The Cricketers (JD Wetherspoon), Ipswich

This is a fairly basic branch of the Wetherspoons chain located in a slightly strange building with an incoherent, chopped out interior, on the main road around the top end of the town centre. The bar is opposite the front door and is formed into a vague U-shape with handpulls on either side - the regular 'Spoons ales to the left and guests to the right. It has the usual unexciting counter and bar back, although the counter is broken a few times by large structural support pillars, so it doesn't have that drinking barn servery feeling that a lot of 'Spoons have. Good seating areas can be found to either side, with the usual fancy carpeting throughout and some high table and stool options dominating. Better seating can be found by walking behind the bar, to either side, which brings you out into a rear room, also carpeted, with standard tables and chairs in abundance. The anaglypta ceiling has a large central skylight which brightens the space nicely, and there are pleasant stained glass rear doors, local history boards on the walls and a small fireplace to the front right. There's a good, split level patio garden out the back with loads more seating, but this didn't look like much fun in the pouring rain that greeted my arrival. On the bar, there were the three regular ales and no less than eight guests - not unusual for a 'Spoons back in the day, but a rare sight in these post-Covid times. I tried the Bishop Nick Halo, which was served by a grudging barmaid in a plastic pot with a short measure to boot, and I found that the service in general was prompt but disinterested. The beer was in reasonable shape, suggesting that eight guests might be one or two too many. I found this to be quite a pleasant, if a little rundown and ramshackle, branch of the chain and didn't mind spending a bit of time in here. The extensive ale range might be a draw, but questions over quality control would temper how I view this as a motivator for repeat visits. On the whole, I thought it was a decent enough 'Spoons that merits a look in passing but is unlikely to be somewhere you'd want to have a longer session. Date of visit - 8th December 2024

An impressive looking building, conveniently just across the road from Tower Ramparts bus station. Inside there is a central bar, nicely breaking up a series of separate drinking areas, with the main tabled eating area to the rear. Outside there is a fair-sized patio, including a section with artificial grass. Beerwise, I was pleased to see a stout, a porter and an old ale on pump, together with a varied range of bitters as well as the usual stuff. Ciders from the box. No complaints with ale condition; service was patchy but otherwise a slightly above average 'Spoon's.

Although it looks a bit like a public library designed by an Edwardian architect given too much money by the municipal authorities, this one of the more traditional pub-like 'spoons inside (albeit remodelled somewhat with a variety of seating / dining areas around the central servery). Pretty good selection from the 12 handpumps, although my first choice expired during the pour so went for the Wolf Werewolf (£2.15) instead which proved very satisfactory.

Rather busy square Wetherspoons with central bar, kids running around, sadly conventional beer choice but saved by the superior quality and better than average Weherspoons staff.

A decent enough Spoons which, on a Saturday evening, was fairly full but I got served easily enough. One of the better Spoons I have visited.

Although it doesn't much look like it this place was built as a pub by the long gone but unmissed (by me at least) Tolly Cobbold brewery. It's a largish Spoons but split into areas around the more or less island bar. It wasn't all that busy on my midday Thursday visit. I noticed from a menu that the food prices here are slightly cheaper than average. The bar still has twelve hand pumps which on my visit had two available soon (Doom Bore and Woodford Bure Gold). The ten available were the two GK beers, the Belhaven Burns Night beer, Upham Punter, Elland Nettle Thrasher, Adnam's Lighthouse, Cliff Quay Bitter, Nethergate Hair Of The Dog & Red Poll and Woodforde's Nog. I went for the Nettle Thrasher (£2.29) which was in very good nick. This one is GBG 2016 listed and I would go along with that as it's a better than average Spoons.