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21-05-2024, 21:50
Visit the Paul Bailey's Beer Blog site (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/salisbury-re-visited.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxzIBzyhjO-9mfR9pr5VhvQc5SGxckKLcFNcLeWeIx9llO9Uh4YBWduLHVXrD 9Ek3VBglK79CRttNeenUHTQqhrAuI9URbhE1BsjAP4zQRPrMQ1 cfY0rvf4MjtgV0DO37x8LAVWkjPS_CSFlK27m40X__3_PRkGir z7g8j5Gpu8F1sBOM5PalDREhBLA/w400-h225/Sal%20Cathedral.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxzIBzyhjO-9mfR9pr5VhvQc5SGxckKLcFNcLeWeIx9llO9Uh4YBWduLHVXrD 9Ek3VBglK79CRttNeenUHTQqhrAuI9URbhE1BsjAP4zQRPrMQ1 cfY0rvf4MjtgV0DO37x8LAVWkjPS_CSFlK27m40X__3_PRkGir z7g8j5Gpu8F1sBOM5PalDREhBLA/s3980/Sal%20Cathedral.jpg)
As many of you will probably have gathered, I've beenspending some of the free time between my part time job and family commitmentsalong with working on house and garden projects. Every now and then I like totake a trip out somewhere further afield, although the furthest I've managed this year, was a visit to the Black Country. (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2024/03/black-country-walkabout-part-one.html) However, if you've read the posts I wrote, you'll know it was one of the best trips so far as classic pubs, good beerand equally good company are concerned, that I've enjoyed for a long time. I've beenmeaning to travel further north with perhaps a visit to Leeds or even Newcastle,but with a lot going on the home front at the moment, I decided uponsomewhere closer to home, and with less travailing involved.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ag57lgKNkCI3mcawwupUKzPfAGvoFWnC32klxY5JGn 3yUyXT2DG5PJrbxoeBTZQW3WW_UTnVjqzzPpG9GEYe7tKz94oG OGDylrremPJ30efv9lhR4Znxz4UD_RZYDVGaFOrk_kuXUIbWG6 I1bqjur6vVvjtkWmWVfQ6eazJWoIf2tzis2pnSRNXTGog/w400-h213/Salisbury%20Square.1.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ag57lgKNkCI3mcawwupUKzPfAGvoFWnC32klxY5JGn 3yUyXT2DG5PJrbxoeBTZQW3WW_UTnVjqzzPpG9GEYe7tKz94oG OGDylrremPJ30efv9lhR4Znxz4UD_RZYDVGaFOrk_kuXUIbWG6 I1bqjur6vVvjtkWmWVfQ6eazJWoIf2tzis2pnSRNXTGog/s3810/Salisbury%20Square.1.jpg)
Salisbury fitted the bill nicely, as it's a city I’d been wanting to visit for a long time. Son Matthew had also been keen on a trip there, although the cost ofthe train fare, put him off somewhat, (unlike me, he doesn't have a rail card.) Itoo couldn't understand the inflated price of traveling there by train, so I looked at the alternative, cross-countryroute via Redhill, Guildford, and Woking. It wasn’t quite half price, but stillpromised a considerable saving by not traveling via London. Our capital cityreally is a stumbling block when it comes to long distance train travel, as anyjourneys passing through London, not only tend to be more expensive but also involvethe hassle of traveling across the metropolis to another main line terminus.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0I3I1xS5d4qsLRqvYsrhyAyCrA1xlc5Fy65n0Jzd80h lv8uavudKqV20cEH0fZkDESBOpjLFXXaWKCIE10XysONTYyk0n AOLGRKu2UEO8dFgbrgo9xQK8O0_92GrLhVbaE7Pis6eYOTg1iR fx5AR2JzLx05hdXD5ptRTEJ0vwTZ8_rxql3l3aXaeAZ2w/w400-h225/Salisbury%20street.1.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0I3I1xS5d4qsLRqvYsrhyAyCrA1xlc5Fy65n0Jzd80h lv8uavudKqV20cEH0fZkDESBOpjLFXXaWKCIE10XysONTYyk0n AOLGRKu2UEO8dFgbrgo9xQK8O0_92GrLhVbaE7Pis6eYOTg1iR fx5AR2JzLx05hdXD5ptRTEJ0vwTZ8_rxql3l3aXaeAZ2w/s3939/Salisbury%20street.1.jpg)
