The Alma, Doncaster

A town centre pub that, like the town centre itself, was totally deserted at the time of my mid-afternoon Sunday visit. I remarked to the lass behind the bar that it obviously wasn't the busiest time of the week, to which she could only say that it wasn't usually this quiet. In the absence of any real ale I asked for a half of John Smiths Smooth Crap, which was neither super-cold nor as super-bad as I have had it before now. The pub is a one-room affair, though it's quite a large room, and there's an extension on the left going towards the toilets, and with the yard or beer garden visible. It's actually quite pleasant - the builders had included a plaque saying 1994 in the brick wall to the left of where I was seated, though it's not clear whether this celebrated completing the job or getting paid for it. I've been in lots worse pubs than this, so perhaps it was the Exeter v Leicester rugby union match on the TV that was causing people to stay away.