The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST,Pete the Hat
Date: 29 Sep 08 - 07:38 PM

I have checked me shift rota Im off the Friday.Sat,Sun, see you all there.

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Donkey
Date: 27 Sep 08 - 12:29 PM

Hi

Friday night was prune stuffing & a tart gooseberry sauce, with fiddle fit.

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 04:44 PM

Orange Sauce?

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST,Rafflesbear
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 04:17 PM

Guilty as charged Melodeonboy - I'm responsible and the thread has drifted about twenty yards max

last year's family of ducks was absolutely charming - easily seen from the saloon of The Crown public house in Otford Kent where the beer and folk festival is being held on the weekend of 10-12 October (back on thread)

it was a duck and drake and six little ones all of whom grew to adulthood in the pond while dodging the occasional Audi 800 going for a swim. My fondest memory is of the duck and drake standing side by side on the bank overlooking the pond and the six tiny little ducklings all swimming round in a group in the water just beneath them - aaahhhhhhhh ! - come on, you can do better than that - AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !

Anyway I think I'll go for the Grindletons and as my mum's name was Doris I shall drink to her memory with the Hesket Newmarket Doris's 90th birthday

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Girl Friday
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 11:34 AM

Will Sevenoaks Concil put the duck's rent up because of all this?
If the work is carried out to a high standard they'd be quackers! not to

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: romany man
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 09:46 AM

Lets just do it up and run, sod em, its better than the building site its been for so long, all it takes is nerve planning and speed, the otford mafia can go string pearls, cor aint i being polite,
then we can go get drunk and deny all knowledge. Amos says go do it. an he scares me.

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: melodeonboy
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 09:34 AM

I think I detect a tad of thread drift, but I'm enjoying it immensely! I've never seen duck ponds discussed before on Mudcat!

Could this be the harbinger of an "Otford Duck Pond" thread?

Quack, quack, splash!

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Kev The Clogs
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 09:06 AM

As far as I know, it's the pond itself - however,as I said before, it has leaked for years and past attempts to stem the flow have been fruitless. They worked on it about a year or two ago, when they completely relined it with a new covering of clay (which also gave it a very sureal green tint!!).

All seemed to be well for a while, the Duck House and the Ducks returned, and all appeared hunky-dorey. Unbeknown to us, was the fact that it was still leaking and was running the risk of contaminating surrounding areas, including the natural spring that is there.

So as far as I can gather the "listed" pond, the facia, was to be removed, the edge was to be breeze blocked and polythened, the original rocks replaced "as was", remortared, and the base re-clayed. Thus producing a "listed", original and natural looking feature that has been there for years (just with some modern techniques employed underneath and unseen, to help it cope with the demands of 21st century!!).

So really, in that respect, it's the concept that is "listed". I guess that English Heritage need to be reassured that regardless of how it has been repaired, the "Outside look and feel" will be as they were before they started the work.

I'll have a chat with one of the blokes who has been working on it next week hopefully.

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST,Rafflesbear
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 04:25 AM

Do you know exactly what is listed then Kev - is it just the concept of a duckpond there ?

the new construction seems to involve a polythene liner along with the breeze blocks - I would imagine there are more traditional duckponds around the country

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Kev The Clogs
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 08:51 PM

The idea is that they took out all of the existing rocks (the ones that are piled nicely - but disappearing rapidly!), and then "seeled" the walls of the pond with the breeze blocks. THEN they were going to put the rocks back, so that you didn't see the breeze blocks, and the rocks would also be pointed so that they looked natural. All of this was going to be done to ensure that the pond didn't leak, which it has done for years.

You must remember though, that this is Sevenoaks Council, and they gave the go ahead for the pond to be renovated in this manner. You would assume that they would have been in discussions with English Heritage as well. When all of the shouting has been done, the pond will continue being renovated in the same, originally planned way - you mark my words!!! I have been talking to one of the contractors who was working on it.

Meanwhile, the Ducks are being looked after very well just up the road; the duck house has been cleaned and dried and wrapped up and stored ready for putting back as soon as possible AND the council have requested that there be no illegal fish dumping in the pond as they have to be THE RIGHT FISH that live in it!!!

