The Travellers Friend, Woodford Green

You could not ever imagine that these two excuses for 'Managers of a Public House' could get any worse but they have! They must stew and roast, daily, upstairs in their own misery, conspiring between them, how to further alienate people, namely the long suffering Customers, whose Loyalty has been tried and tested daily whilst these two hags ruin this long established Premises. They are personae non gratae in this building, they should not be let loose near any type of business that requires a management to be, hospitable and welcoming, friendly and amiable, accommodating and flexible.

They continue in a downward spiral towards achieving the unenviable accolade of probably being the worse Pub Managers in Southern England, having become the Local Champions years ago.

They do not want to be there, it is obvious, they openly slate the premises, their Employers and the Customers, yet they would be unemployable anywhere else and would go bankrupt if they were reliant on their personality and demeanour to generate revenue, had the business actually been theirs to run and that profits were more important.

It is beyond belief that the succession of Companies that have Employed them, have not disciplined them for being hopelessly incompetent or bringing their name into disrepute. Whilst it can be easy to ignore them, one cannot now ignore the decline in the quality of the Beers and deterioration in cleanliness of the premises that could have adverse effects on users health, the mysterious topping up of pints from a slop bucket. The toilets are a disgrace, bar flies are and indication that all is not clean, the bar area appears filthy, glasses both beer and wine dirty with a rancid smell throughout the bar. Their smoking habits and failure to clean their hands after such activity highlights their disregard for others.

The daughter is the most surly, rude, arrogant, obnoxious, argumentative, interfering, naturally unpleasant woman of her age that has ever been entrusted to run a Pub I have known. She does not create the right impression as a front of premises host. Both mother and daughter are rarely welcoming to new or old users, stare vacantly at you, tutting and huffing and puffing, take your hard earned money without a hint of a 'thank you'. They are devoid of any social graces, and have dirty habits such as teeth picking, mouth wiping, and ear cleaning without any apparent shame as female, let alone as staff serving customers consumable products. The daughter constantly stands there texting with a moronic grin across her face, annoyed if she is interrupted by a customer who has the audacity to ask for service.

People have been less inclined to use this pub and appear to be leaving in droves. Due to my lack of mobility, I have got no other real options to go elsewhere but have been more inclined to stay indoors than to suffer unpleasantness at their hands.

It is a breath of fresh air when they go on one of their many holidays, old faces return like lost souls, the atmosphere changes and everyone is happy.

It is common knowledge that punters avoid the place like the plague when the daughter works alone on Mondays and Tuesdays or early evenings.

Please please, please, please, Bramwell! Get someone else in, move them somewhere else, we have been punished enough!!!

25 Feb 2013 15:05

The Rose and Crown, Walthamstow

Terrible place frequented by all the tree hugging McGuffins who run their specialised events there and campaign HQ for saving the derelict cinema up the road. Almost impossible to win the Quiz as they only let a fellow McGuffin win.

Beer is generally OK except personally I do not rate the watery Brodies (sounds like a promotion for TV series Homeland) Too many lefty idiots with stupid looking glasses for my liking. Much better pubs around Hackney of which these are trying to emulate.

17 Oct 2012 10:46

The Travellers Friend, Woodford Green

The Staff are doing their utmost to destroy this pub, people seem to be leaving in droves. Not as busy as it use to be. It is such a shame as it was a local treasure but it is now a pub where even the quality of the beer has fallen into the average zone or sometimes it is just horrid which is a result of it being less busy? I see a lot of their customers in other locals nearby quite often.

The place is dirty and shabby and could do with a Spring clean now. Bar flies everywhere, like a tropical garden which says it all. Shame it has deteriorated like this.

13 Sep 2012 16:51