please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
First visit to this pub in twenty years! Furniture appears to have changed but otherwise no change. Large numbr of TV screens showing Assoiation Football, and a lacklustre choice of two ales.
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They ran out of beer at 9.30pm on a Saturday night: That's all you need to know
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popped in for their "beer festival" which proved to be a huge disappointment- 12 additional bottled beers of types regularly stocked by Weatherspoons is not a beer festival. the latest refurbishment has replaced the strange Stonehenge style furniture with much more comfortable seating- the ambience is nice, although the video screens remain intrusive.
The main issue with this pub remains the inconsistent quality and availability of beer- only two beers on tap, and both had a strange tang to them. Until that is resolved, you are better off at the Old Wheatsheaf, Rose and Crown or the Moon under Water. If they could sort out the beer and put in four or five extra handpumps, this would be a great pub.
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Most recent refurb makes the place look nice but has somehow served to dampen the atmosphere. Also, seems to be pitching more for the foodie vote than to those who just fancy a couple of beers. Beer was good as was service, prices are ok, but all in all it is not quite at the outstanding level it achieved in the past.
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Food was really bad and the manager was rude
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Only have the ale by a green king which no me like any this one beer
the womans was friendly and we drink lager insted
but a music was so loud i no hear speak
maybe go back one time or no maybe
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Three ales on tap when I came in (well, technically two as one was Caledonian Double Czech). Went for the Caledonian Double Sun over the Greene King IPA and was very drinkable at �3 a pint.
Can't comment about what the place used to be like, as it was my first visit. Signs outside saying no under-21s or hats and that people need to be smartly dressed.
Inside there is a central bar, wooden floors, wooden seats and tables. Back area up some steps (where the toilets are) with a large TV on one wall. Other smaller screens scattered throughout the pub.
Busy enough mid-afternoon on a Friday, not sure what it would get like later on. Decent enough for a quick pint, though.
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Hadn't been in for a few weeks so was nice to revisit.
Going by previous comments, everything has been mentioned, so I'll just comment on the personal experience of my last visit.
This pub has a problem with its bar stools at the weekend. Customers are tending to turn them so they're facing away from the bar, while they talk to their friends stood in front of them. Being so many stools, this obviously means most of the bar becomes inaccessible to people wanting to get a drink.
Once you do manage to find a spot at the bar to order from, however, it would be nice if the new barmaids didn�t simply look at you indignantly and walk off because they're too lazy to do their job.
The staff here had always been wonderful, so it's a shame they have let one slip through unnoticed.1/10 for that particular visit unfortunately.
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much improved choice of beer since last visit and very popular with locals. Very noisy
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the last couple of months there has been a new guest ale (even 2 guests at one point), one is Adnams Lighthouse. Served well at the right temperature. things are on the up.
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Refurbishment tastefully done, but the seats are uncomfortable. The large video screens and loud music are obtrusive.
Limited range of beer: only Theakstons XB and Green King IPA: the latter is very poorly served- tasting soapy
Whilst it is good to have this pub back, it could have been so much better- the owners should visit the Pembury in Hackney to see how it should be done.
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So, the Kings Head has been open again for six or seven months, the initial disconcertion over a boat being suspended from the ceiling has been overcome and I think a fair assessment can be made.
Apart from the rather alarmingly obvious fact that Johnny_hay�s �mate� could do a much better job, is there anything bad about the Kings Head?
Sure is. The bar stools, whilst entirely lovely to look at, are quite uncomfortable given their rock hard nature. On a quiet night you may have to wait a while to catch a member of staff�s attention, if they�re in an unsighted area of the bar. On a busy night you may have to endure a tut and a sigh from the barstool users for your rather rude and inconsiderate desire to order a drink (although it�s not their fault, they�re just upset about the stools too). The prices could be more considerate of us working class heroes and erm... oh the music should be updated more often.
But then, I would all of that is tempered, or even outweighed by the friendlier, and dare I say, more grown up atmosphere than the local alternatives currently offer.
I too miss the pool tables. However, definitely not in the guise they were previously offered. They were never level, the cloth was in terrible condition and the cues were seemingly designed by Elton John.