Never fear, the Otford Mafia will be on the case very soon, if not already, and will be giving the council grief.

Such a sleepy little village too :-)

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST,Rafflesbear
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 05:10 PM

Thanks for the info Mark

Can't say I'm surprised that English Heritage want a closer look at it. To a passer-by it looks like someone is building an ornamental pond using breeze blocks and lumps of rock - shame they got so far

by the way Mark - good luck with the new rockery ! :-)

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Kev The Clogs
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 07:37 AM

Nice idea Ken, trouble is, the Otford Mafia (Twin sets and pearls - and that's just the men) wouldn't be too pleased about it!! Still, you could bring Uncle Amos :-)

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: romany man
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 06:57 AM

So many beers so little time .
Why dont we go fix it up, like them urban gardeners that keep springing up in the news, planting things and gardening all over the shop. we could turn up late one night with the stuff we need mob handed and in the morning a prety pond as it should be, have to plan it first though

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Donkey
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 05:57 AM

Hi

Awaiting English heragig as nobody told them about what work was to be carried out. So we are left with a building site, and now rocks are going missing. Extra work as audi 800 went over top last week end good wake up call at 5am.

Mark the Crown

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST,Rafflesbear
Date: 24 Sep 08 - 02:32 PM

Hi Mark

nice to have you in the thread. this is becoming an obsession with me - I pass the country's only listed duckpond ten times a week and it looks more like a Barrett's Homes development and has done for month's

Your pub looks out on to it and your customers sit on the little terrace overlooking it (just trying to establish relevance to the thread :-) )

can you tell us what is happening there ?

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST,Rafflesbear
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 03:21 PM

and the Westerham Brewery

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Donkey
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 11:06 AM

Hi

I'm the landlord of the crown

Just spoken to Westerham brewary we will have for the beer festival, Two new beers

1 is a one off Ordit ale that will only be bottle ABV 6.3 in a cask for us.

2 Green hop autunm ale

Mark

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Girl Friday
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 11:02 AM

There's some fantastic ales in that list. Shame we won't be there. What's the beer like in Warwickshire?

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Kev The Clogs
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 10:49 AM

JOE!!!!!!!!!

I've just set up a new account for the Landlord at The Crown (The subject of this thread!!) - and on the first attempt, I set it up and wondered why all of my past, archieved messages etc were in HIS account, so I deleted them!!!! Any way that I can get them back please??!!!! Mark, The Landlord is Donkey. If it can't be done, then I've learnt an important lesson, but it would be nice to see all of the threads that I have traced for the last year or so for reference purpose!

Thanks Joe :-)

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Kev The Clogs
Date: 22 Sep 08 - 07:19 PM

Thanks for spending the time doing that Guest - much appreciated :-)

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Sep 08 - 06:08 PM

Nice Kev

Branscombe Brewery - Seaton Devon

Breconshire Brewery - Brecon

Dark Star Brewery - Haywards Heath - Sussex

Grindletons - Clitheroe - Lancashire

Goachers - Maidstone - Kent

Hesket Newmarket - Cumbria

Moles Brewery - Melksham - Wiltshire

Potton Brewery - Sandy - Bedfordshire

Robinsons Brewery - Stockport - Cheshire

Springhead Brewery - Sutton on Trent - Notts

York Brewery - Micklegate - York

Biddenden Cider - Biddenden - Kent

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Kev The Clogs
Date: 22 Sep 08 - 02:49 PM

As promised, a list of the beers that will be available over the weekend along with the tasting notes!!!!

TASTING NOTES FOR THE CROWN INN.

BRANSCOMBE – Branoc (3.8%)
A crisp amber bitter with a thin, but lasting white head. Dry malts and a dash of hops in this low abv session bitter; give it a clean and fresh taste.

BRECONSHIRE – Ramblers Ruin (5.0%)
A traditional old ale, dark amber, malty and well hopped, which provides malt/biscuit undertones; with a slight bitterness which comes from the hops, all of these ingredients give this beer an exceptional aftertaste.

DARK STAR – Hop Head (3.8%)
An extremely clean-drinking pale gold-coloured ale with a strong floral aroma and elderflower notes. This beer is full-bodied despite its very quaffable strength and dryness.