Unfortunately, the first available ticket on the cross-countryroute, where my railcard was valid, meant not reaching Salisbury until after 1pm- an arrival time not particularly conducive to exploring the city. So, despitethe additional cost, I chose the London route, and after hopping on the 09:37train from Tonbridge, there was a possibility of connecting with 10:20 train fromWaterloo. It was going to be tight, but the train halting for a few minutes ata red signal, just outside Hither Green station, was sufficient to throw thatidea out the window. With hindsight it would have been tight anyway, because despitewalking at a fast pace, it still took 5 minutes to walk from Waterloo East tothe mainline station. Once there, I was then faced with a choice of 24platforms, along with hordes of people milling around all over theconcourse. Consequently the 10:20 train was unfortunately beyond me.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFGC2JK-yrxOM_bBj74FfWwnzFuxSHI26EiSa8_CArxPCmwSb0VCJTGV_U XNxQLrHiNtcVwTmU-FI2_uUYLMj5x3SxS5KX6s9CJ7MFBuEvjHlh15TmJvk095y116d UyG_KIqmBf_HCinD6yZG3cJAabuSvxtrZKU0-4vnWM3xADMIpMINVScIBYzHN5o/w400-h225/Salisbury%20School.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFGC2JK-yrxOM_bBj74FfWwnzFuxSHI26EiSa8_CArxPCmwSb0VCJTGV_U XNxQLrHiNtcVwTmU-FI2_uUYLMj5x3SxS5KX6s9CJ7MFBuEvjHlh15TmJvk095y116d UyG_KIqmBf_HCinD6yZG3cJAabuSvxtrZKU0-4vnWM3xADMIpMINVScIBYzHN5o/s3949/Salisbury%20School.jpg)
No matter, I boarded the 10:50 South West Trains service toSalisbury and settled down to enjoy the journey. Trains on this line are dieseloperated, as the electrified lines end at Basingstoke. Back in the 1930s the SouthernRailway embarked on an ambitious programme to eventually electrify all theirlines, and certainly the mainline ones, but the intervention of the SecondWorld War, the austerity that followed, the nationalisation and then privatisationof the railways, meant some of this work never happened. None of this affectedmy journey, even though diesel powered trains are rather noisier than theirelectric counterparts, but I thought I'd throw in that little snippet of informationfor your entertainment.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPJ3uFjwOnssXCaHObyIaMSIN0YwLT5Tao3qX28u7u9 HS5NcjOh3v8xnZj7EEVrvoZbVFqlfIfkqmOpO-x2FKiRz4Q0drBE5VtheQW2MSr29xOQyvtVJU9g5D6-a7qSs4WLaUytcvTEVZ6U_k1E99nReCDRd5DCjI6NCenzQAt31t R86okuCLBFOPDus/w400-h228/Salisbury%20Station.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPJ3uFjwOnssXCaHObyIaMSIN0YwLT5Tao3qX28u7u9 HS5NcjOh3v8xnZj7EEVrvoZbVFqlfIfkqmOpO-x2FKiRz4Q0drBE5VtheQW2MSr29xOQyvtVJU9g5D6-a7qSs4WLaUytcvTEVZ6U_k1E99nReCDRd5DCjI6NCenzQAt31t R86okuCLBFOPDus/s3832/Salisbury%20Station.jpg)
As the train gathered speed on its journey through south Londonsuburbia and into the pleasant countryside of Surrey and Hampshire, I wasreminded that this would be my first visit to Salisbury since stopping there asa 17-year-old schoolboy on route to Cornwall. I was with a party of fellow sixthform geography/geology students traveling to St Austell for a field studies course.With much of the UK’s motorway network still to be built, our charted coach followeda south-westerly cross-country route, making a welcome stop in Salisbury.