Crown & Sceptre, SW2

As noted below, this was originally a large Truman's pub. There are plenty of fine exterior features from its Truman days. The interior is fairly typical Spoons, carpeted with a few raised areas. Unusually, there appeared to be a car park at the back, but whether the small patio at the front overlooking the chaotic A23 can be described as a "garden" is debateable. There are two banks of five pumps and on my visit none of these were wasted. There were the two mandatory GK beers, a cider, two Sambrooks (Wandle and Pumphouse Pale), Marston's Old Empire, Exe Valley Autumn Glory, Yeovil Ruby and Orkney Wayfarer. I arrived here far earlier than planned at around 09:30 and despite this the pint I had of Yeovil Ruby was in outstanding condition at £2.15. Wetherspoons opened it in September 1990 making it one of their older houses. It is listed in the 2014 GBG. This is one of the best Spoons I have been to this year and I will try and return here for the October Festival.

This is a fairly decent ‘spoons, which had on half a dozen ales, all at £2.35 a pint. Less usually for a ‘spoons, this one is housed in a large corner site building that has clearly always been a pub. Walking up to it you wouldn’t identify it immediately as a Wetherspoons as a lot of the original signage – Truman’s, Burton Ales, etc, - remains in place, with the Wetherspoons branding relatively unobtrusive. Inside it’s completely opened up of course, although some panelling and the like has been inserted to break up the large space and introduce some more discrete drinking and dining areas. The usual ‘spoons type furnishings and typical customer base were all present. But it was clean tidy when I was in at around 12.30 PM on Monday. In short it’s a fairly typical, or perhaps slightly above average, ‘spoons, but that can be a welcome sight when looking for something decent to drink in an otherwise real ale wasteland.