GRINDLETONS – Old Fecker (4.0%)
Chestnut in colour, with a hint of ruby and a strong malty aroma.

GOACHERS – Gold Star (5.0%)
An excellent fruit and hop mix in this golden ale. Peach/Apricot fruit in the mouth and then great hop taste at the end. Balanced and a great golden beer.

HESKET NEWMARKET – Doris's 90th Birthday (4.3%)
A full flavoured, fruity premium beer with hints of butterscotch, carefully balanced with bitterness from Fuggles, First Gold and Herzbrucker Haler hops.

MOLES – Rucking Mole (4.5%)
A chestnut coloured premium ale, with a malty, fruity palate and aroma and a smooth bitter finish.

POTTON – Village Bike (4.3%)
A complex beer, with hops blended from four different varieties, which provides this beer with an exceptional character.

ROBINSONS – Old Tom (8.5%)
A strong dark ale, dark chocolate in colour, with a slight hint of molasses and fruit on the nose, with a rich, warming peppery taste.

SPRINGHEAD – Goodrich Castle (4.4%)
Brewed following a 13th century recipe using Rosemary. A Pale ale, light on the palate with a bitter finish and delicate flavour.

YORK – Centurions Ghost (5.4%)
A warming, dark bitter ale, with a roasted malt taste. Very easy to drink for its strength.

BIDDENDEN – Bushels (6%)
A pale strong cider, made from culinary and dessert apples, which give this cider a sweetness, which isn't to over powering, with slight hints of lemon running through until the aftertaste.

How good is that then!!!!!

Kev

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Sep 08 - 08:04 PM

Sounds like it's going well Kev. Will pass your good luck message on to Ben.

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Kev The Clogs
Date: 19 Sep 08 - 11:14 AM

Just refreshing :-)

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: romany man
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 05:35 PM

Oh f**8 ill sleep in the motor then,

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Kev The Clogs
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 05:22 PM

Good luck to young Ben!!!

I have been keeping Mark, the Landlord of The Crown, fully briefed as to the response on this thread - he is very pleased with your comments and your pledges of support.

I should be able to list the beers that will be there in the the next couple of days.

Mark will be putting the beers in the "Smokers' Shack" (Smokers will have to smoke out in the open that weekend), Folkies in the Garden area (with the beers!!) and possibly a fire (It is a "solid" garden, pot plants and flower beds, but no grassed area, so I don't know how he is going to do the fire). Norcsalordie will be in the Restaurant Area. Hartley Morris will be dancing wherever there is space and I guess singing either outside or in the bar before the Norcs are on. My mate Rob, will be fire juggling from dusk onwards.

Still no official camping. If there is a big enough turn out, Mark will sort this out for next year. There are a limited number of B&Bs in the area, along with the Doddinington Manor Hotel. The nearest accommodation after that would be at Brands Hatch I guess or at the Clacket Lane service area on the M25 - SO, I suggest you plan where you are going to drop and how you are getting home in advance People!!!!

The new edition of The Good Beer Guide has just been published, and I am delighted to say that The Crown is in it after a gap of at least 10 years!!!!

I do think that it should be a good day/weekend!! Let's keep the support for Mark going.

Thanks Folks

Kev

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Girl Friday
Date: 14 Sep 08 - 12:02 PM

Thanks Bob for those kind words.Ben really enjoyed playing there. Who knows, he could be booked there soon.

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST,synbyn
Date: 14 Sep 08 - 11:41 AM

Good luck with both- Ben played well at the Woodshed session in folk week, certainly deserves his chance- and one of theses days i'm going to catch up with the Norks!

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Girl Friday
Date: 14 Sep 08 - 11:24 AM

TDL won't be able to make it now because it clashes with BBC Young Folk Award semi finals which Ben has qualified for.

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST,Terry - Hartley MM
Date: 12 Sep 08 - 06:53 AM

Big Pete Collins will be joining Hartley MM for a sing after dancing at lunchtime/afternoon Saturday.

