The West Quay - Brighton

Visited 13th December 2009.

What should have been a short drive turned into a bit of a mission. Two wrong turns and some roadworks meant that the trip took a lot longer than it should have. Brighton village marina was not at all what I expected and 'The West Quay' was definitely not what I was expecting. The find of the day! Not an attractive building from the outside but all was forgiven when we got inside. Very much the type of pub I like. A bit of and odd mix in terms of style but although it was a large place it felt cosy (and warm). It would be interesting to visit it again in the summer when I suspect it would feel entirely different. We ended up spending a lot longer in there than we had intended. It's a shame it's not a bit closer to home!

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The Bright Helm - Brighton

Visited 13th December 2009.

Getting to Brighton didn't take to long but we queued for about 20 minutes to get into a car park. We immediately had to start shopping - no time to waste, at least that's what Mrs S. and Jess said. Jess started trying on clothes and went for the Daisy look while Ray and I thought about looking for some plumbing outfits! Luckily everybody was a bit hungry so we went in search of the Bright Helm. After asking a friendly local we had our directions with the advice that "you can't miss it". Within seconds of leaving our friendly local we had forgotten the directions and ended up guessing. He was right though, you can't miss it. It's a big place and was very busy (as was Brighton). A quick lunch and a pint was all we were allowed though as the girls felt we needed to do some more shopping. Finally they were shopped out and we headed to the "world famous" Brighton Pier for a look around. By now it was cold and dark and pancakes were needed... (apparently!)
Our last pub to visit was at the marina. My idea of walking there was shot down (I confess I didn't fight for the idea to hard) so it was back to the car. Weather report - still raining, but not as hard!

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The Cliftonville Inn - Hove

Visited 13th December 2009.

Roadtrip! OK... so it's raining as usual but this doesn't dampen our spirits (as always, all puns intended) and we set off for Brighton. One uneventful trip later and we are in Hove looking for somewhere to park. A short walk in the rain and we are eventually sitting in the corner of the Cliftonville quietly steaming and drying out. The girls had coffee whilst the boys sampled the two Christmas beer offerings. We didn't stay long as we were eager to get into Brighton proper as the girls had Christmas shopping on their minds. Fortunately the rain stopped just long enough to have our photos taken with some locals, then back to the car and off to Brighton...

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The Tyburn - London, Marble Arch

Visited 2nd December 2009.

Work sends me to London once again, so where to this time? I decide to do a little more sight seeing and visit Marble Arch and what do you know, there's a Wetherspoon just around the corner. By the time I get there I am drenched! It's raining... a lot. I discover that it is difficult to persuade total strangers to stand in the rain and take my photo so after some contortion work I manage to photograph myself and the pub. And did I mention it's still raining...
Inside it's bright and warm and dry - just what I need. The food I order arrives quickly and surprisingly looks like the menu photograph. I say surprisingly because in my experience the food on the plate rarely looks like the food in the photo. I'm including all restaurants and pubs here and not just Wetherspoons. So all in all a very pleasant visit. Did I mention the rain?

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The Herbert Wells - Woking

Visited 15th November 2009.

It was Mr Sinners birthday this week so Mrs S thought she would take him out for breakfast. Woking was selected to provide this gastronomic treat and although it did involve an early rise we made it to the pub at about 11.50. Whew just in time - no pun intended. I always enjoy a cooked breakfast, especially as I almost always end up eating some of Mrs Sinners as well.
I liked the pub, the ceiling decoration and the statue (no photo of the statue - you'll just have to go and see it for yourselves). The pint of Red Hunter slipped down easily as well.
I also noticed a sign stating that if you look under 21 you will need ID and that you can only use a valid passport or a new style photo driving license. I do hope this is a Wetherspoon protest against the governments introduction of the national ID card!

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The Maidenhead Inn - Basingstoke

Visited 17th October 2009.

