Hopping in Kent

Growing up in Kent in the fifties was a wondrous time. Many farms still had shire horses working the land, along with huge steam engines that thrashed and threshed or something. Kent was called the "Garden Of England". The area of Kent around Beltring was Hop Country. Hops as far as the eye could see. Where there were no hops Coppice Groves were growing for Hop-Poles.

During the fifties one of the joys of the country was the wonderful aromas that emanated from the fields. Horse manure was put on to the land in copious quantities. This was what gave our beer that rich heady flavour, as well as on a good day when the wind was in the right direction, we could upset the French.
Some farms were slowly modernising and bringing in some high tech equipment. The beginning of the end.........

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