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoF_knMqBAckQmyPKSVHaiYck9GtR70sptb1kjwT8l9 BCwzCYh_JSvuiycA0ZLFx7crUNTsAMMwDF_ibVEWoeXW9tH7QK 4m5vLS81QJkV8dK6FoAcIxZnq_YRYeAE193uchB66WfGcb1BGq 9P7jPzSE9zryJ5MRxl6NvQdvt0AoMJO-QicuO_Ez3sLXY/w400-h225/Sal%20Cathedral%20cloisters.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoF_knMqBAckQmyPKSVHaiYck9GtR70sptb1kjwT8l9 BCwzCYh_JSvuiycA0ZLFx7crUNTsAMMwDF_ibVEWoeXW9tH7QK 4m5vLS81QJkV8dK6FoAcIxZnq_YRYeAE193uchB66WfGcb1BGq 9P7jPzSE9zryJ5MRxl6NvQdvt0AoMJO-QicuO_Ez3sLXY/s4000/Sal%20Cathedral%20cloisters.jpg)
This gave the driver a break, and afforded teachers and pupilsthe chance to stretch their legs. A small group of us decided to stretch ourlegs in the direction of the nearest pub, which deep-down I knew would be amistake. There was nothing wrong with the pub or the beer, but traveling thenext stage of the journey, whilst nursing a full bladder, wasn’t exactly abundle of fun! However, when you're young, buoyed up by the camaraderie of yourschoolmates, and looking forward to the prospect of a week away from home,stopping for a pint seemed the most natural thing in the world.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91B1XBwSDApW9JRNDce9rHuCu2IfgNQ2MHTnFxH_Yl_ l6qI36vkR3Y486LFk65K8z7QlUW6JgYLZd-tH2tgaEHWQ9V3g3oEZrM479XHZXfiQNmMwRO24gVoRbFKgd5FS sobezUKE_JPTocitL4RCuVwb_tkopOlKU6EeyGIQFVZkiyhI1g GmYzErZmLA/w400-h225/Salisbury%20High%20Street.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91B1XBwSDApW9JRNDce9rHuCu2IfgNQ2MHTnFxH_Yl_ l6qI36vkR3Y486LFk65K8z7QlUW6JgYLZd-tH2tgaEHWQ9V3g3oEZrM479XHZXfiQNmMwRO24gVoRbFKgd5FS sobezUKE_JPTocitL4RCuVwb_tkopOlKU6EeyGIQFVZkiyhI1g GmYzErZmLA/s4000/Salisbury%20High%20Street.jpg)
That was 50 or so years ago, and I've no idea of which pubwe stopped in, or what beer it sold - I didn't take an awful lot of noticeabout such things in those days, but it wasn't far from the coach stop, and Ivaguely remember walking through some picturesque narrow streets to get back tothe coach. Now, half a century on from that brief stop in Salisbury, I watchedthrough the carriage window with a growing sense of excitement as the trainpulled into the station. That was the end of the line, as far as that servicewas concerned, although some trains continue on to Exeter St Davids. Apparently,the line between Salisbury and Exeter is mainly single track, with passingloops of course. That's a hard fact to fathom for a mainline, and probably anunwanted hangover from years of penny pinching by British Rail and substantial under investmentby successive governments.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TM59fcMi32tefsD0JNsBEwOqZwgUmSeAfTD6JTYsIQ 0VURpwnegGzX9zWwduBMBqMgV1GDOKYc2zgW4ho_hxQaxDTxvw 0-qqcV53dM8snZoeQJeKQkBegLsjwOSPkq7sD4KRuH1IYTjuvCiY TNS3K6GrGRvCnWDpCZjVvI2uGf3P7AY0te8rBrIaceY/w400-h225/Salisbury%20Red%20Lion.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TM59fcMi32tefsD0JNsBEwOqZwgUmSeAfTD6JTYsIQ 0VURpwnegGzX9zWwduBMBqMgV1GDOKYc2zgW4ho_hxQaxDTxvw 0-qqcV53dM8snZoeQJeKQkBegLsjwOSPkq7sD4KRuH1IYTjuvCiY TNS3K6GrGRvCnWDpCZjVvI2uGf3P7AY0te8rBrIaceY/s4000/Salisbury%20Red%20Lion.jpg)
