Last Post (JD Wetherspoon), Southend-On-Sea

Very large 'spoons in a converted main Post Office, featuring two bars and entrances (one at each end of the building). Usual furniture and decor in a wide range of seating areas. Particularly good selection of real ales from a total of 18 handpumps, including various Nethergate beers such as the seasonal Lemon Head (£2.30).

Open plan Wetherspoons but almost split into two areas between the 2 streets. There are also 2 separate bars. Weston Road side is larger, set out as standard but light & airy with a conservatory wall opposite the serving bar. The other side is darker with more booth seating. Beer & service seemed good

As would be expected from the name this is a converted Post Office dating from 1994. It is GBG 2014 listed. Inside it's a fairly cavernous place with four banks of three handpumps. On offer were Wadworth's Fat Head's Rocket Man, Old Peculiar, Adnam's Mosaic, Directors, Abbot, Ruddles doubled up, Doom Bore and four ciders. while perusing the choice I overheard one of the punters boasting that he was barred for life from The Elms (a Spoons in Leigh-on-Sea) and then he suggested I might try the Directors. I ignored this terrible advice (for which he should have been barred) and went for the Rocket Man (£2.50) which was in great nick. On leaving I was approached by a woman who asked me if I wanted to go for a coffee in a church hall down the road, she went on to explain it was to do with mental health issues. I declined but spent the rest of the day in a state of total paranoia. Why me?? I quite liked this Spoons but as noted below I could imagine it being horrendous on fine summer days.