I was making a collection from the William Harvey Hospital but there was a lengthy delay on the hard drugs so I opted for a swift pint instead.

The nearest pub I could find was the Blacksmiths Arms in Willesborough which sits right on the roadside and, just in case you miss it, has a sign about half the size of the pub.

The car park is opposite on the other side of the road and it was already fairly busy by 5pm on a Wednesday.

There was a good selection of drinks available but the Black Sheep Best Bitter at 3.8% sounded like a decent session ale so I settled for a pint of this and, as the sun was shining, wandered into the back garden.

I was immediately faced with a large, sweeping staircase that was immaculately kept with potted plants up the centre. After this grand set of stairs, the garden was slightly more a rambling, work-in-progress, affair with plenty of barriers constructed from blue plastic and two massive umbrellas which had definitely seen better days.

However, there was also a mass of rattan-style garden furniture placed on carefully crafted concrete squares and rectangles and, although you hear some distant traffic, it was generally very peaceful.

There was no-one else about, despite it being warm and bright, but I imagine it must be incredibly popular on busy afternoons at the weekend.

Feeling lonely, I headed back inside the pub and once my eyes had adapted to the gloom, like the locals, took a stool at the bar.

There was a phone charging from the Guinness tap in front of me and I think I might have nicked one of the regular’s seats, although Josh assured me it was okay as long as I didn’t steal his cushions too!

Manager Ollie was serving behind the bar and he reckoned he’d been on duty since opening at noon, which they do every day, and would still be here until he decided to call time later, probably somewhere around 9/10ish depending on the state of play.

This is an 18th century free house and its history is evident the moment you walk through the door, there are heavily beamed low ceilings, a solid wooden bar and panelled walls all of which make it quite dark in parts.

As well as the impressive outside area there are plenty of nice touches, an old-fashioned newspaper rack, a dartboard in an additional room, an inglenook fireplace and a number of separated seating areas with bench seats.

There were a couple of drinkers on their own and one other couple but the locals favour their bar stools and this is where most of the chat was taking place. Ollie was friendly enough but maybe the extended hours were taking their toll as he didn’t get involved too much in the banter.

As often seems to be the case there was a hi-vis clad fellow centre of attention but even he lost interest when a couple of locals talked motorbikes for 15 minutes solid.

Several things in the pub took me back a few years – a strong whiff of smoke blowing back through the open door, a rotating sweet machine and some beautiful coloured glass panels at the top of the windows.

A brief visit to the gents revealed a room as traditional as the rest of the place with white walls tiles and porcelain to match. They could probably do with an extra visit from Ollie every so often as they weren’t spotless and it would have been nice to have had some soap. I should also mention the hand drier is quite possibly the loudest example I’ve ever encountered.

When I returned Ollie had disappeared for a swift fag and the bikers were still droning on so I bid Josh farewell and indicated his seat was now available again.

On the way out I met an interesting old guy, who’d also dutifully returned his jug glass to the bar, and spent several minutes explaining why he was wearing a watch on both wrists. I have to say it’s brief encounters of this sort and a punters willingness to share a moment, and a story, like this make our pubs so special.

Generally all the folk were friendly enough and it felt like a proper pub so, in this instance, I’m pleased to say having to wait for the NHS worked out ok for me.

THE BLACKSMITHS ARMS, THE STREET, WILLESBOROUGH, ASHFORD TN24 0NA

Decor: Low ceilings and heavy beams make it a little dark, but it’s a proper pub and has retained many traditional features. The outdoor staircase and the back garden are both immense. ****

Drink: I was pleased with my beer selection and the Black Sheep, amber-coloured, bitter was hoppy with a perfectly formed creamy head – a decent session ale at 3.8%. ****

Price: The pint of Black Sheep just squeaked under a fiver at £4.90 but I noticed the fellow next to me was charged £5.60 for a Kronenbourg and a packet of crisps was £1.40. ***

Staff: He did look a little tired and jaded, but manager Ollie was welcoming enough despite this. He did go missing occasionally but was apologetic when he returned. ***

Catch up on all Secret Drinker's Kent pub reviews here

Click here to follow Secret Drinker on X

Want more Secret Drinker? Sign up here for his monthly newsletter