Why we love JDW

[oldboots]

I was in a JDW last Saturday afternoon, not the biggest bar in the empire by any means and not that busy, in fact when I arrived at the bar there was only one other customer being served by the solitary bar staff who actually saw me as our eyes met. He eventually finished taking the food order from this punter and looked around like a frightened rabbit at myself, another man lately arrived at the bar and the two giggling girls who were consulting the menu. The barman of course turned to the man immediately in front of him who had the good grace to point out who was actually next. The barman took my order, pulled half a pint, said “better let it settle” and after taking the money strode off to serve the other man. After a few minutes another JDW person arrived, Who's next?” I pointed at my half poured beer and she finished pouring the rest of the pint saying “oh it needs a top up”. It was drinkable but not terribly fresh.

I then sat in the corner opposite a middle aged woman and her “beau” who was standing behind her, I soon became aware of a difference of opinion between the two as the frequency and volume of the swearing increased, I thought he was drunk and she was upset at this however I was soon disabused of this opinion when she slid off the leather seat onto the floor and he struggled to pick her up. After he had staggered out of the pub carrying his sweetheart I noticed the reason she had slid so gracefully to the floor – the large puddle of p*** on the seat and now a large puddle of p*** on the floor where she had come to rest. Quite a lot of p*** for such a small woman I thought. Someone attempted to take the seat but was soon dissuaded from this by a group of old lads who had also witnessed this artistic display. To give credit where it's due the JDW staff did eventually put a “cleaning in progress” sign over the puddle – needless to say no cleaning actually took place before I left shortly afterwards.

So what features of your local 'spoons do you love?

[Tilly-Miss]

Sorry to hear that oldboots, quite disgusting service all round it seems from the staff and the half spooned couple,who no doubt continued there session in another watering hole,what a way to behave?

[Oggwyn Trench]

I was in a JDW last Saturday afternoon, not the biggest bar in the empire by any means and not that busy, in fact when I arrived at the bar there was only one other customer being served by the solitary bar staff who actually saw me as our eyes met. He eventually finished taking the food order from this punter and looked around like a frightened rabbit at myself, another man lately arrived at the bar and the two giggling girls who were consulting the menu. The barman of course turned to the man immediately in front of him who had the good grace to point out who was actually next. The barman took my order, pulled half a pint, said “better let it settle” and after taking the money strode off to serve the other man. After a few minutes another JDW person arrived, Who's next?” I pointed at my half poured beer and she finished pouring the rest of the pint saying “oh it needs a top up”. It was drinkable but not terribly fresh.

I then sat in the corner opposite a middle aged woman and her “beau” who was standing behind her, I soon became aware of a difference of opinion between the two as the frequency and volume of the swearing increased, I thought he was drunk and she was upset at this however I was soon disabused of this opinion when she slid off the leather seat onto the floor and he struggled to pick her up. After he had staggered out of the pub carrying his sweetheart I noticed the reason she had slid so gracefully to the floor – the large puddle of p*** on the seat and now a large puddle of p*** on the floor where she had come to rest. Quite a lot of p*** for such a small woman I thought. Someone attempted to take the seat but was soon dissuaded from this by a group of old lads who had also witnessed this artistic display. To give credit where it's due the JDW staff did eventually put a “cleaning in progress” sign over the puddle – needless to say no cleaning actually took place before I left shortly afterwards.

So what features of your local 'spoons do you love?

Sorry i was going to make a considered reply but i have just pissed myself laughing

[Eddie86]

Sorry i was going to make a considered reply but i have just pissed myself laughing

It wasn't you in drag was it? :p

[Conrad]

My first instinct is to suggest she had heard the one about Bristol City holding onto a 1 goal lead in the last minute of a match, I know the idea is beginning to make me laugh :moremad:

I think you have nailed what I dislike about JDW though, it is not that they are bad pubs, they are frequently fine pubs. It is not that they are unfriendly it is that for me they always seem to fail to actually be friendly, at best I would call them efficient. I should say the same extends to pretty much any establishment done on a formula, they will inevitably have a checklist of things they have to do, rather than just be able to build their own personality.

[Oggwyn Trench]

It wasn't you in drag was it? :p

I`M 6`3 "and 15 stone so dont think i fit into small women , then again the wifes 4` 11" so maybe i do
Back to Pervs Galore

[an_ecumenical_matter]

The Commercial Rooms in Bristol was absolutely magic about 2 years ago. The manager was a bloke called Steve,the staff were good and the place was buzzing. But like anything,things change and now the piss sodden examples have returned. The aforementioned Steve lost interest big time and in time got the lever. (Leave or else.....) I remember one time explaining to visitors that they were in a Wetherspoons and they couldn't believe it. Alas now you'd spot it(or smell it!!) a mile off.

