The White Lion, Retford

The White Lion has a pool table and dartboard to the left and seating to the right where there’s a gas burner in a fireplace. The counter mid-placed on the rear wall supports two hand pumps that were drawing TT Landlord and Pheasantry Brewery’s PA. The lights were out in the rear, and the televisions were also off, so the two older locals in on a recent midweek evening were stood at the bar listening to the likes of American teen music in the background. I don’t think I’ll be visiting here again.

A traditional white painted back street pub on the outside, inside a brightly lit, blandly decorated club like place, grey tongue & groove woodwork and white upper walls. A mix of modern furniture, sofas, armchairs and wedding venue chairs. Consisting of two rooms, the front was in use while the rear was in darkness on my visit. The counter is in the front room with three pulls; Pheasantry PA on one, Landlord on another, nowt on the last. The PA was in good nick but not a beer I particularly liked. Keg choices were on low T-Bars at each end of the counter. A couple of screens were showing different footy matches, one watched by noisy pensioners, the kids were occupied on the pool table at the other end of the pub. It has a dart board as well and a machine but oddly no piped music or juke box. An odd pub and no mistake.

A deceptively large backstreet pub, run by the same people as the Ship round the corner but a world apart and aimed at a different, younger market, hence numerous screens, loud music and two pool tables. The extensive interior is sort of basic modern with nothing of any great note to mention. They do at least keep a cask ale on, usually Black Sheep Best but occasionally varying to Tetleys or something else, but on this visit it was still settling so the guvnor wouldn't sell it, which is fair enough. I doubt I'll go back though.