George & Dragon, Barnsley

A lively and welcoming locals pub a short walk outside the town centre, with a focus on real ale alongside the licensee's evident enjoyment of running a pub. Having bought it just before Covid struck and reopened after the first lockdown ended, it must have taken quite a personality to come out grinning the other side. She was almost literally bouncing to the music on the sound system, so infectiously it was hard to avoid joining in. The fact that the beer she was trying to pour me had gone off soon became too urgent to ignore, and I switched to a half each of Tiger Tops English Pale (actually better described as a best bitter, but we try not to use the B-word nowadays - a slightly disappointing NBSS 2.5) and Chantry Diamond Black Stout. The latter was NBSS 3.5, and when my mates caught up with me after their delayed train finally reached Barnsley I had the third beer on as well: Chin Chin Pale (really a pale ale this time, and another NBSS 3.5). This is a very nicely refurbished pub, its exterior white paint gleaming in the sunshine, and the interior - one large room with a smaller one up a few steps - was smart without being too smart. Eventually the background music produced something that it's just not possible to bounce along to (Mouldy Old Dough), but we had a good time here and I could see us returning one day.

The George & Dragon is a proper looking back street pub that is a short walk from the middle of Barnsley. Once inside there is a single square shaped room with the bar on the right side,the room is carpeted and has comfy bench seating and small stools,there is one tall table in the middle of the room,there is a pool table in a small area up some steps to the rear right. There were no real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Tetley Smooth which was a pretty poor drink,the other keg bitter was John Smiths Smooth Crap. There was decent background music playing. I quite like pubs like this,just a shame there was not one real ale on. Pub visited 30/12/2016