Another Hastings Micropub! - Twelve Hundred Postcards

By Steve the Beermeister...

Hastings newest micropub very recently opened at 80 Queens Road TN34 1RL (opposite Morrisons petrol station), so I had to visit, obviously...

... and very happy I was too when I got there (above), well I was already quite happy, but pleased with how Twelve Hundred Postcards is shaping (the story behind the name is described in great detail on their website, so I suggest you have a look there if you want to know more), and I got to meet up with a couple of friends there I hadn't seen for quite some time too, nice one! 

On entering I was impressed with the bright decor, and how far back the bar room goes, consequently providing plenty of seating (I calculate room for 30-40 seated, and plenty of room for standing), as you can see from the photograph above.

The man in charge using modern technology to aid his efficiency, and the cooled beer storage area behind him, pretty much an enormous fridge that you can see into.

Obviously I'm most interested in the cask ales on sale, so I shall go into the ales first: 4 cask conditioned ales available (above, what was available yesterday evening 3rd November, but no regulars, I believe, so these will regularly change as they run out, and I also believe there are ales to come very soon from quality local brewers Franklins - website - and from Burning Sky - website). I have to admit yesterday included 2 of my favourite ales available, from Peterborough brewers Oakham Ales (website), their excellent 4.2% Citra, and from Derbyshire brewers Thornbridge (website), their stronger, and also excellent 5.9% Jaipur, quality!

Looking back towards the front

So what else is available? In addition to the ales there are 3 ciders available and a crafty keg beer, plus numerous bottles and cans in a fridge behind me when I took this photograph, including some Belgian beers, 2 red and 2 white wines, and a variety of crisps to snack on. As I said above, Twelve Hundred Postcards is bright, clean and roomy, to which I can add, very friendly too, so well worth a visit, or many visits for that matter, cheers! Oh yes, opening times: 

Sunday, 12-4 pm

Monday, not open

Tuesday, 5-9 pm

Wed/Thursday, 12-2 and 5-9 pm

Fri/Saturday, 12-9.30 pm

My weekend, and much walking...

My brother visited at the weekend, and, as ever, we walked a fair bit, hence my not being around so much to write blogs, sorry...

Started off at Battle on Saturday (train from Hastings to Battle) and walked south to Crowhurst and St George's, the parish church (website), where we ate our first sandwich of the day, before going to...

The Plough, where we drank a pint of the decent 4% Long Man Best Bitter (website).  

Then we carried on towards Bexhill, though with a couple of deviations, due to the building of a Bexhill/Hastings link road (website), that added a few miles to the walk! This photograph was taken from a grid reference of about 756106.  

Anyway, we finally reached Bexhill, and saw our first Cornish flag of the day...

And, at the house I call the Bexhill Flag Raiser's, saw this ensign, presumably because of the 2015 Eastbourne Air Show (website), of which we spotted quite a few planes towards the west, including the Red Arrows...

We then returned to Hastings, where we searched for somewhere to watch the football on television, to no avail (though I today discovered that it was on at the Wellington in the High Street), but Dan wanted to try the FILO Pirate Gold (5.8%) anyway, so we visited the First In Last Out, where we enjoyed a nice pint or two before heading home.  

On Sunday, we just walked to Cooden Beach and back, as Dan had to catch a fairly early train home, so, passed the ever-developing Pier (website)...

Then saw this new cafe, by the old lido, that I'd never seen before (so new, obviously!). 

At Bexhill, we saw even more flags, no idea what this is about!

We had a coffee each, and an excellent piece of carrot cake, at the wonderful Art Nouveau/Modernist De La Warr Pavilion (website), always a delight to visit, sit on the balcony, and watch the world go by, not to mention the boat races this Sunday!

Then we headed off to Cooden Beach, before returning to the Albatross Club (RAFA club) at Bexhill seafront, of which I happen to be an Associate Member, so reasonably priced ale, and free roast potatoes on a Sunday, thank you very much!

And another excellent local ale we enjoyed too, the 5.5% Franklins New Zealand IPA!

And the Dutch tricolour had been added since the morning!

The new cafe was now open too... Anyway, Dan caught his train home, and I visited the Dolphin Inn yesterday evening, but that's another story, cheers!