As the train disgorged its passengers onto the platform, andout of the station, I made my way into centre of Salisbury using a map I’ddownloaded and printed off. I attempted to locate the Tourist InformationCentre but despite a number of signposts pointing the way, I still managed to missit. For some reason my family take the mickey out of me because I invariablyhead to the nearest TIC, whenever I’m in an unfamiliar town, but the family forgetthey are an invaluable source of local information, as well as a decent, andnormally free, street map.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PnPlIcmNeuOuhpYzcThjKAMtH7IWF0UpmDCpxpNpdh B0V9mMy-QtUfnBB4IsHPZ1Utv1Xi_h1wDffeTojQNgLuqUtgoJx1e0YwWv quoBQMs5-JSw9IPGLO2UoIGPSuHG43Pkkb1vBC-3R6o0023oAgJFTm-v3cn_3UjpR-B6PJhTIavZ_CeVkcXABDU/w400-h216/Wyndham%20Arms.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PnPlIcmNeuOuhpYzcThjKAMtH7IWF0UpmDCpxpNpdh B0V9mMy-QtUfnBB4IsHPZ1Utv1Xi_h1wDffeTojQNgLuqUtgoJx1e0YwWv quoBQMs5-JSw9IPGLO2UoIGPSuHG43Pkkb1vBC-3R6o0023oAgJFTm-v3cn_3UjpR-B6PJhTIavZ_CeVkcXABDU/s3794/Wyndham%20Arms.jpg)
I had a brief look around, primarily to get my bearings, butI did see the historic Guildhall, along with several other historic places ofinterest. I of course planned to visit the city’s majestic cathedral, with its 404-foot-highspire, but the cultural side could wait until later, as first I had a number ofpubs to visit. The first hostelry on thelist, was also the one that was furthest away, but it’s all relative, and the Wyndham Arms (https://www.hopback.co.uk/pubs/the-wyndham-arms/) was only 15 minutes’ walk away. This legendary pub is the original home ofthe equally legendary Hop Back Brewery, which in 1987 commenced brewing adistinctive range of pale, hoppy beers, including the award-winning SummerLightning. The latter was one of the first pale coloured, golden bitters toentice and excite the taste buds of local drinkers, and the beer continues tobe brewed to this day.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXPssRoxH59ij2clOHNurVggWjqqObaphyphenhyphe nDpnXHMbWWhRtPiJiqLRsWxDpNTb3ew4COshbMHQ95qM9nj_9g ppnb2cUDpl2UoNOVf9i2Lg3FAKxDOMoQiSAwu1NgKJl7MDhViT 0bSIse03q9-n7gtGNsSpEO0xq4UzMVS7ByqEBOSau6Uir-Sx4TEtUU4/w300-h400/Summer%20Lightning.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXPssRoxH59ij2clOHNurVggWjqqObaphyphenhyphe nDpnXHMbWWhRtPiJiqLRsWxDpNTb3ew4COshbMHQ95qM9nj_9g ppnb2cUDpl2UoNOVf9i2Lg3FAKxDOMoQiSAwu1NgKJl7MDhViT 0bSIse03q9-n7gtGNsSpEO0xq4UzMVS7ByqEBOSau6Uir-Sx4TEtUU4/s809/Summer%20Lightning.jpg)
It didn’t take me long to find the pub, and it was one thatI recognised because back in the mid-90’s, whilst on the drive home from aholiday in Dorset, the Bailey family drove past the Wyndham Arms, with me at thewheel, and wife, small child, family dog plus a car full of luggage. We’ddriven up from our rented cottage, just outside Blandford Forum, and were takingthe A36 ring road around Salisbury, as we headed north towards the A303. I don’tthink that a drive past counts as a visit, although if it does that briefencounter with the city, represented my second visit to Salisbury.I was sorely tempted to stop, on that occasion, although asI noticed the other day, it’s not that easy, due to railings separating theVictorian streets from the parallel A36 ring road (Churchill way). Mrs PBT’swouldn’t have been that impressed either, what with a small boy and boisterous dogin tow, but some 30 years after that sighting of the Wyndham Arms, I wasphysically able to set foot in the place. We’ll leave the narrative here, forthe time being, and continue with the second part, in a few days’ time.
