The Arnold Machin (JD Wetherspoon), Newcastle Under Lyme Central, Newcastle under Lyme

The Arnold Machin is a long and thin Spoons that was busy during a recent midweek evening visit. The bar supports two banks of five hand pumps that were drawing the usual trio alongside Nethergate’s Hop Weaver, Burton Bridge’s Stairway to Heaven, Grainstore’s Rutland Beast and Glamorgan Brewing’s Thunderbird. I wasn’t a fan of the Stairway to Heaven, but I think this was more the brew than the keeping. The service was polite, but this is a ten a penny town centre Spoons that I will quickly forget about.

Called in here on the Thursday night before the PuG crawl and again for breakfast the following morning. Pretty efficient on both occasions with a decent selection of cask ales. Breakfast was served very quickly despite the fact that it was very busy with "Ladies Who Breakfast". Maybe this is a thing in Newcastle. Two almost separate rooms inside and a spacious beer terrace to the rear. I didn't mind it in here at all.

Official site of The Arnold Machin (JD Wetherspoon) - www.jdwetherspoon.com

Official site of The Arnold Machin (JD Wetherspoon) - www.jdwetherspoon.com

Substantial 'spoons housed in the former main post office, with the much longer side elevation and terrace benefiting from the adjoining well-presented municipal gardens. Partly opened-out to leave two rooms - the larger being the bar area at the front, with more of a dining area further back. Fair selection of real ales from the two banks of five handpumps, mostly priced (like my pint of Nottingham Rock Mild) at £2.15.

I suppose me writing anything too complimentary about a Spoons is as about as likely as Aqualung appearing on Love Island. Housed in a former Victorian Post Office, the impressive mock-17th century frontage soon gives away to plain brick in this dog-leg shaped building and my enthusiasm evaporated just as quick. Two areas with walls of differing colours, information boards (which I didn't read as we were in a hurry) and so on. The service was Ok and the clientele the usual Spoons mix. Alongside their usual suspects, the Nottingham Brewery Rock MILD stood out from them and the other guests and was in good condition. Beer wise a good start, if not pub experience.