This past weekend I made my first pilgrimage to a famous (Romney) Martian tradition: the beer festival at the Red Lion in Snargate. When I was here before the festival fell on an inconvenient weekend; this year the Saturday afternoon was free, the car had petrol, and Doris Jemison's unique untouched pub beckoned irresistibly. (See my previous review.) So off we went. It was a warm, extremely sunny day, the atmosphere growing hotter and balmier as we wormed our way across the marsh to the remote pub. In the car park was an old steam friction engine demonstrating its working parts while in the adjacent field two rather bored-looking horses stood watching. Inside the pub 12 different real ales were being served and the pub's three small rooms were packed. After ordering our pints we joined a group of friends outside in the pub's ample garden which was positively glowing with its lush green hedges and June flowers. As three beefy chickens strutted their stuff between the tables we sipped our quickly-warming pints under an impressively blazing sun. | ![]() |