Tonbridge hosts Beer Festival

There has been lots of activity going on around the Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Club in preparation for the 5th SIBS South East Beer Festival that opens today.  Over 120 real ales are ready to titilate the tastebuds and the prize winning beers, chosen by a panel of experts, will be ready to sample tonight.  They'll be plenty of locally sourced cider too for those who like the alternative taste the humble apple can produce.  Tutored tastings are happening on Saturday but be quick as places are limited.


Tonbridge Brewery, our very own local micro brewery, will be there with quirky named real ales such as Blonde Ambition, Auburn Myth, Ebony Moon and Coppernob made from the finest malted barley and locally grown hops.  Go and try their distinctive tasting ales over the weekend.  There's nothing like knowing it's been produced on home ground.  If you want to know more about them check out their website on http://tonbridgebrewery.co.uk/index.htm

This is not just a festival for the beer drinkers among us; it is a family event with plenty of space outside on the meadows for families to enjoy a picnic and ball games, and soft drinks are available for the non-drinkers.  There will be a Hog Roast available on Saturday afternoon (get there early for the crackling) and a local concert band will entertain. Sunday is BBQ day.

Beer related events are really not new to Tonbridge.  In February 1840 free beer was distributed to the 'industrious poor' of the town so that they could celebrate the wedding of Queen Victoria in style.  And in 1855,  the people of Tonbridge partied on free beer that was provided by Bartrams Brewery, to mark the end of the Crimean War Campaign. Bartrams were situated close to The Big Bridge and more or less where Weatherspoons garden is now.  Apparantly the whole town made merry and the brewery cannons were fired from the castle wall and fireworks were set off from barges and in the street.

Finally, take a look at the ad below for a Hadlow Brewery.
1903, now that was when beer was cheap.

Tonbridge Tales, pub. John Hilton

Blooming Marvellous

In all truthfulness I am not a gardener, but after my visit to the Chelsea Flower Show this year inspiration caught hold of me, and I started a flurry of garden planning.  So, when I saw that the North Tonbridge Horticultural Society was holding their Summer Show I thought I would top up my enthusiasm, and see how the experts do it.  I wasn't disappointed as I waded through the coloured displays of flawless flowers and marvelled at the skill in growing the perfect vegetable.

First Prize Spring Onions - Mr. B Cook

Now it wasn't quite Chelsea, but the scent from an impressive display of sweetpeas was divine, and reminded me of the famous flower show's marquees. Other categories on display were scones and traditional Victoria Sponge making, jams, formal flower arranging and a fantastic collection of winemaking - no tasting though.  Oh to have been the judge.  I spoke to a lady member of the Tonbridge Winemakers Club who explained there were no grapes used in the bottles on display but a  combination of fruit and berries (very impressed), and she shared that last year's raspberry vinegar was good remedy for sore throats.

First Prize Gooseberries - Mr B Nicholls

Expert advice was on hand at the plant stall so I now have plenty of plants for my own my newly planned Chelsea inspired garden.  All this garden show stuff is not usually my thing but it proved to be an afternoon full of ideas and inspiration for a budding new gardener like myself.  Where's the trowel.

Five High Street Bridges

Wall Plaque Marking Piper's Stream Bridge

Tonbridge once had five High Street bridges.   Today only two remain and are affectionally known as the Big Bridge and the Little Bridge.  So what happened to the other bridges and even more interesting where did the water disappear to that they crossed?

A bridge apparently crossed a waterway that ran under the High Street and through the Botany,  A second small stream, named Cann's stream flowed behind Bartram's Brewery (yes ... Tonbridge did have its own brewery).  This stream would have flowed under and through what is now Weatherspoons beer garden, or close to that area.  This too had a bridge in the High Street.  The third bridge that was lost spanned Piper's stream and was named after Mr. Piper a local business man whose trade was situated alongside the water.  A plaque set into a newly rendered and pebbledashed wall marks the spot where this third small bridge crossed Piper's stream in the High Street.  This can be found close to Boots Opticians.

So what happened to the water?  It seems that parts of the stretches were filled in and other parts diverted into the main river.