Garden Hermit Goes to the Pub 2

It’s good to get back to normal after my fantasy Enid Blyton-esque adventure on the lost island...

...though I may have aged considerably.

But if you thought that 'back to normal' means we can return to the comfortable mundaneness of posts about Hampshire dining pubs, I have some bad news...

...this week we have a brief departure into 'micro-brew-pub' life...


I’ve posted on this pub before in 'another place' (not the House of Lords) - from an ordinary pub-goers perspective.

This time however I arrived at 10am on Saturday morning at one of RetiredMartin's favourite brewpub chains, Brewhouse and Kitchen - this pub being in Highfield, Southampton.



At this hour the pub was closed to normal punters, but I was here for a Brewery Experience Day (BED)...which promised the opportunity to help brew one of their beers, with food and beer thrown in for the day...(though it did involve a significant sum to grease their palms) - great 60th birthday present eh..?

Anyhow …

Darkness was drawing in, as our FOF adventurers left the Cowes Ale House, making it even more difficult to find the lost Island of Wight...

...and the next pub....


...luckily the Painters Arms was just across the street so Julian didn’t need his island map or to log into Google Maps.

The pub was a nice building, but there must have been something about it that made the FOFs wary. Fortunately we had a professional decorator in our midst and everyone agreed he was just the right man to do a quick recce.

Unfortunately the Painters didn’t meet his expectations and so we moved on...



The next pub also posed something of a dilemma as there seemed to be a fairly unusual admissions policy in force...
...after a brief assessment of the situation, and quickly eliminating the other options, Julian felt there was a chance we could pass ourselves off as children, especially as it was getting dark...

...so making ourselves look as small as possible (except for Timmy who’s small already) we entered…

Our brave adventurers, the FOF, fortified with Fuggle Dee Dum (or Stella in the case of the lager  drinker)... ...were continuing their discovery of the Lost Island of Wight...

...Not, fortunately, in a yellow Sopwith Camel, as that would be too dangerous and as Julian said sternly...'You should never drink and fly...(except if you're on a package holiday flight...)"

Flanked by a myriad of retail units, the FOFs succumbed to temptation and took a few moments out from their serious adventuring, to do a little window shopping.

Faces pressed to the window they admired the toys...

...and stylish nautical clothing...

...but unfortunately these were well beyond the reach of the FOF's pocket money.

"Never mind" said Dick, "Lets get on with our adventure" 
And so they did, and soon they came to The Cowes Ale House...

"It looks rather like another shop"  said Alan doubtfully, examining the front.  
"Well it's a micro-pub.  They're usua…