We are still in Basingstoke, still shopping but now we are out of Festival Place and in to the old town. And now we're hungry. We find 'The Maidenhead Inn' and enter what appears from the outside to be a small, narrow offering. Inside, it's still narrow, but bigger than it looks, like the TARDIS. We went downstairs into a small cellar type area and had our usual beer and burger. A pleasant, cosy atmosphere and a chance to have a chat with the barmaid about the wristband promotion. Still only for students and I've still no idea why...
Coincidentally, if you leave the pub and pop down a nearby side road then you can find a toyshop with a fine example of a full size Dalek suitable for all fans and geeks.

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Lloyds Bar - Basingstoke

Visited 17th October 2009.

Mrs Sinner wanted to go shopping and I fancied a beer so we decided to combine the two with a trip to Basingstoke. Festival Place is a fairly new shopping centre with the rather unimaginatively named Lloyds bar positioned at the end of a restaurant isle. Still it was nice inside and as we hit it at about lunch time, very busy. No interesting ales for me to try so I settled for a pint of Ruddles with my driver (sorry dear) hitting the coke.
I asked about the wristband promotion but it turned out to be only for students although I did not see that mentioned anywhere in the promo posters... Drinks promotion required for over 45's please!

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The Prince Arthur - Fleet

Visited 11th October 2009.

I was looking forwards to visiting this one as I have driven passed it several times but never had the opportunity to stop and pop in. Well today's the day. Sorry I didn't get a photo of the whole of the front of the building as it is an attractive view and a nice pub inside as well. There is a pay and display car park next door but it's free on Sundays. Always useful. I opted for my usual, the Gourmet Burger with a pint of Strongbow and later a pint of Filly Drift with Mrs Sinner opting for her usual, the chicken burger. No problems with the food and service was swift. All in all a pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

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The Railway - London, Putney

Visited 3rd October 2009.

Our last Wetherspoons today and for my money the best of the bunch. Downstairs was busy so we went upstairs where it was also busy but we did manage to find an empty table to sit at. Drip, drip and now we know why. The seat was soaking wet where a leak somewhere was causing water to run down the wall, over a painting and onto the seat that Mrs Sinner had chose to sit on. What a wheeze! A pub with character and an Australian barman with loads of character made this a great visit.
Just for a change we're now off to O'Neills back in Shepherds Bush for a very large slice of chocolate cake and coffee, woohoo!

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The Oyster Rooms - London, Fulham

Visited 3rd October 2009.

Our second pub today that is inside a shopping centre. Clean and bright but with a limited ale selection. So limited in fact that I was forced to go for a double Buffalo Trace.
Nothing to do with Wetherspoons but while taking the photos a security guard asked me not to take any more while he was present . However he was completely unable to give me a reason why. I complied with his request but as the shopping centre itself was completely "camera'd" up I felt a certain double standard was operating. I try to be careful while taking my photos. I don't want to upset anyone by intruding upon their privacy, after all we should be able to have a drink without being molested by the paparazzi. But... maybe it's something about the friendliness of Wetherspoon patrons that makes them jump in front of the camera, it's happened on several occasions now!

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The Plough & Harrow - London, Hammersmith

Visited 3rd October 2009.

Hammersmith tries to redeem itself with The Plough & Harrow and if you like large, bright, modern pubs then it largely succeeds. I thought I would try the Marcle Hill still cider as it felt like the right sort of drink for the pub. Ultimately I was disappointed with both, nothing wrong with the cider or the pub, just not to my taste.

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The William Morris - London, Hammersmith

Visited 3rd October 2009.