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More... (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/salisbury-re-visited.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxzIBzyhjO-9mfR9pr5VhvQc5SGxckKLcFNcLeWeIx9llO9Uh4YBWduLHVXrD 9Ek3VBglK79CRttNeenUHTQqhrAuI9URbhE1BsjAP4zQRPrMQ1 cfY0rvf4MjtgV0DO37x8LAVWkjPS_CSFlK27m40X__3_PRkGir z7g8j5Gpu8F1sBOM5PalDREhBLA/w400-h225/Sal%20Cathedral.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxzIBzyhjO-9mfR9pr5VhvQc5SGxckKLcFNcLeWeIx9llO9Uh4YBWduLHVXrD 9Ek3VBglK79CRttNeenUHTQqhrAuI9URbhE1BsjAP4zQRPrMQ1 cfY0rvf4MjtgV0DO37x8LAVWkjPS_CSFlK27m40X__3_PRkGir z7g8j5Gpu8F1sBOM5PalDREhBLA/s3980/Sal%20Cathedral.jpg)
As many of you will probably have gathered, I've beenspending some of the free time between my part time job and family commitmentsalong with working on house and garden projects. Every now and then I like totake a trip out somewhere further afield, although the furthest I've managed this year, was a visit to the Black Country. (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2024/03/black-country-walkabout-part-one.html) However, if you've read the posts I wrote, you'll know it was one of the best trips so far as classic pubs, good beerand equally good company are concerned, that I've enjoyed for a long time. I've beenmeaning to travel further north with perhaps a visit to Leeds or even Newcastle,but with a lot going on the home front at the moment, I decided uponsomewhere closer to home, and with less travailing involved.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ag57lgKNkCI3mcawwupUKzPfAGvoFWnC32klxY5JGn 3yUyXT2DG5PJrbxoeBTZQW3WW_UTnVjqzzPpG9GEYe7tKz94oG OGDylrremPJ30efv9lhR4Znxz4UD_RZYDVGaFOrk_kuXUIbWG6 I1bqjur6vVvjtkWmWVfQ6eazJWoIf2tzis2pnSRNXTGog/w400-h213/Salisbury%20Square.1.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ag57lgKNkCI3mcawwupUKzPfAGvoFWnC32klxY5JGn 3yUyXT2DG5PJrbxoeBTZQW3WW_UTnVjqzzPpG9GEYe7tKz94oG OGDylrremPJ30efv9lhR4Znxz4UD_RZYDVGaFOrk_kuXUIbWG6 I1bqjur6vVvjtkWmWVfQ6eazJWoIf2tzis2pnSRNXTGog/s3810/Salisbury%20Square.1.jpg)
Salisbury fitted the bill nicely, as it's a city I’d been wanting to visit for a long time. Son Matthew had also been keen on a trip there, although the cost ofthe train fare, put him off somewhat, (unlike me, he doesn't have a rail card.) Itoo couldn't understand the inflated price of traveling there by train, so I looked at the alternative, cross-countryroute via Redhill, Guildford, and Woking. It wasn’t quite half price, but stillpromised a considerable saving by not traveling via London. Our capital cityreally is a stumbling block when it comes to long distance train travel, as anyjourneys passing through London, not only tend to be more expensive but also involvethe hassle of traveling across the metropolis to another main line terminus.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0I3I1xS5d4qsLRqvYsrhyAyCrA1xlc5Fy65n0Jzd80h lv8uavudKqV20cEH0fZkDESBOpjLFXXaWKCIE10XysONTYyk0n AOLGRKu2UEO8dFgbrgo9xQK8O0_92GrLhVbaE7Pis6eYOTg1iR fx5AR2JzLx05hdXD5ptRTEJ0vwTZ8_rxql3l3aXaeAZ2w/w400-h225/Salisbury%20street.1.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0I3I1xS5d4qsLRqvYsrhyAyCrA1xlc5Fy65n0Jzd80h lv8uavudKqV20cEH0fZkDESBOpjLFXXaWKCIE10XysONTYyk0n AOLGRKu2UEO8dFgbrgo9xQK8O0_92GrLhVbaE7Pis6eYOTg1iR fx5AR2JzLx05hdXD5ptRTEJ0vwTZ8_rxql3l3aXaeAZ2w/s3939/Salisbury%20street.1.jpg)
