The Village Inn, Shanklin

A great looking pub. I really enjoyed myself here. I was here so I did not go outside into the beer garden except to have a quick look. There were lots of solid-looking seats with real cushions.
Inside reminds me of Santa's grotto. Lots of nick-nacks, paintings, posters and up-lights. It gave the whole place a magickal look. I had a steak pie and veg and it was very good, and pretty reasonably priced. I drank the Hobgoblin Gold, but there was at least one more guest beer available.
I'd definitely make a detour to go back to this pub.

21 Oct 2017 18:46

The Castle, Sandown

I was on the island for the Beer & Buses weekend (14 & 15th October 2017) and luckily this pub was nearest to my hotel. In the Stables annex there were ten or so guest beers and three or four superb guest ciders. In the main bar there were four or five guest beers including HOBGOBLIN GOLD, GODDARD'S IPA (£2.80/pint) and FUGGLES DEE DEE. Every beer I tried was in superb nick.

The whole pub had been decorated in original fashion for Halloween. These decorations are really worth going to see, as they are not your standard shop-bought tripe. The whole pub resembles a Wax Museum.

For smokers/vapers there is a very nice beer garden patrolled by two lovely cats, Tia and Maria. The owners and the locals were friendly and approachable.

I spent 4 days travelling all over the island, but the Castle was so good I made up a poem:

Though I have searched the Island round,
The Castle is the best pub to be found.

Don't miss it!

18 Oct 2017 02:00

Queen of the Iceni, Norwich

A large Wetherspoon's pub on the banks of the Wensum. It is very near Norwich Railway station: I'd say about 300 metres. It is in a very modern entertainment complex (bowling, restaurants, trampolining etc).

The staff were young and enthusiastic, but one of them went past my table at least a dozen times and left a half-dozen glasses on the table.

I was pleased to see that it was popular with less able people, because it is fully wheelchair accessible and of course has a wheelchair-accessible toilet. BUT BE WARNED the standard toilets are up a very tall flight of stairs, with glass sides. Quite vertiginous.

They had some great Norfolk beers. I had a breakfast there as well and it was very good.

16 May 2017 17:01