Our London adventure continues. Let me get one thing straight, just so you're clear. This blog was never intended to be a guide or critique of Wetherspoon pubs. That would be far to grand. It is basically a reminder of where I have been so I don't accidentally visit any twice. I may jot down a little information on parking, or what I drank because if I do decide to revisit one I don't want to spend hours looking for a space or find they have no beer!
But, this one I will definitely avoid. Which is a shame as the pub itself is fine, large and with a dark interior theme which I like. The girl who served us at the bar was pleasant and service was relatively quick. So where did it all go wrong. Two things really. The loos and the food. I (and I know I'm not alone this) will often judge a place on it's loos. Wetherspoon pubs have very good loos but why would whoever put the paper in the stalls put all of the toilet rolls on the floor. They didn't do it in the ladies so why do it in the gents where it's almost certainly going to become unusable!
Secondly, the food. We were all hungry so ordered as soon as we arrived. One of the things I like about Wetherspoon is the consistency of the food quality. It has been pretty much the same in all of the pubs visited so far. You order a burger, you know what you are going to get. Not at the William Morris. I was very hungry and ordered a Gourmet Burger with an extra burger. Both burgers were burnt, very burnt, charcoaled even. The cheese sauce was missing entirely as was a rasher of bacon (the menu states bacon slices - plural). Everywhere else I've eaten I've always received two slices of bacon... consistency you see. And did I mention the burgers were burnt!!! I got chatting to a chap who said he was in there most days and that he wouldn't touch the food they served and especially not the breakfasts. I must also mention the steak and kidney pudding on the new menu. It looks very nice. A member of our little dinning group ordered one. When it arrived it had about half a tea spoon of gravy in it and a lot of air. She sent it back and had a curry instead. To be fair on this it may be that we were unlucky on the pudding and just got a duff one. We will be trying out the steak and kidney pudding again but definitely not at the William Morris.

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The Central Bar - London, Shepherds Bush

Visited 3rd October 2009.

Mr and Mrs Sinner have decided to go visit some friends in London. Maybe it's because they like a beer or maybe it's because they have bought into "the Wetherspoons Challenge" idea but they thought it would be a good idea to spend the day with us visiting a few Wetherspoon watering holes. The Central Bar is the first Wetherspoon pub I have visited in a shopping centre. Not quite my idea of a pub but I can get on board with the idea. I thought it would be busy, filled with men waiting for their wives to finish shopping. It was busy but not a full as I was expecting, maybe not all men have my aversion to retail therapy. I sipped on a pint of Dark Island as I sat looking out over Shepherds Bush Green and contemplated the day ahead. With around seventy Wetherspoon pubs in London only one of which I had already visited it was obvious we couldn't get to them all today. Between us we worked out a route based on what was closest to where we were and as we were getting a little peckish made the decision to eat at the next location. In retrospect this was not the best plan in the world!

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The Lord Moon of the Mall - London, West End

Visited 14th September 2009.

It's busy at work and I find myself on one of my rare trips out of the office. Today I've been sent to see some clients in Central London to perform a little troubleshooting. The train and tube is running with no problems, I get the client sorted in a couple of hours and now it's lunch time. I have a couple of hours before my next appointment to I decide to take a walk and see a few of the sights London has to offer. My walk takes me past the Houses of Parliament and along Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square. Just before I reach Nelson's Column over on the left I spot my target (more on targets later). First problem is getting a photo, it's busy and I wait several minutes for a gap in the traffic. Done. Now to find somebody to photograph me. I spot a tourist laden with their own cameras and home in. My attempts at mime pay off and then I enter into a "traditional English pub". Wetherspoon's words not mine. OK, so they were fairly right. I waited a while to be served although the bar staff did not appear to be to busy, there was no sense of urgency even though I was attempting to look as thirsty as possible. Eventually I had my pint of "Bear Ass" and was able to spend a few minutes relaxing and decor. I generally like old style pubs and I did feel comfortable but for a real traditional English pub feel it needed to be just a little darker. Cheers and toodle-pip!

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The Moon and Spoon - Slough

Visited 31st August 2009.

It's taken a while but I have finally managed to get back to Slough. You may remember that the last time I tried to have a drink in Slough it was closed, the pub, not Slough. As it was a bank holiday free parking was available right outside, always a bonus! It was a warm, sunny day so it was reasonably busy but I just cannot find anything exciting to say about "The moon and Spoon". The bar staff were friendly and efficient. The kitchen staff got the order right. I passed away several hours in there. In fact it was all very pleasant... just not... exciting! I think I have been spoilt by my recent visit to Cambridge.