Unfortunately, the first available ticket on the cross-countryroute, where my railcard was valid, meant not reaching Salisbury until after 1pm- an arrival time not particularly conducive to exploring the city. So, despitethe additional cost, I chose the London route, and after hopping on the 09:37train from Tonbridge, there was a possibility of connecting with 10:20 train fromWaterloo. It was going to be tight, but the train halting for a few minutes ata red signal, just outside Hither Green station, was sufficient to throw thatidea out the window. With hindsight it would have been tight anyway, because despitewalking at a fast pace, it still took 5 minutes to walk from Waterloo East tothe mainline station. Once there, I was then faced with a choice of 24platforms, along with hordes of people milling around all over theconcourse. Consequently the 10:20 train was unfortunately beyond me.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFGC2JK-yrxOM_bBj74FfWwnzFuxSHI26EiSa8_CArxPCmwSb0VCJTGV_U XNxQLrHiNtcVwTmU-FI2_uUYLMj5x3SxS5KX6s9CJ7MFBuEvjHlh15TmJvk095y116d UyG_KIqmBf_HCinD6yZG3cJAabuSvxtrZKU0-4vnWM3xADMIpMINVScIBYzHN5o/w400-h225/Salisbury%20School.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFGC2JK-yrxOM_bBj74FfWwnzFuxSHI26EiSa8_CArxPCmwSb0VCJTGV_U XNxQLrHiNtcVwTmU-FI2_uUYLMj5x3SxS5KX6s9CJ7MFBuEvjHlh15TmJvk095y116d UyG_KIqmBf_HCinD6yZG3cJAabuSvxtrZKU0-4vnWM3xADMIpMINVScIBYzHN5o/s3949/Salisbury%20School.jpg)
No matter, I boarded the 10:50 South West Trains service toSalisbury and settled down to enjoy the journey. Trains on this line are dieseloperated, as the electrified lines end at Basingstoke. Back in the 1930s the SouthernRailway embarked on an ambitious programme to eventually electrify all theirlines, and certainly the mainline ones, but the intervention of the SecondWorld War, the austerity that followed, the nationalisation and then privatisationof the railways, meant some of this work never happened. None of this affectedmy journey, even though diesel powered trains are rather noisier than theirelectric counterparts, but I thought I'd throw in that little snippet of informationfor your entertainment.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPJ3uFjwOnssXCaHObyIaMSIN0YwLT5Tao3qX28u7u9 HS5NcjOh3v8xnZj7EEVrvoZbVFqlfIfkqmOpO-x2FKiRz4Q0drBE5VtheQW2MSr29xOQyvtVJU9g5D6-a7qSs4WLaUytcvTEVZ6U_k1E99nReCDRd5DCjI6NCenzQAt31t R86okuCLBFOPDus/w400-h228/Salisbury%20Station.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPJ3uFjwOnssXCaHObyIaMSIN0YwLT5Tao3qX28u7u9 HS5NcjOh3v8xnZj7EEVrvoZbVFqlfIfkqmOpO-x2FKiRz4Q0drBE5VtheQW2MSr29xOQyvtVJU9g5D6-a7qSs4WLaUytcvTEVZ6U_k1E99nReCDRd5DCjI6NCenzQAt31t R86okuCLBFOPDus/s3832/Salisbury%20Station.jpg)
As the train gathered speed on its journey through south Londonsuburbia and into the pleasant countryside of Surrey and Hampshire, I wasreminded that this would be my first visit to Salisbury since stopping there asa 17-year-old schoolboy on route to Cornwall. I was with a party of fellow sixthform geography/geology students traveling to St Austell for a field studies course.With much of the UK’s motorway network still to be built, our charted coach followeda south-westerly cross-country route, making a welcome stop in Salisbury.
