The Defectors Weld, Shepherds Bush, W12

As noted below Youngs pub on Shepherd’s Bush Green. Had Original and Special on offer plus a significant array of keg offerings. the Original was decent and quite impressed my friend that had never sampled previously. It was pretty busy on arrival a bit after 5.30pm as the post work crowd of the area started amassing. In fact after buying said quaffs and barely getting more than a few sup’s in, the place because overly rowdy with young lads (guessing real estate agents or other sector unknown sales people from the attire and overpowering aftershave having the lingering power to get through an entire work day) having no effing idea of pub etiquette and spreading out but rather standing over our table and talking utter drivel. Not t the venues’s fault but knocked down a bit on rating because of the attached clientele. I was disappointed with this venue. Thought it was my first decent shot at an above average venue on the day but just didn’t have enough to be better than that middle ground of nothingness. At least there wasn’t some pointless activity going on in the venue other than being loud and unnecessarily annoying.

Youngs pub, in the Good Beer Guide 2022. At least one guest on - a chosen Proper Job - where I managed to negotiate getting a proper glass now the QPR fans have belatedly made their way to the ground. Cavernous open plan room around a central bar. The only thing to stay in the memory will be your ears rattling from music played at filling rattling volumes.

Official site of The Defectors Weld - www.defectors-weld.co.uk

Official site of The Defectors Weld - www.defectors-weld.co.uk

I have no recollection of this place in a former guise when I lived very close by in the mid 1980s, pretty sure I never went in. Many pubs around here back then were hard drinking Irish pubs with no real ale so that might be why. A large street corner pub, tapering with the road layout to the side, on the edge of the green.The strange and almost certainly unique pub name has its origins in the spy within network of Burgess and McLean if the Whatpub write up is correct. The very large ground floor area has an almost island bar, boarded flooring, banquettes and mismatched chairs to the front blending into sofas and armchairs towards the rear. Lots of exposed brickwork of varying age and visual quality, a couple of possibly original fireplaces remain, the high ceiling has a textured finish painted green. Stairs lead up to an unvisited by me "Snug Bar" and to one side red neon lighting advertises "The Small Disco". Quiet of an afternoon but I expect it is rammed on a gig night or a match day at QPR. Beers were Young's Bitter, Special was reversed, Purity Mad Goose and Signature Session, one unclipped. The 20% CAMRA discount is generous and worth taking up as without it the prices are well above the £4 mark. I didn't see it advertised but the barman was honourable in asking me if I was a member. Food served, didn't look and there is a Sunday quiz.