No, but the question is a tenuous link to pubs called The Chequers (the one at West Farleigh, owned by Hush Heath, is now The Tickled Trout), ale and beer, and the Wild Service, aka Chequer, Tree. 

 The Weald of Kent Preservation Society (WKPS) is researching the whereabouts of this unusual and relatively scarce tree in the area, so anyone familiar with that, or any other Chequers pub, may be able to help.

The pubs’ name is usually connected with the chequer board shown on their signs, but it seems there was a more logical connection to beer via the fruits of the chequer tree, as these were used to flavour the ale – which was brewed from barley, but without hops. Pubs were commonly referred to as alehouses, before hops were introduced into the country to flavour it, after which ale became known as beer.

As can be seen from this photo by Anne Boswell, the fruits – chequers - are quite distinctive and change from bright orange to brown as they ripen. But their taste is not particularly pleasant as they only become edible when half-rotten and are acid-tasting. In Victorian times these apparent delicacies were sold in markets (principally as a children’s sweet) in large quantities.

So where do bullfinches come in? As the chunky shape of this beautiful bird’s bill suggests, bullfinches are adept at cracking open seeds to eat the kernel.  

Other autumn fruits like hawthorn berries are consumed whole by many birds, and in huge numbers - just watch your garden blackbirds stripping the berries from your pyracantha! The birds digest the pulp and discard the seeds in their droppings some distance away, thus helping to disperse the tree from whence they came over a wider area. But, perhaps due to its acidity, the ripe chequer isn’t very popular with birds that consume the whole fruit. 

Its seeds are a different matter though, and despite its reputation for destroying apple blossom in the spring, the bullfinch is a seed predator – its bill specially adapted to open tough seed cases.

Add to this the fact that the fruits of Wild Service tree may carry only one seed, not two or more like closely related species, and you can understand why the bullfinch’s love of its seeds could be an explanation for it not spreading easily to different locations.

Furthermore, unlike most other birds, both the male, and no less formidable-looking female, as seen in these photos by Alex Nicholls, are happy to forage for food at the exposed bare ends of the trees’ leafless branches in November when the fruit ripens.

Whether or not this splendid bird is the villain in the piece, we don’t know. What we do know, though, is that the Wild Service (or Chequer) Tree, although not under threat of extinction, is becoming more and more restricted in its range. Hence WKPS’ plan to track them down in our area and record them.

Do you know of any in the area? Was there once one near The Tickled Trout? Or closer to home in Marden? As they are long-lived trees perhaps it’s still there? They are particularly conspicuous in autumn when their bright golden leaves stand out, but only briefly, and perhaps it’s a tree where you always seem to spot bullfinches, so maybe you have one near you after all. 

 If you think you do, please let me know (lepiaf@hotmail.co.uk). The Weald of Kent is a special place.

Let’s try and keep it that way.