All in all, for Enfield town, a place so bereft of amiable places to drink, the return of the Kings Head is welcome now more than ever.
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as with the last post the theakstons XB is pretty crap,and very cloudy however the only other ale was flipping green king ipa,the service was quick and friendly and the beer patio out the front was enjoyed 6.5/10 could be a lot better if the ale range was improved
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Orrreewh, I don't find the XB that great here. Maybe I don't like it as a beer though. The refurb has nothing on what it used to be like (what the hell is that crazy boat in the back about??). But it is GREAT to have it back. It used to be the best pub in Enfield Taan. Never going to be as good as when my mate was the manager or when you could use the pool tables upstairs but we all grow old and it's just good to be able to go somewhere familiar and not see another great pub rotting away in one of many a country where many a great tradition is dying. Not like it was but at least it still lives.
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Orrreewh, I don't find the XB that great here. Maybe I don't like it as a beer though. The refurb has nothing on what it used to be like (what the hell is that crazy boat in the back about??). But it is GREAT to have it back. It used to be the best pub in Enfield Taan. Never going to be as good as when my mate was the manager or when you could use the pool tables upstairs but we all grow old and it's just good to be able to go somewhere familiar and not see another great pub rotting away in one of many a country where many a great tradition is dying. Not like it was but at least it still lives.
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I've been twice since it re-opened. Saturday night, busy, quite loud but OK and then on a Thursday evening about 7pm when there were a few people in there but it gave me a chance to have a proper look round. It's been re-furbed quite well, you can actually see what you are drinking now. The beer was OK but would echo earlier comments about staff not knowing the technique for serving a draft pint - hopefully this will improve. Just glad to see it open for business again and retaining the architectural features, and not turned into a George mk 2.
Rated 7 but this might improve
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Good to have it back. It's fairly well (if fairly cheaply) refurbished, clientele seems ok (as long as you don't go in at 4 on a Monday afternoon, but then that goes for any pub) decent selection of ales, draughts and bottles, including the marvellous Desperados tequila-tinged beer, which is definitley loopy-juice in untrained hands.
Have mostly drunk XB on my initial re-visits. Seems in decent nick but some of the staff need training in how to pull a pint!
Overall, it's ok and life in Enfield is better with it than without. But it's nothing special and not worth an excursion.
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I have to say, I really like the revamped Kings Head.
In the interests of fairness I should note that I�d mainly entirely stopped drinking in the Kings by the end of its last incarnation, and thought that, while it was still a fine old pub, with some nice regulars and a good atmosphere, it had slightly gone to seed and was on its last legs by that point.
This iteration of the Kings Head has come out swinging. It�s still a pub pub. A real pub. Victorian and distinguished, but it�s also paired back, laid back, comfortable and welcoming like all good pubs should be. I especially like the way that it�s broken up into distinct areas. I was in last Saturday to watch the England/S.Africa game � and watched it round the back in the small little slightly raised room, with a group of like minded random rugby people, while everyone in the front bar watched the football. Equally, there�s the entire back room (where the boat is � which I think it totally brilliant by the way), which has a huge T.V on the wall and had the football on during the ruby, but then showed the Wales/All Blacks game afterwards (where one Welsh woman in particular was going completely bloody mental).
Which I think illustrates how there�s a space for everyone in there (even mental Welsh women).
There was a pretty decent crowd in. Normal decent people taking a break from shopping or watching or the game and meeting for a chat (as opposed to the George crowd).
It�s still early days, but a lot of energy seems to have brought to bear here. It looks good and feels right. I think they�ll do well, but we�ll see.
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Give it six months and I wonder what you will find in that boat
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Enfield town has pubs you go to because, well, it's Enfield Town and you don't have much choice.
This place, however, is a pub you go out of your way to drink in.
I like that, i like that.
anonymous - 10 Nov 2010 15:28 |
Yep, service is great and and a far better Town venue than the competition.
Maybe it's my age, I'll have to get used to the accoustics. I hope the third ale pump will be used for seasonal offerings. Where's the dartboard?? :-)
Several of my comments about the KH appear to have been removed and I can guess why, but heyho life's way too short and I'm still going to give the new Kings Head an 8 rating.