I must say I had scoff and a pt last week in the Metropolitan by Baker St tube last week-the scoff and ale were 10/10,the place was tidy,the staff and manager were great. It was like being in the Commie Rooms at the start of this posting..............................

[arwkrite]

About two years ago 'Spoons/Lloyds in Worcester was very popular with Polish migrant workers. Whatever time you visited there was always a group sat in the smoking area chattering away while consuming Polish Lager or Magners Cider. The women were dressed like tarts, infact they may have been or had terrible sense of style, were often the focus of arguments. They were far more entertaining than reading the house magazine. They have gone now to pastures new.Come to think of it so has the single mothers creche. Perhaps it was a travelling circus.
I have seen a woman stand up and pee on the floor. The effect on me must have been quite upsetting because I cannot remember where it happened.

[ETA]

What I hate most about 'Spoons is that the beer in most of them is served too cold and frequently off. Second place of annoyances is the (often) poor service provided by badly trained staff with little interest.

What I like about the chain as a whole is their willingness to serve a variety of beers, including local brews, often at reasonable prices. In addition, they often provide a useful role for otherwise unusable historic buildings and they have diversified (eg selling breakfast and coffee) thus making them quite a modern (in a good way) company.

Overall, they're a good thing.

Example of a bad spoons - The King's Highway in Inverness (one of the worst pubs in the town). Example of a good spoons - Last Orders in Edinburgh, where the beer is excellent.


But I'm not complacent - I would hate every pub to be a spoons, especially those that are still independent village institutions.

[Bucking Fastard]

Old Boots has had a bad experience,and I can certainly recognise the scenario.In order to maintain balance,at least you know exactly what you are getting before you enter a JDW in terms of cheap pricing and a range of real ales.In many urban town centres there are an excess of vertical drinking bars and the JDW can be a beacon of hope in a real ale desert.The issue I have with JDW is the variable ale quality which is so dependent on the skill and dedication of the pub manager.The chain regularly move managers around ,and my experiences at The Plaza in Rugeley (wonderful ale to very poor and now I hear back to great in the space of 6 months) is replicated elsewhere.Just why so many JDW's are in the Good Beer Guide does escape me although I am sure someone can educate me.
The other issue is that JDW managers seem reluctant to advise heavily intoxicated customers that another drink is inadvisable in their current condition.An owner occupier or tenant landlord will often sympathetically inform a punter who is one over the eight that enough is enough ,shame that is not in the JDW training manual.

[arwkrite]

I don't think the village pub fits in with JDWs business plans. Even small rural towns cannot provide the throughput of customers that would make a 'Spoons profitable . I cannot think of one that is not in a busy place.Bromyard on a weekday afternoon just would not make the grade. I have found certain other pub/food outlets worse than 'Spoons for superchilling their beer.You have the choice of drinking it ice cold and no taste or wait for ever.
I think that there are more plusses for JDW than minuses.
P.S I did see a manager refuse to serve a drunken customer in one of the Reading 'Spoons. However the customer had fallen into a hrizontal position and it would have been impossible to get anymore into him.

[Conrad]

The Commercial Rooms in Bristol was absolutely magic about 2 years ago.
I have been trying to remember The Commercial Rooms in a fair light. About 10+ years ago in my lager days it used to be a regular, but it was one of those places you met at because it was inoffensive and cheap, then you could work out where you were going next, a kind of first date pub really. And then about 4 years ago it was one of the pubs that Wetherspoons introduced the smoking ban into early. At that point we started using it for lunches a lot as it was one of the most pleasant locations in the area to have a smoke free lunch. Went in a couple of times at the start of last year, and I could easily have believed that ob's story happened there, it felt like whoever was there was willing to just let the place go to rot.

Of the others in Bristol I know, the Berkeley is very meh, nothing against it, but equally nothing for it. Only thing I would say is that on busy nights it is fun to go into the back area and listen to conversations clear as day from the other side of the room, whilst not hearing the person next to you. It has a domed ceiling that produces the most amusing acoustics.

And the Knights Templar is a fine pub, but it is a little like going out with Barbie, the place is all facelift and nothing original.


..., often at reasonable prices.

But I'm not complacent - I would hate every pub to be a spoons, especially those that are still independent village institutions.

Truthfully though, any moans I have about Wetherspoons boil down to these 2 aspects, they do do cheap beer (and fair play to them), but I suspect that they do it by leveraging their buying power. How are competitors supposed to offer other options when Wetherspoons can just undercut them. Ed would probably know better how serious this really is.

Whilst I am sure it wont come to that, there is always the niggling fear that we stop going to pubs and just end up going to Wetherspoons. Sadly also on that day PG becomes redundant and we should all go and chat on the Wetherspoons site.

