The Blakesley Arms, Manor Park, E12

There was no real ale on when I visited at Saturday lunchtime, although one of the two handpumps on the bar had a GKIPA clip reversed. I didn’t see any sign of food either, although I was in there very early. The exterior of the pub is in need of some TLC, although a stucco frieze has been picked out in blue, which somewhat strangely doesn’t look out of place. Inside, the room stretches back to the left of the bar counter to an area with a dartboard on a small stage, as well as a pool table. The wall on the right of the main bar area has some cheap looking wood panelling; the wall on the left has some better quality fielded panelling; and in the area at the back the panelling is higher quality still. No prizes for guessing where the public, saloon and lounge bars used to be located. There is a very nice Charrington’s mirror on the left wall that I’m told was relocated from the Ruskin Arms down the road when it closed. The relocation was most appropriate as the distinctive green banded glazing mark this out as an ex Charrington’s pub, as does the small Toby Jug insignia on the bar back. This is a very basic pub, and is hardly worth going out of your way to visit, but it is very handy for Manor Park Station.

This is a big boozer where the bar horseshoes around to create two separate bars. The front bar is a decent size and houses a dartboard and a couple of plasma screens for showing Sky Sports. The back section is much bigger and there is a pool table, projector screen and a stage where a speciality divisible by five dartboard was set up. The bar is well stocked with standard draught products, but only one of the four hand pumps was being used and it was drawing Greene King IPA. The Guinness was very good though and the barmaid that served me was very friendly. There are some picnic tables out the back, but I think that these are mainly for the needs of smokers. I’d pop back in here again if I was passing.