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This gave the driver a break, and afforded teachers and pupilsthe chance to stretch their legs. A small group of us decided to stretch ourlegs in the direction of the nearest pub, which deep-down I knew would be amistake. There was nothing wrong with the pub or the beer, but traveling thenext stage of the journey, whilst nursing a full bladder, wasn’t exactly abundle of fun! However, when you're young, buoyed up by the camaraderie of yourschoolmates, and looking forward to the prospect of a week away from home,stopping for a pint seemed the most natural thing in the world.
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That was 50 or so years ago, and I've no idea of which pubwe stopped in, or what beer it sold - I didn't take an awful lot of noticeabout such things in those days, but it wasn't far from the coach stop, and Ivaguely remember walking through some picturesque narrow streets to get back tothe coach. Now, half a century on from that brief stop in Salisbury, I watchedthrough the carriage window with a growing sense of excitement as the trainpulled into the station. That was the end of the line, as far as that servicewas concerned, although some trains continue on to Exeter St Davids. Apparently,the line between Salisbury and Exeter is mainly single track, with passingloops of course. That's a hard fact to fathom for a mainline, and probably anunwanted hangover from years of penny pinching by British Rail and substantial under investmentby successive governments.
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As the train disgorged its passengers onto the platform, andout of the station, I made my way into centre of Salisbury using a map I’ddownloaded and printed off. I attempted to locate the Tourist InformationCentre but despite a number of signposts pointing the way, I still managed to missit. For some reason my family take the mickey out of me because I invariablyhead to the nearest TIC, whenever I’m in an unfamiliar town, but the family forgetthey are an invaluable source of local information, as well as a decent, andnormally free, street map.
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I had a brief look around, primarily to get my bearings, butI did see the historic Guildhall, along with several other historic places ofinterest. I of course planned to visit the city’s majestic cathedral, with its 404-foot-highspire, but the cultural side could wait until later, as first I had a number ofpubs to visit. The first hostelry on thelist, was also the one that was furthest away, but it’s all relative, and the Wyndham Arms (https://www.hopback.co.uk/pubs/the-wyndham-arms/) was only 15 minutes’ walk away. This legendary pub is the original home ofthe equally legendary Hop Back Brewery, which in 1987 commenced brewing adistinctive range of pale, hoppy beers, including the award-winning SummerLightning. The latter was one of the first pale coloured, golden bitters toentice and excite the taste buds of local drinkers, and the beer continues tobe brewed to this day.
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It didn’t take me long to find the pub, and it was one thatI recognised because back in the mid-90’s, whilst on the drive home from aholiday in Dorset, the Bailey family drove past the Wyndham Arms, with me at thewheel, and wife, small child, family dog plus a car full of luggage. We’ddriven up from our rented cottage, just outside Blandford Forum, and were takingthe A36 ring road around Salisbury, as we headed north towards the A303. I don’tthink that a drive past counts as a visit, although if it does that briefencounter with the city, represented my second visit to Salisbury.I was sorely tempted to stop, on that occasion, although asI noticed the other day, it’s not that easy, due to railings separating theVictorian streets from the parallel A36 ring road (Churchill way). Mrs PBT’swouldn’t have been that impressed either, what with a small boy and boisterous dogin tow, but some 30 years after that sighting of the Wyndham Arms, I wasphysically able to set foot in the place. We’ll leave the narrative here, forthe time being, and continue with the second part, in a few days’ time.
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