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Re-opened at long last and generally the new owners have done a good job with the refurb. All carpets have been stripped out and bare wood floors are the order of the day, this not only looks nice but enhances the acoustic properties of the place so it positively reverberates to the buzz of conversation more or less drowning out the background music.
Furniture is plain wood but surprisingly comfortable. The walls have had a lick of paint in muted colours and there is the odd bit of mood lighting, plus for no reason I can fathom there is now a small boat suspended from the ceiling in the rear area.
Staff service was quick and friendly. The "range" of real ales was down to Green King IPA and Theakston's XB, but there are more lagers than before with Heineken and Amstel the pick over Moretti and a couple of others. Decent draft cider. Prices are slightly higher than average for the area, but all in all it's once more a pretty good place to drop in for a beer or five.
There was no access to the old upstairs games room when I visited but one of my fellow drinkers enquired at the bar and was told that it is now empty and that work is to carry on upstairs to build a new kitchen and some guest rooms.
In closing, I would say that it is not quiet as great as it used to be before the last closure, but it's early days yet and it's already better than The George, The Taps or The Stag making it once again the best pub in Enfield Town centre.
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Will be in for a scotch and lemonade but is there going to be a quiz?
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Anyone got any news on the reopening please? I read somewhere it's opening on the 2nd Nov and is keen on attracting older customers. How exciting! it's been a long time coming.
Jan
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Not long now.
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This pub really must be brought back into use as soon as possible and before it deteriorates any further - it's location is brilliant and really helps to 'make' Enfield Town centre. Any combination of hotel/bar/restaurant/pub use is ok in my book - but it needs to happen now. I wonder if the problem is connected to current ownership?
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Royall are out, another one is in... maybe. Rumour has it another firm (read corporate front) is thinking of opening it as a restaurant/bar/hotel in spring 2010. Can't see it happening, there are struggling restaurants all around the Town and the reason for the 'hotel' idea can only be the Olympics. Personally I think the place is going to be derelict for years yet but I would love to be proved wrong.
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BOING! Another fast forward to July 2009 - the licensing application made by Royall Inns of Brighton was accepted and they have already been quietly working on the innards of the Head. Should be open by Christmas. Hopefully with proper beer.
But the "To Let" sign is still up...
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Someone from Royall Inns wandered into the George, went goggle-eyed and decided to pull out. Fast forward to Feb 2009 and there are 4 more potential bidders, 1 restaurant, 3 pubs. The town certinaly doesn't need another restaurant anf for 'pubs', read 'management companies'.
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Rumour No. 1: a lack of rumour control has delivered the possibly dubious information that Royall Inns Ltd will take on the Head. I could be wrong about the name of the company.
Rumour No. 2 suggests that the newbies are going to completely gut the place - any listed parts of the building will be fair game. Presumably, out goes the old stuff and in comes Norwegian pine.
Rumour No. 3 is the fly in the ointment for me; it has been mooted that the newbies will turn the Kings Head into a gastro pub. Which means not really a pub. This is something I bang on about all the time - the Enfield Town area needs pubs, not another eatery!
Although having said that, if they reintroduce pukka draught beer as well the inevitable poxy creamflow and the ubiquitous British-made yellow piss, I may well be tempted. I bet there won't be any darts though.
But like I say, currently it's all rumours...
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For details on how to get to the virtual Kings Head in Cyber Space (for the regulars that frequented in the early/mid 1980's)..... please send me a message by clicking on my user name over there on the right ->
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Oh and of COURSE I remember you Roger....you fell on me many a time ;0)
How you doing?
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Just for fun....
An old 1980's regular has set up a Virtual Kings Head in Cyber Space....It's got quite a few customers already.....
Great Fun :0)
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Hi anyone remember me, Mad Roger as most people used to know me, what a great shame this pub has closed its doors after all this time. I first visited it in 1976 when I was 16 and began using it as my local in about 1979 till I was band in 1984, only returning breathly after Mac was sacked, he left a pint behind the bar for me, what a great geezer. He won �250,000 on the football pools so I heard. Would be great to get in touch with some of the old regulars from the 80s. Just wondering if anybody remembers me in my deckchair sitting outside the pub with my tins of special brew after i was band ha ha, please get in touch Cheers Roger Addison Sunny Devon.
