The H.G. Wells, Worcester Park

This is a large inter-war pub occupying a prominent site on the main Cheam Common Rd, with a relatively large car park. Inside the drinking areas wrap themselves around the large central servery like a thick ribbon. A couple of tall tables/tall stools are near the front door but the vast majority of furnishings are normal tables and chairs. The area on the left as you enter is carpeted, but that's the only bit of carpeting with everywhere else being bare-boarded. An area well to the right of the pub has dividing shelves, bearing vases and the like, separating it from the rest of the pub, and where all tables were laid for diners. This is clearly intended as the main dining area as in front of it was a table with the reservations book on it. There were also wax encrusted bottles on a mantlepiece, presumably awaiting deployment in the evening in an endeavour to imbue a semblence of atmosphere. Three handpumps greet you as you enter through the main door. Unfortunately two weren't in operation during my visit, with the only ale on being Timothy Taylor Landlord (£1.60 a half). There's a bank of three more handpumps around to the right, but again only one was clipped - with Landlord. There must usually be two more ales on, as during my stay the barman started to pull a couple more through. From the other side of the room I recognised immediately a London Pride clip, with the other new one being either Courage Best, or perhaps Doom Bar, clip so obviously not worth staying for another one. Live entertainment seems to be a regular feature here, seemingly comprising tribute acts, as I saw advertisements for Freddie Mercury, Whitney Houston and Michael Buble. This struck me as a corporate, food led roadhouse pub. There's little of the intimacy of the Prince of Wales down the road, but it clearly serves a purpose.

Things have gone downhill since Malden man's visit. An early evening call found just four others in the pub at a time when most of the other pubs along here are busy with after-work drinkers. The restaurant end remains quite presentable but the pub end is looking decidedly tired, paintwork battered, furniture scuffed and tatty, the bare board floor in desperate need of a sand and varnish and the pub feeling cold on a relatively mild evening. Service is cheerful, but the TT Landlord was in poor shape, though we may well have had the first couple of pints through the pipes for several hours. The other choices were Director's and, inevitably, Pride. Owners Butcher and Barrel went bust a couple of weeks ago. They may well have been starving this pub of investment/milking it for cash for a some time. Let's hope that the administrators will sell it to someone who can turn it around otherwise I fear yet another block of flats is on the cards.

Official site of the HG Wells, contains menus, wine list and event details - www.thehgwells.co.uk

Official site of the HG Wells, contains menus, wine list and event details - www.thehgwells.co.uk

Renamed and recently refitted in what appears to have been a successful attempt to take this pub a bit upmarket. Food is important here but not exclusively so. The pub is an unusual shape, being a rectangle with squint ends which results in a feel of three areas. Wood flooring, reclaimed old black timber beams and posts, some exposed brickwork with other areas being half panelled with light coloured walls. Subdued lighting, pot plants, IKEA style cube shelving units housing books, lamps and pictures. The HG Wells theme is reinforced by film posters from The War of the Worlds....HG Wells lived briefly in Worcester Park at one time. The right hand squint area was set for dining and there were a few groups eating Sunday lunches, roasts from £7 or £8 look decent value. A dartboard at the opposite end would only be usable with some rearrangement of furniture. I saw adverts for steak night, quiz night and unusually a dinner dance event. Beers were London Pride, Courage Directors and Timothy Taylors Landlord, decent value at £2.75. There was no TV on but I did see a drop down screen with projector which was not in use despite there being live football on at the time, so I'm supposing this is not a sports venue.