The Queens Arms, Basingstoke

I'm sure I visited this pub way back in Winter 1973 after going for an interview with the Civil Service Commission which resulted in my first "proper" job. I'm certain this was a Courage pub then and it still serves the boring brew from Bedford so that seals it for me. It's to the left as you leave the main South entrance to Basingstoke Station just by where a tunnel goes under the lines on the road heading North. Inside it's a fairly small single room which wraps around the central bar with food areas on the right and further back. It was mostly full of older folk on my Friday lunchtime visit. The bar has a pair of hand pumps which are wasted with Courage Best and Doom Bore while the other bank of four had one unused. The three beers available were Village Old Raby, Rudgate Vanilla Mild and B&T Albion Ale. I went for the Old Raby (£3.75) which was in good nick. I thought this was a pleasant enough place but nothing particularly special. In the context of being a pub in a dump like Basingstoke it's rather good.

Popped in to check out what was the best pub in Basingstoke as it didn't make the GBG2015, luckily it's still good and could still be the best pub in Basingrad but I'm not going round them all to make sure - unless I become a masochist.

Queens Arms Facebook page - www.facebook.com

While you might expect the pub nearest to the station to be low-quality (a daunting prospect indeed in this town), it turns out that the Queens Arms is one of the best. Go in, and the bar's right there: Fosters seems to be drink of choice for most of the crowd, but there are 3 handpumps offering guests from far & wide; at the right-hand end of the bar are couple more pumps clipped for Courage Best & Doom Bar, although these seem to be considered 'out of sight and out of mind' - it took me a while to spot them. The beer's good and the crowd friendly. There seems little need to explore further.

Queens Arms Facebook page - www.facebook.com