Brenchley – Jubilee Beer Festival, 70 real ales, 20 ciders, 10 live music acts, etc.
11^th June – Pig & Porter Brewery, TW – Open Day, 12-6pm, food available onsite
15^th June – Beer Day Britain https://www.beerdaybritain.co.uk/
16^th June – Westerham Brewery Taproom – Beer tasting and Q&A with Adrian Tierney-Jones, beer writer and advocate, and Robert Wicks, head brewer, 7pm. Taste six different beers, including three featured in Adrian’s latest book and leave with a can of your favourite beer from the night. Food available, tickets £17 (selling fast) here
17^th – 18^th June – CAMRA AFRM/K&ESR Real Ale & Cider Festival 2022, Tenterden Town Station, live music and trains all day Sat, bar on trains https://www.camra-afrm.org.uk/festivals/camra-kesr-beer-festival
17^th – 18^th June – 24^th South Downs Beer & Cider Festival, Lewes selling out fast https://brighton.camra.org.uk/viewnode.php?id=170314
1^st – 2^nd July – Beer on the Vine Beer Festival at the Vine cricket ground, Sevenoaks, Fri 5-11pm, Sat 12-11pm, 40-50 beers and about 20 ciders with cricket to watch.
?? July – Greyhound, Charcott – look out for a mini BF details tbc.
28^th – 30^th July – Bromley CAMRA’s 7^th Beckenham Beer Festival https://bromley.camra.org.uk/beer_festival/
27^th – 29^th Aug – ‘Pick Your Own Hops’ event at Hukins Hops Farm near Tenterden. You’ll get a chance to fill up a large glass jar with your hand-picked hops to take away, a tour of the farm including the 1960’s hop picking machine and modern hop kilns, follow in the footsteps of previous generations who have made the journey to Kent in the past as part of the ‘Hop Picker’s Holiday’. Price: £10 Adult / £6 Child, 10% Discount for CAMRA Members with code: CAMRA10, 2 Hours https://www.hukins-hops.co.uk/product/pick-your-own-hops/
22^nd Sept – 2^nd Oct – Cask Ale Week.
October – Cider Month.
1^st Oct – King William IV, Pembury – Meet the Brewer & Tap Takeover Event with extra beers, details tbc.
7^th – 9^th Oct – 11^th Spa Valley Railway in Association with West Kent CAMRA – Real Ale & Cider Festival https://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/product.php/280/11th-real-ale-cider-festival
21^st – 23^rd Oct – Hopfest Beer Festival, Old Dairy Brewery, Tenterden, showcasing Kent Green Hop beers and Oktoberfest 2022 with Bavarian beers, etc. Live music, local food trucks https://olddairybrewery.com/
27^th – 29^th Oct – Redhill Beer Festival run by East & Mid Surrey CAMRA https://ems.camra.org.uk/