The Wheatsheaf, Gravesend

The Wheatsheaf is a small U shaped pub with a bar that supports three hand pumps that were unused during my recent Friday afternoon visit. There were no complaints from the handful of locals about the lack of ale as they tucked into the standard draught selection. To the left of the bar is a dartboard and plasma screen. To the right is a children free seating area where there is another plasma screen. Both of the plasma screens were showing a muted episode of Only Fools and Horses overlaid by Teletext showing horse racing results. There is a jukebox on the wall and I found the music to be loud for a weekday afternoon. I didn’t see any food advertised and children are permitted until 19:00. There are better pubs nearby so I do not plan to return any time soon.

The wonderful green tiled façade and old Trumans sign are as old fashioned as the people who inhabit this rather dated and yet strangely homely pub. The horseshoe shaped interior has a dart board at one end and a small and pretty basic TV at the other. It will never win any prizes for architectural merit and the décor is rather tired and drab. The plain carpet is a bit rough around the edges and the tiled fireplace has sadly been made redundant by a storage heater. There are a few bits worthy of noting, the shallow built in benches being especially quaint. The only Ale was Green King IPA although I nearly opted for a draught Toby bitter just for the hell of it. It really is that sort of pub. There are enough toothless pensioners and Vicky Pollard lookalikes to keep scriptwriters in work for years and yet, beneath the veneer is a real community pub spirit that is hard to find. The youngsters seem happy to hang around chatting even though some old codger with a walking stick was feeding the jukebox with wall to wall Des O'Connor (I joke not) and the numerous Christmas Cards (review was written in December before pub was added to the site) that were pinned to the bar frame show that the locals hold the staff in high esteem. This strange mix of customers, styles and tastes seem to cohabitate happily with each other and makes for a quite welcoming atmosphere. It is not a pub that will appeal to many people but I do find I have a strange affection and curiosity for the place.