Becketts Bank (JD Wetherspoon), Leeds

This is a large two storey Wetherspoons bank conversion in the city's financial district. As with most of this chain's bank conversions, you find yourself inside a vast, high ceilinged, open plan room with a few notable architectural features. The main room is carpeted and has the servery running along the back wall with high tables and stools arranged opposite. The servery has a series of mirrors on the bar back, one of which depicts the pub (and former bank's) name, whilst the area around the counter is broken up by four huge stone pillars. Additional seating can be found along the front and right hand sides of the room, with the right hand side extending quite some way back, beyond the end of the bar. Stairs lead up to a narrow mezzanine space with plenty of additional standard seating and nice views down over the main room below. You can also get a better look at the ceiling from up here, with its decorative touches and impressive light fittings. There are plenty of TV screens dotted around the pub, showing the usual muted news coverage. The pub was doing a brisk breakfast trade and I decided to join in and have a fry-up, which was up to the usual acceptable standards. The staff were friendly and engaging with the waitresses in particular doing a sterling job of getting food out quickly and tables promptly cleared. I counted ten handpulls at the bar, two of which were serving regular 'Spoons ales, whilst one displayed the dreaded 'Coming Soon' clip, leaving the remaining seven for guest ales, mostly from regional micros, which seemed like a pretty good ratio to me. This is a pretty decent Wetherspoons pub, not quite as opulent as some of their higher profile bank conversions and a little less personal and convivial than the Stick or Twist. It's always good to know where the reliable 'Spoons are in any city and based on this visit, I would say this place is worth bearing in mind.

We were lucky to get in here before the place got mobbed with loads of footy fans. The Moorhouses Black Witch was spot on.

Hasn't changed much in the last two days, except that there are now several 'coming soons'. My beer was ok but another pint was decidedly off. Change volunteered, but signs that not all is well in the cellar.