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The Regal - Cambridge

Visited 29th August 2009.

A friend of mine asked if I could help him out by collecting two arcade games machines that he had purchased on eBay. I would like to say that I immediately offered to help but memories of the last time I helped him to move a very large, heavy sofa from the fourth floor of a block of flats where the lifts were to small for it came flooding back, along with an instant backache!
"I'll buy you lunch", he said, "at a Wetherspoons, if there's one nearby".
So, into the van and off to Cambridge where he acquired two linked racing machines without to much sweating and then a short ride into town. And back out again as we couldn't find anywhere to park. About a mile and a half away we found a side street to park in (pay and display) that would let us stay for more than an hour. As you can probably guess from the photos I'm not big on walking, but needs must and all that...
What can I say, it was worth it. The picture house frontage, the doors and film posters, I loved it. As with many Wetherspoon pubs it is a lot, lot bigger on the inside than it appears on the outside. Inside we have a DJ box, high ceilings, sweeping staircases, nice toilets and a lot of people. I had a long look around the place, even out the back and really like it. The bar staff were well trained and very efficient with just the right amount of friendliness and humour thrown in. I noticed a few people seemed to be oddly dressed (grass skirts) and found that there was going to be a Hawaiian beach party that evening. I'm sorry to say we had to leave before it started but if I had known before hand I may have been tempted into dusting off my own, somewhat tatty grass skirt and coconuts.
For me the place is not "just around the corner" but even so I could easily be talked into a return visit.

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The Claude Du Vall - Camberley

Visited 16th August 2009.

A quiet day... Bored...
Roadtrip! Yes! Where to?
Camberley? What's in Camberley? Answer, The Claude Du Vall.
Myself, Mrs Sinner and a couple of friends who are also starting to buy into the idea of "The Wetherspoons Challenge" hop into the car and set off for the wilds of Surrey in search of Elvis. OK, not so wild. Admittedly it was a quiet early Sunday evening but this pub was without a doubt the quietest Wetherspoon pub I've visited so far. That said the food was good as were the bar and waiting staff. No complaints from any of us! A pleasant evening and we went off home satisfied although our search for Elvis ended as a massive FAIL.

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The Falcon - High Wycombe

Visited 9th August 2009.

What can I say, we were hungry, the kids were hungry and nobody felt like cooking. Only one thing to left to do then - pub lunch! So we all bundled into the car and headed off to The Falcon. Parking was a cinch but only because it was Sunday, most of the time the road we were in is closed to regular traffic. But the weather was nice and we were in good spirits, even the kids were behaving. What could go wrong? Actually, nothing. We all opted for the Sunday roasts which arrived swiftly and they even had one of my favourite beers available, "Rebellion Blonde" which to quote www.rebellionbeer.co.uk is a "4.3% blend of both lager malt and bitter malt. When combined, they offer the unique qualities of both a lager and bitter, within the same bottle. Serve chilled to savour it as a light, thirst quenching alerternative to a continental style lager. Let it wam up to cellar temperature, (10-14 Degrees C), and the complex falvours of the bitter malt are liberated and the product becomes a light, easy drinking bitter, with a dry finish and a delicate hop aroma." All I know is it tastes great. Well done Wetherspoon, a good choice!

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The Reeds Arms - Burnham-on-Sea

Visited 28th July 2009.

For those of you that have been following our wedding adventure we are now on our way home and I'm sure we will need to stop for a refreshing break.
Yes, I was right... We are about half way and Burnham-on-Sea is beckoning. Just time for a quick coffee and an opportunity to see if our initialed loyalty card will be accepted. It was, without a second glance. The system (at least in this instance) works.
A busy, popular pub. In fact it was so busy we found it a little tricky to find somewhere to sit at first and ended up lurking and watching ready to pounce on a table as soon as somebody, anybody moved.
Maybe it was just me but there seemed to be a lot of doorways.

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