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST,Norcsalordie
Date: 10 Sep 08 - 04:46 PM

Have to echo the sentiments of Kev the Clogs - these are really enthusiastic people and deserve to have a success - really looking forward to this one

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST,Rafflesbear
Date: 07 Sep 08 - 04:11 PM

Still no action on the pond - just one ugly mess where there should be a delightful feature - does anyone know what's happening (other than the obvious - nothing! :-) )

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Girl Friday
Date: 06 Sep 08 - 08:34 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: romany man
Date: 03 Sep 08 - 03:55 PM

OI kev, anywhere to leave me trailer, for the w/end

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST,Terry - Hartley MM
Date: 03 Sep 08 - 01:56 PM

Hartley Morris Men will be dancing and singing at the Crown lunchtime and afternoon on Saturday 11. Pete Collins is hoping to join us too.
Terry

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Girl Friday
Date: 30 Aug 08 - 01:06 PM

Guest was me, enquiring after the ducks. I have heard that the parents moved to Orpington and are training the Canada Geese to be good British citizens.

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST,Rafflesbear
Date: 29 Aug 08 - 03:36 PM

Not sure that the ducks had a say in it. They had a very pleasant detached chalet which has disappeared and been replaced with rubble and plastic fencing. The work started in a rush but over the last couple of weeks seems to have ground to a halt

Last year there was a duck and a drake and half a dozen little ones who all grew up on the pond as one happy family

This year there were three ducklings but early in the season the parents went missing leaving the youngsters to fend for themselves. Without parental guidance you might have thought there would be an outbreak of vandalism, graffiti and increased duck knife crime but surprisingly they seemed to grow up quite well adjusted

with the chalet going missing, the parents disappearing and the workmen who haven't been seen for weeks I strongly suspect there is a black hole or something centred near here. It's not certain but if you are attending the beer festival watch your pint closely in case it disappears down the black hole !

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST,Terry - Hartley MM
Date: 29 Aug 08 - 02:24 PM

Hopefully Hartley and Pete Collins will be there lunchtime Saturday.
Will confirm after this w/e.

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Aug 08 - 11:53 AM

Duckpond like a building site? Have the ducks gone quackers and demanded housing ?

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: naughtyforty
Date: 29 Aug 08 - 05:13 AM

Really sorry but going to Banbury that weekend with Essex Girl so neither of us will be able to make it.

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 29 Aug 08 - 04:44 AM

I'll try to make it too. I'll confirm a bit nearer the time

Don T.

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: GUEST,Rafflesbear
Date: 29 Aug 08 - 03:21 AM

Where you find Norcsalordie and TDL there you find Rafflesbear!

Hopefully the duckpond will look less like a building site by then

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: melodeonboy
Date: 28 Aug 08 - 09:32 PM

I'm gigging on the Saturday, but I'll ask Growler and Fiddlebird if Ruff 'n' Reddy could do something on the Friday or Sunday.

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Kev The Clogs
Date: 28 Aug 08 - 05:41 PM

Not many takers - is there something else on that weekend? Come on peeps, give it a go.

Kev

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Kev The Clogs
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 06:37 AM

There will be a fire Juggler there as well (Folk mob - my mate Rob, who came to Knockholt last year).

Subject: RE: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Girl Friday
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 08:50 AM

Where Norcsalordie go there go TDL. Sounds great Kev.

Subject: The Crown, Otford - Beer & Folk weekend
From: Kev The Clogs
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 08:46 AM

The Crown Pub in Otford (near Sevenoaks, Kent) is holding a Beer/Folk weekend on Friday 10th October, Saturday 11th October and Sunday 12th October. (The weekend after Tenterden)

Norcsalordie, a superb duo, will be performing on the Saturday night inside the pub. There will be a Selection of twelve beers (and there are some crackers!!!) in the smokers' lean to, outside in the garden. Mark, the Landlord, would like as many Folkies to attend as possible - we can sit in the garden area and sing and play (if it looks like bad weather, I think he might put up a marquee).

Turn up when you can. The main Folk slant is on the Saturday, but if you are there on the Friday or Sunday, then I'm sure that you will be welcome to sing and play inside as well.

This is his first attemp at this, so wish him luck.

If it is a success, then he says that he will try and organise the farmer's field behind the pub for next year!!

Hope you can make some/all of it.

Regards

Kev