Men behaving well; an innovative pub crawl by two pensioners in West and East Sussex involving five buses.

Loneliness among retired old men has been in the news lately in the UK; more of a problem in men than in general, more sociable women.

Driving to meet friends in different villages for a beer restricts beer consumption.  So a challenge was given to William to come up with a three pub session involving no cars and just buses.
He came up with a most innovative itinerary.

It involved the following bus journeys, which looked rather optimistic that it could work.  But it did!  Brilliantly!

Bus 40   10.57 hr Cuckfield to Haywards Heath (HH).
Bus 31   HH 11.57 hr to Newick 12.19 choose pub (Crown/Bull etc). (35 mins)
Bus 121  Newick 12.55 hr to South Chailey 13.06 hr - Horns Lodge  (22 mins)
Bus 824  South Chailey 13.28 hr to Plumpton Half Moon 13.38 hr (36 mins)
Bus 166  Plumpton Half Moon 14.14 hr to HH 14.41 hr.

 Bus 31 to Newick

 After a pint in The Bull, a sandwich whilst we waited for the 121 bus.

 It arrived exactly on time; our own personalized bus.  We were the only passengers.

Passing Chailey Commons Nature Reserve.

 We alighted at The Horns Lodge Inn.

 Landlord Mike served us two pints of very fine Cheddar Ale "Crown & Glory".

There was just the right time to enjoy a pint and hasten outside to catch our next bus...

 the 824 Village Rider Service for Plumpton.

What a lovely bus, complete with full seat belts for all seats.

 The route was through some tiny villages and at times, single track roads.

 Our driver, Chris was highly experienced and skilled in negotiating the route.

Thanks Chris for an excellent journey and friendly service dropping us off at The Half Moon in Plumpton.

Verity and Andie looked after us in The Half Moon, quenching our thirst with the appropriately named  "Poachers Moon" ale.

 It was then an eight miles ride to Haywards Heath.

We passed The Plough and its memorial to Polish airmen who flew from a temporary airfield here in World War 2.

 Sussex is quite agricultural!

 Alighting in Haywards Heath after such an adventure, William and I decided that as The Star was so near we might celebrate the end of a successful trip with a slow pint.

Yvonne pulled two pints of what I considered the best beer of the day -- "Hophead" by the Sussex-based Dark Star brewery.

Afterwards William caught the 31 bus to Scaynes Hill and I walked for 30 minutes back to Cuckfield.

What a very fine day, meeting some great people, doing our bit to stimulate growth in the UK economy and making an extra voluntary tax contribution (excessive beer duty and VAT) to the Chancellor's coffers.  Job well done William!  Many thanks.