The Golden Ball, Kennington

What can I say!

I have in the past spent so much time and money in the place that it beggars belief.

This is a country pub yet it's inside Ashford and near lots of people yet sadly is still waiting to take off.

A new Landlord, Malcolm Reilly has the potential to lift this pub back to the status it once enjoyed under Ray and Jan.

Get down there as it serves Shepherd Neame beers to an exceptionally high standard. A truly welcoming, family run pub that deserves the patronage of people that enjoy a good beer, can eat off a new menu, play pool, listen to some half decent music and enjoy convivial conversation with a varied client�le.

I shall be back to either edit or update this blogg.

14 Dec 2008 01:40

The Bowl Inn, Charing

This pub has a well deserved reputation for keeping and selling a range of fine ales. They're not always tip-top, but Alan, the Landlord, has an enviable reputation for doing his best. The array of awards received is testament to his diligence.

This is not a pretty downland retreat. Far from it. It's a building with a fair sized car park, camping and gardens. They also have an excellent beer festival, one of the best pub festivals in the area.

On the downside, the pub is very cliquey and strangers don't exactly fit in. We are not talking Deliverance though as they rarely shoot people.

Sadly this place has a small collection of extremely homophobic customers and consequently this is being posted on a number of sites. If you're gay and a beer drinker, drink elsewhere. If you don't mind cohorting with dinosaurs, enjoy a fine ale, a roaring fire and a somewhat unusual pool table (don't play it inebriated or maybe this is the best way to play on it), get there!!

If you want a good beer and convivial conversation without the inbreeds, drink at the Plough just down the road (where the food is fantastic), or most other places.

This is a pub that shouldn't be missed out as long as you can cope with bigotry. A good selection and a knowledgeable, passionate landlord make up for the folk that drink on the hill. Not quite the folk that live under the stairs but just as scary.

Make the effort as you're unlikely to get a duff pint.

24 Oct 2008 02:00