Old Gaol House, Winchester

Wetherspoons pubs tend to come in for a battering on this site, sometimes deserved, mostly not. This place however is a truly hideous example of theme-pubbery gone wrong, and especially sad in arguably one of England's most beautiful towns. Full of council-estate scum mingling happily with coke-sniffing public school kids, old fat alcoholics smoking dog-ends, illiterate immigrant workers.

I wonder if this place is deliberately gloomy and badly lit.

31 Oct 2006 14:56

Jack George Phillips, Godalming

Admittedly my last comment was rather petulant. In fairness this pub is much, much better since the smoking ban, with many of the dubious characters now drinking elsewhere.

31 Oct 2006 14:52

The Trout, Hammersmith

Walked in and walked straight out, didn't even stay for a drink.

This is the sort of place Americans call "quaint" whithout (bless 'em) realising it's part of a huge transglobal conglomerate.

5 Apr 2006 22:48