The Goose At The OVT, Selly Oak

As noted the clientele is a glorious hotchpotch of locals and students who mix like oil and water. However the reason it is so popular is because it is dirtily cheap, both for beer and food. Ale prices start at �1.20 and lagers like Stella and 1664 all cost less than �2-a-pint. Burger & chips and a pint (of cheapest beer/lager) will set you back a whopping �3.50... and main meals come in 3 sizes!
On the plus side it is the least pretentious pub ever; there is no dress code, strictly casual and/ or paint/oil/grime stained work overalls. Indeed I have been in for lunch, and observed locals sleeping peacefully in their seats, and then returned later that night to find that, at closing, the same people sitting in the same places... often still asleep.
Staff are friendly.
Recommended if you are a student and/ or on minimum wage.

18 Feb 2006 18:54

The Cricketers, Woodford

Has a public & lounge bar, cheap real ale, not cheap lager and a pleasant pint of Guinness. Also, decent food served daily, 12-2pm except Sundays, charity quiz nights and even a conker competition.

It is a locals local, but they're mostly harmless old farts. I have noticed that despite they're advanced years they still have a healthy appetite for an evening of enebriation & avoiding the wife.

Has awards from Camra displayed prominently and is, in all, a very cosy old-fashioned boozer.

Probably the pick of Woodford's hostelries.

1 Dec 2005 15:52

The Blind Beggar, Whitechapel

I quote a good friend's comment to the barmaid on my last visit.

"You'll need some more shootings in here to sort this place out!"

I think that covers it.

14 Jun 2005 11:53