[Conrad]

Just why so many JDW's are in the Good Beer Guide does escape me although I am sure someone can educate me.
Should probably point out this blog post (http://tysonsbeerblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/dance-of-cuckoos.html) mentioned by oldboots over in the blog tracker forum. (Don't expect any answers in it)

[Eddie86]

They have a maximum price they'll pay for a firkin of beer, dependent on abv . They work on quantity ~ i'll buy 6-10 18s of Butty a week in summer ~ They do that with guest ales! From a brewers point of view, if you've got a few firks left of a batch of ale with 10days life left you can do worse.

Im in Bristol this evening so Ill pop in 1 or 2 pubs and report...

[Conrad]

Damn you Ed, I am already booked, but Dave is just PM'ing you if you want to catch up.

[hopwas]

I know JDW is like marmite.. either you love or hate it. But I have to defend JDW, they sell excellent choice of Real Ales and very affordable. They also support mircobreweries and are very eager to help them. I know it is cheap beers which pulls in "almost-skint" people and drink themself to death but it's their own choice really.

Now.. myself huge fan of JDW cos of real ales they are selling, not food. Their food quailty is the not the greatest but they are quite "eatable" Funny thing is I "rarely" eat food at JDWs cos most of time I spend time in JDW drinking. I much prefer eat in Ember Inn THAN JDW cos of quality thing. On Weekend nights, I avoid JDWS like plague unless I have to (i.e reunions, warm up drinks before night club)

I have to remind you it is the JDWs in busy Town centre or City centre is the worst offenders (Like Birmingham, London, Manchester etc etc) due to huge population.

I'll stop rambling.. sorry!

Hoppy

[Eddie86]

Well I managed to balls that up tonight.

Dinner took for ever to complete, meaning 8:15 train missed so decided a quick pint with dave was in order. Mrs checked train times, one just after half past. Mentioned this to dave in the pub Id chosen. Turned out to be a dirty scream bar.

'Half past?' asked dave. 'You may want to leave now then to get to Temple station. Therefore no time for a drink with him, apologies for that mate. Taxi to station, can't see our train so asked lady behind screen.

'No trains leave bristol to aber at 8:40'

Balls. Next train 9pm gets in an hour + behind our schedule.

Phone thetrainline.com to complain.


'Sorry sir, the express train your talking about is from the other station.



Garrrrrr!!!!

[Conrad]

Sorry I missed you Ed, that food place is terminally slow, but I have always had nice food there and at least they don't make you feel like they need the table back.

Last time I went into the White Hart it was actually called Scream and appeared to be full of 15 year olds. Was a nice enough pub, but not somewhere I would have ever gone back to (and indeed haven't yet).

:) Ah the joys of train station confusion, if you had known it was Parkway you would never have got there in time, probably about a 30 min journey from where you were.

Anyway, hopefully catch you later in the year either in Hay or Bristol.

[Eddie86]

Sorry I missed you Ed, that food place is terminally slow, but I have always had nice food there and at least they don't make you feel like they need the table back.

Last time I went into the White Hart it was actually called Scream and appeared to be full of 15 year olds. Was a nice enough pub, but not somewhere I would have ever gone back to (and indeed haven't yet).

:) Ah the joys of train station confusion, if you had known it was Parkway you would never have got there in time, probably about a 30 min journey from where you were.

Anyway, hopefully catch you later in the year either in Hay or Bristol.


It's still a scream


:'(

Sorry to have missed you - next time though...

[runningdog]

By and large I'm with Hoppy on the JDW thing. For a start, I know that, without the one local to me, my drinking experience it would be a pretty barren affair. Now I realise that I'm in a different situation from most of you, good luck to you on that. I can't go gallivanting about the countryside, nor can I roll from one pub to the next. Anyways it would be a waste of effort round here.
For me, the Nightjar is a godsend, easy to get to, inexpensive, but usually good beer, with plenty of variation and choice. Given it's price and the volume produced, the food is excellent.
'ob's experience was both funny and disgusting at the same time but it and behaviour like it, aren't exclusive to JDW's. It can and does happen in pubs of all sizes and every kind. Two from my catalogue of pub tales. Expensive gastro. iddle aged 'lady' throws up over the party at the next table, doesn't even apologise, simply tries to get another drink. Small so-called' community pub. Lad walks away from the bar, tries to get into the, occupied, disabled toilet. On failing he just stands there and pisses. Again, no apology.
It happens everywhere, don't blame the pub, blame the folk who do it.........:moremad:
Bluidy hell, seems like my night for little rants. Here's to the sneckliftin peculiar beast:drinkup::drinkup::drinkup: