| Author | Message | ||
     Patrick Walker (Patrick_walker) Username: Patrick_walker Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 79.79.184.174 |
The dodgy British pub chain company, J D Wetherspoon, like to reflect a bookish, literary atmosphere in their premesis by aligning their walls with rows and rows of tenth-hand dusty tomes. Though I always feel I'm the only person that ever peruses the bookshelves, or even acknowledges them, I am sure that any of you here that will at least admit to drinking in a Wetherspoon's establishment to begin with, do the same as me. So my questions are: 1) What is the best find you've come across on the undusted book shelf of a Wetherspoon's pub, and 2) Did you steal it? As for myself, I found a first-edition copy of Nabokov's Ada in J D Wetherspoon's in Harlow a few years ago, and I can tell you now, that it bloody well went straight in to my rucsac. | ||
| John Llewellyn Probert (John_l_probert) Username: John_l_probert Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.152.74.159 |
When we're away from Probert Towers we often have breakfast at Wetherspoons as it's such a bargain and in the Durham one we found a marvellous old handbook of veterinary surgery that showed detailed surgical dissections of cows and ducks amongst other animals. So if anyone has a duck that needs a heart bypass op... | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.31.194.128 |
Perfect for establishing an appetite. | ||
| Weber (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 194.176.105.55 |
I like Wetherspoons. They always have a better choice of beer than any other chain and they're cheaper. I don't understande why people think that makes them bad pubs in some way. plus - in most of them - they don't have music so you can hear yourself talk. | ||
| Jonathan (Jonathan) Username: Jonathan Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 91.143.178.131 |
The one in Reading was/is vile. Because they opened earlier and sold cheaper booze than anywhere else in town, you used to see the desperate alcoholics queing up to get in just before open doors. There was a horrible smell of desperation and despair about the place and the reason they could serve ale so cheap is because they brought it so near the Best-Before that they got it at heavy discount. Plus they used to serve the ale ice cold so (a) it impaired the taste and (b) it went bad even quicker as it killed the live elements in the beer. However, I was in Leicester Square last week and was in the Wetherspoons there and the ale was really good and served right, so maybe they have changed their ways. I think that my hatred of the one in Reading (one of about 4 in a very small radius) is more to do with Reading itself. | ||
| Stevie Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 194.32.31.1 |
The Wetherspoon's in Belfast is a bit of a dump (and what's this about books lining the walls?) but as it's just about the only pub in the city a person on my income can still afford to drink in... I love it! Weber's right, for value and range of good quality drinks they have no competition.  | ||
| John Forth (John) Username: John Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 82.132.139.166 |
The quality (or lack thereof) of Wetherspoons pubs seems to depend on the location. The ones I tended to frequent back in Scotland - mainly the large ones in Edinburgh and Glasgow - were okay. But the one here in Brighton is an absolute pit. I pass it on my way to work and there's always a crowd of desperate alcoholics scrabbling at the windows in the morning like the zombies from Dawn of the Dead. Depressing. That said, it's based in the worst street in Brighton, the one where all the chain pubs are congregated, so the odds were always against it. It's virtually a no-go zone on Friday and Saturday nights. | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.31.194.128 |
It's all right for a quick, cheap nosh up. The burger deal is grand. | ||
| Rhysaurus (Rhysaurus) Username: Rhysaurus Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 212.219.233.223 |
I like the idea that the one in Reading is crap. Not the best place for reading, then? | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.253.77 |
They're always full of alkies - because it's the cheapest pint in town. Still, I'd rather drink in a Weatherspoons than some noisy bar with a loud deejay playing last decade's dance numbers. | ||
| Rhysaurus (Rhysaurus) Username: Rhysaurus Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 212.219.233.223 |
Zed: last decade's dance numbers are pretty futuristic fare where I come from! | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 194.106.220.19 |
They're very variable, but the good ones have a great choice of good ales, usually well looked after. The bad ones are grim though; once went into one in the centre of Liverpool and it was dreadful. All the ales were 'off', and on the table next to us was a bloke fast asleep with his face in a large puddle of beer. The one in Kendal's quite nice though - they usually have a nice drop of Spitfire on tap, although they could do without the huge TV in the corner. Not seen any books in that one, but I've seen a lot in others - the one in Walton-Upon-Thames is an old cinema, so as well as having great decor, they have loads of books, although I think I'm the only person to have looked at them. | ||
| Stevie Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 194.32.31.1 |
I like popping into Wetherspoon's on a Sunday afternoon as it's always quiet, I can get a nice big dinner and take my time over a few pints while reading whatever book I'm on... and all that for around a tenner. On Friday or Saturday nights the one in Belfast is always full of English hen or stag parties! | ||
| Rhysaurus (Rhysaurus) Username: Rhysaurus Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 212.219.233.223 |
I envy Patrick (Walker) for getting his mits on a first edition Ada (possibly Nabokov's best novel?). I've never found anything like that in a pub. Mind you, I don't go to pubs now, so that's probably the reason. | ||
| Patrick Walker (Patrick_walker) Username: Patrick_walker Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 79.79.184.174 |
Yes, they have a good selection of guest beers at all times but you're right Jonathan, they do get them on the cheap, rarely are they properly looked after and the bar staff generally have no knowledge of, or a care for, what they're serving. The Wetherspoon's in Harlow was built in the old Job Centre building in the most miserable part of the town centre. Every Wednesday morning the staff would be having a team meeting in the bar area while at the same time, at a quarter to nine, the absolute dregs of humanity would be queueing alongside the glass fronted side of the building, faces pressed at the glass, waiting for doors to open. I can't imagine having a staff meeting under more uncomfortable conditions. The prices are unbeatable, there's no question of that, but I'd sooner drink in the best pub in town and spend literally double the money for a mug of good ale than frequent that dingy hell hole. It does depend on the location though; I've drunk in some pretty good Wetherspoon's pubs in the city, though location doesn't seem to effect the quality of books one might find on the shelves - and I thought all Wetherspoon's pubs sported this feature?! I must be mistaken. I'm also seriously perturbed by the frequent inclusion of Wetherspoon's pubs in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. I don't know what that's all about... | ||
| Stevie Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 194.32.31.1 |
The one thing I can't fault our local Wetherspoon's on is the excellent range of guest ales and ciders (just steer well clear of Old Rosie!!), all served fresh and delicious, and with the option of testing before you buy, to see if you like it or not. The bar staff are also friendly, I have to say, and include several knowledgeable blokes on ales, who are always up for an informed natter or recommendation. They also host ale festivals on a regular basis, in fact there's one coming up next month with prices reduced to £1.45 a pint!! The drab layout of the place is its one drawback. |