The Jubilee Oak (JD Wetherspoon), Crawley

Britpop era Spoons. Building society in its former life with a classic ‘get it done’ conversion - a long narrow oblong interior with a lack of natural light towards the rear though at least more brightly artificially lit than the average. Two-tone blue colours and some booths down the left-hand side. Service good, and my Nottingham Citra was fine (NBSS 3). Apparently named after the oak tree in front of the building which was planted in 1887. 6.5

The Jubilee Oak is a very deep Wetherspoons with a bar that runs along the right wall. booth seating runs up the left wall opposite the bar and there are seating areas at the front and rear. High tables run up the centre of the pub and there are stairs that lead up, not sure if this is just to the toilets or if there is another bar/more seating. The television was off during a recent Friday evening visit and there was no background music. In amongst the standard and premium keg ranges are three banks of five hand pumps. Three of these were off which left Exmoor Ales Exile Barista, Sharps Doom Bar (x3), Greene King Abbot Ale (x2), Wadworth JD Boss Hogg, Orkney Brewery’s Red Mcgregor, Ruddles Best (x2), Belhaven Barn Dance and Old Rosie Cider. The usual JDW menu is available with cheap food and meal deals. These older style Spoons remind me of the time when all Wetherspoons pubs were terrible with old beer and feckless staff. Thankfully those days have passed because this is an OK pub with very polite staff.

Narrow, elongated 'spoons of the older type, with the expected dark furniture and a row of booths along one side. Quite dark inside, apart from by the front windows and the rear section which is better lit. Despite having three banks of five handpumps, the real ale selection was rather uninspired with quite a few duplicated clips and just a couple of local beers (with the Washington Gold from Dorking Brewery, £2.19, standing out).