Why I travel by train

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

I'm happy with the nearest Wetherspoon's thanks. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

...where is this Wetherspoons that serves good beer? In my experience a lot of their cask ale is so far past its best that you could pour it on your chips! (I know they keep their prices down by buying stock that's close to its use by date).

With respect, TaplowGreen, that is an urban myth. J D Wetherspoon use their rather large corporate buying power to obtain wholesale quantities of fresh beers - and they then choose to sell them at retail prices in local pubs at whatever figure is competitive in the area.

I have enjoyed many a pint of such real ales in the Wetherspoons in Nailsea - they are very much more likely to be 'young and frothy' than 'old and sour'. 

[Fourbee]

(I suspect you wrote 'aesthetics')

That was the one I was after

The spellchecker obviously considered my first stab as too wide of the mark!

[TaplowGreen]

...where is this Wetherspoons that serves good beer? In my experience a lot of their cask ale is so far past its best that you could pour it on your chips! (I know they keep their prices down by buying stock that's close to its use by date).

With respect, TaplowGreen, that is an urban myth. J D Wetherspoon use their rather large corporate buying power to obtain wholesale quantities of fresh beers - and they then choose to sell them at retail prices in local pubs at whatever figure is competitive in the area.

I have enjoyed many a pint of such real ales in the Wetherspoons in Nailsea - they are very much more likely to be 'young and frothy' than 'old and sour'. 

...........if that is the case Chris I must admit my error, swallow my (London) Pride and will try not to be bitter! 

[Bmblbzzz]

Hopefully you don't have a sting in the tail

No, I just stop to smell the flowers and make sweet goodness! 
Or, as they say, something...

[Bmblbzzz]

Oh, and as for Wetherspoons; they're good for what they are, but they are not a traditional pub. In fact they're superior IMO^▸ ('in my opinion') in certain aspects - could you go into a traditional pub at 10 in the morning for a coffee? - and they do serve good beer (I'm not sure whether they serve it at 10 a.m.!) but are not the place to go if you want a pub atmosphere.

[Thatcham Crossing]

JDW's come in many shapes and sizes, and I think they're quite good at what they do.

I've been in one in Ayr in Scotland which was in a converted church - you could drink beer from the pulpit!

"The Monk's Retreat" in Reading's "nightlife" area is always heaving in my experience and has always had a good atmosphere when I've been in.

Their business model does seem to have changed a bit over the years - originally they were a "no music" environment (I think
this was to save on the licencing costs) - whereas one of the 2 JDW's in Newbury, "The Diamond Tap" pretty much becomes a nightclub
on a Friday and Saturday night.

[Alan Pettitt]

- and they do serve good beer (I'm not sure whether they serve it at 10 a.m.!) but are not the place to go if you want a pub atmosphere.

Wetherspoons in Bridport serve alcohol from 8 a.m.

[TaplowGreen]

- and they do serve good beer (I'm not sure whether they serve it at 10 a.m.!) but are not the place to go if you want a pub atmosphere.

Wetherspoons in Bridport serve alcohol from 8 a.m.

Ouch! Never realised Bridport was such a rock n roll town! I would say 0800 drinking is OK if still going from the night before, otherwise however I think I'll wait until the sun is over the Yardarm at least! 

[Chris from Nailsea]

On the other hand, for night shift workers, the opportunity to have a well-earned beer at the end of their shift at 8:00am is probably quite welcome! 

[phile]

- and they do serve good beer (I'm not sure whether they serve it at 10 a.m.!) but are not the place to go if you want a pub atmosphere.

Wetherspoons in Bridport serve alcohol from 8 a.m.

I think they all do.   My local does.
There is an exception in Scotland where for some reason they can't sell alcohol until 12 30 on a Sunday. 

[Alan Pettitt]

My very good friend (still) who also happens to be my ex sent me a text from Wetherspoons Bridport a couple of years ago at 0715 to say she was enjoying a nice pint of cider with a mutual friend. When I spent a couple of days with her for her 50th in Bath in February just gone I asked her if Spoons still opened at 7, and she gave me the bad news that it doesn't open till 8 now.

[Alan Pettitt]

I think they all do.   My local does.
There is an exception in Scotland where for some reason they can't sell alcohol until 12 30. 

No a lot of them keep to their 9 a.m. rule, even if they open at 8 (Trowbridge for certain)

[TaplowGreen]

On the other hand, for night shift workers, the opportunity to have a well-earned beer at the end of their shift at 8:00am is probably quite welcome! 

Good point! (although I always just wanted to flop into bed!) - I remember the pubs around Smithfield and Billingsgate had special licences to allow this, and The Dolphin in Plymouth (one of the finest pubs on Earth!) often had fishermen enjoying a pint early in the morning!

[phile]

Back to travelling by train, there was chap (impression middle aged) in a discussion on BBC2 Jeremy Vine Show who said he had never been on a train in his life.    Lives at Oakhill in Somerset.