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*sob* I miss this place! Admitedly it was going down-hill with the decor, but it was my 2nd home not only to me, but lots of friends as well. Lets hope someone will come along and vamp it up a bit (but not in a bar-form kind of way!) Long live the Kings Head - it was nearly as good as the Enfield Arms
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What can you say? Another sad loss to the ranks of Enfield's pubs. The last night there was fun with the staff in fancy dress and a live band playing to a full house, just a shame that depite the obvious charms of the place and a firmly established clientele, this wonderful building is now lying empty and once more the more discerning drinkers of Enfield are forced into a nomadic existence wandering in disparate groups in search of another pub to call "home". Nearly as gutting as when they closed The Enfield Arms...nearly.
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OMG! I'm sat here in shock....I LOVED this pub!!Can they do this??
It was my second home for a few too many years :^) Even though it hasn't been as good (in my opinion) as it was in the early/mid 80's I'll still miss it heaps. I was looking forward to popping in for a pint and a reminise when I get the chance to get back home.
I was there in the reign of 'Eric' and part of the 'biker' group there...the old back bar was a pool room then...*sigh*
Oh well nothing is forever...Rest in Peace Kings Head! LOL!
Best Wishes,
Jan (and hello to anyone who remembers me!)
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Last night on 15th, yep another pub in Enfield bites the dust. Lets all buy some beers and hang around outside terrorising youngsters! Do they still sell thunderbirds?
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It's a great shame this place is closing. It will be loss to Enfield Town as a whole. Let's hope someone like Samuel Smith or McMullen's could come in and take over
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The lease runs out on December 15 and the current situation is that the Kings Head will close for good. It seems unlikely that a company willl take it up now with the cost of the lease plus the extra half million it'd cost to rennovate the electrics, the walls and everything else that's crumbling.
If it is taken up, I hope it's by a company that brews beer - a brewery, if anyone remembers them - rather than another flippin' management company.
Whatever, that corner of the market is going to be quite different.
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New landlord is shockingly worse than the last. I didnt like the last guy but to be fair to him he did keep it relatively busy.
This new guy is scary, rude and aggressive.
Not for me.
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sadly the quiz on Tuesday evening is no more. Bring back the quiz!
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Ok so its still a bit dirty and dingy, but I quite like this pub, I haven't visited in a few years until recent events drove me there for a few quiet drinks (my local was too packed out due to some sporting event, think it was Spurs vs Arsenal?), but it seemed a nice relaxed place, well run, service was quick, efficient and friendly, beer was exceptionally cheap. No complaints really, an average kind of pub which I enjoyed for a quiet drink, apparently quite loud and busy at weekends though, so may be best to avoid it then dependant on what you like in a pub.
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Probably the best place to have a quiet drink during the week the prices are ok, the same chain own the awful goosea the george. the staff do take forever to serve you, the old staff were great they knew what you wanted, they did indeed run the place. But i suppose every new manager ahs his own ideas, saying that i dont recall ever seeing him working. Friday nights are the best, althought the manager has not used to the fact songs do have and ending. Nothing worse than not hearing you favourite records merged into some god awful cover of aha's take on me complete with trumpets. Some great characters in here. At least the bar staff dontspend the night on the fruit machines now. avoid the quiz night on tuesday it goes on forever and the prixe is always a voucher to spend in there and the raffle always seems to be a bag of McCoys crips.
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I think 7 out of ten is a fair mark. But I have to say this is really starting to rock as of late.
Yea it takes ages to get served on a friday and band nights, but I used to drink in here on fridays last year and the place was dead. And its not a barman playing on friday its the manager. Better than nothing!
Some pretty nice chicks coming in lately too. When he gets his full music license I think this place is really gonna be a great venue.
At the end of the day, its not perfect at the moment. But I find it the most comfortable place to drink in enfield, and the staff and management are very nice.
