The Shakespeare's Head (JD Wetherspoon), Holborn, WC2

The scaffolding as mentioned below has gone, so this place didn't seem unusually dark to me. It is a typical Spoons barn which on my midday visit seemed to be taken up by mostly tourists. The most annoying thing for me was an extremely irritating little man jabbering into a mobile phone while randomly walking around right in front of the bank of pumps which I was trying to inspect. I ordered a pint of Portobello Market Porter at £3.05 and sat at one of the small tables. The beer was pretty ropey and when the Mobile Phone Moron's meandering path took him close to my table I was tempted to empty it over his head and leave. This is one Spoons I wouldn't bother with again given the short distance to the GBG listed one in Holborn, but I felt no compulsion to visit the GBG listed Ship a few minutes walk away selling bog-standard beers at over 4 quid a pint.

The overwhelming recollection of this bog-standard Spoons is the darkness of the interior the further you get from the main entrance. After purchasing a festival ale, I decided that I really didn't want to venture any further back as, not only was it clear that I'd struggle to read my Standard, I wasn't entirely certain I'd be able make out my pint in the Stygian gloom. In future, I think I'll leave this one to the budget-conscious tourists who seemed to comprise the majority of the clientele.

This is a fairly mundane formulaic Wetherspoons with the usual long dark and narrow interior. The lighting levels inside are certainly not helped by the scaffolding that currently shrouds Africa House despite the row of windows along the side passage. The bar is typically along a side wall towards the front, seating is at crammed in rows of small square tables at the Kingsway end but improves a bit towards the rear where there are a few larger circular tables separated from each other by glass screens. There are a couple of nominally raised areas to the front and rear. Decor seems to consist of various Shakespeare led framed prints including scenes from the writer's plays however these are easily overshadowed by the abundance of notices warning customers to keep an eye on their belongings, one of such in nine languages. There was a reasonable selection of guest beers on, Mordue Workie Ticket, Twickenham Naked Ladies, Bragdy Conwy Welsh Pride, Dorset Weymouth BB and Wickwar Bankers Draft. Central London 'spoons prices apply however with my Workie Ticket being £2.90. The 6 Nations rugby was showing on the big screen with the volume up. Not the best of the chain I have been in, despite an ok beer range but it was harmless enough.

Average sort of 'spoons, a pretty characterless interior and no welcome as such but at least I got served fairly competently. Visited fairly frequently as they normally have a decent range of ales on, food is normal microwave pre-packs of the chain.

An old commercial building now turned into a JDW with a single large bar in a busy part of London. It is a typical, middle range JDW bar which has given little ground to the idea of a pub, and like so many JDWs is characterised by apathetic staff, irritating gaming machines and over-chilled beer. There were 11 ales on, none at discounted price, and I had to argue about the use of CAMRA vouchers. I had a pint of Exmoor Dark, which apart from being too cold was reasonably well kept. It's not the worst of its kind, but average at best. With so many better pubs nearby I wouldn't make a point of coming here too often but would drop in if passing.

Randomness Guide to London - Shakespeare's Head entry

Randomness Guide to London - Shakespeare's Head entry