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Forgot to mention that the DJ is only there on Friday nights, not that that makes a difference!
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In which case I stand corrected. Its odd, given last months weather and its lack of a garden you wouldn't expect such a pub to draw in more punters. Its location and relativly cheap drinks could make it quite a busy joint by Christmas.
anonymous - 2 Aug 2006 18:57 |
This place has had an upturn of late.
No it has nothing to do with the rather rubbish manager who's never there (Debbie and Emma pretty much run/ran the place), it has to do with the nice new barmaids.
Yep.
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The pub behind Enfield market. Probably the best place to go out of the bunch, but it still lacking something.
The place is on two levels downstairs, You get the older (shall we say more colourful ) locals on the lower level, and the younger (just about nowadays ) congregated in the middle section. All friendly enough, though seem to stick to their own. At the rear there is a seated area to sample the (never dared try it) food. Under this quite nice high ceilinged bit is where you get the before mentioned bands playing. I hope this works out as when this place is full there is a good humming atmosphere.
Up the stairs to the 'pool' area. Not my bag, and you have to come down to get the drinks.
Bogs always pretty unpleasant I must say.
7/10
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Normally a decent pub, a great alternative to the george which has become the standard binge drinking hole in Enfield Town. Friendly, efficent staff. Upstairs is normally dead quiet, pool is �1.20 (not so good) but a pitcher of Carling (4 pints) is �5.75 a bargin! Friday nights is DJ/Live Band night and is lively but not cram packed as most pubs in town will be. Up until tonight its been fine , but for some reason (obviously the manager's decision) the pub has become an "over 21's only" venue on a saturday, thus refusing ID holding 18 year olds with money to spend. Your loss is all i can say to the staff......
anonymous - 15 Jul 2006 23:53 |
Open till 12 at the weekends now as i found out recently so a good alernative if everywhere else is busy!
The new manager isnt very friendly tho!
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There's no way that this is the most expensive pub in Enfield.
In fact with the exception of the George it's probably cheaper than anywhere apart from the Old Wheatsheaf.
�2.35 for a pint of Stella compared to �2.70 in Taps or �3 for a pint of export in Bar Form and �2.80 in the cricketers?
It's a nice pub with quite a few of the displaced refugees from the Arms in there.
After Taps it's the best pub in Enfield. I only wish they'd try a bit harder with it.
With a bit of effort it could be so much more.
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This smoke filled pub has to be the most expensive in the Town. Finding a seat in the corridors or the back bar is difficult and then climbing over them to reach the toilets is no fun. Lives of the fact that pub is old and good looking. High bar prices keeps the kids from crossing over from the George. Ideal location and I find lunchtime the best time to visit
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Popped in here recently for the first time in about four years and was pleasantly surprised. It's always been a lovely bulding in a great location but until recently it seemed that the owners thought that they didn't have to make any effort whatsoever because of this. Now, it's improved greatly. Nice cosy and friendly atmosphere. Good dim but not dingy lighting which is always benificial to a pub. Drinks are good and there is a fair degree of variety. Prices better than I remembered from previous visits. Nice place to escape to on a cold winters night. Oh and the view from the admittedly somehat dilapidated pool/darts room upstairs is one of the best in Enfield. Now giving The Taps a run for it's money as the best pub in the Town Centre, well worth a visit and far less crowded than the woefully inferior Goose across the way.
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Haven't been here for 20+ years 'cos barred. Was brilliant place before Eric got his hands on it. Understand he's been kicked out and, if so, could find another 20 years worth in me to enjoy its location and ambience again, plus catch up with all the local gossip! Sorry, not much use to new readers but am hoping to find some 'old school' - please reply (Anne).
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Not sure yet.
Been drinking there for 4 or 5 years, still not sure.
Hmmm.
I miss Sam. Toby was a monkey, but Sam, mmmmmmmmm.
Joke man, calm down, sheeesh.
Happy Birthday.
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probably the best pub in Enfield and the most civilised. The atmosphere is cosy with low lighting almost like a Dutch brown cafe. The tuesday quiz is something of an institution.
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