The Imperial (JD Wetherspoon), Walsall

The building is still to let and has been for a couple of years now. This was a decent spoons and I preferred it to the other one.

This is another cinema conversion. It's a fairly typical layout with the old foyer as you enter and some steps down to the lower level where the bar is. There is another smaller area above the bar. I was here on a Saturday morning when it wasn't too busy and found that the Black Country accents were reverberating around, a bit like joining several Noddy Holders in an echo chamber. The furnishings are typical JDW. The bar has two sets of five hand pumps but there was no doubling up and only one Xmas beer "available soon". There were the two usual GK beers, Doom Bore, Sadler's Mellow Yellow, Sherlock Bones & Cheeky Elf, Abbot Reserve, Moorhouse Winter Looms and a beer of unknown origin called Davenport's Pale Ale. I went for the Mellow Yellow which was in excellent condition. I thought both Walsall Spoons were pretty good, the other one is a bit more up market than this one.

For me its the typical souless cinema/theatre Wetherspoons barn conversion. Little atmosphere given the high ceiling its all very cold and unfriendly. Busy bar with some staff at the end just standing around talking. I mean, even if they wern't on duty or meant to be working the bar you wouldn't stand behind it ignoring folk. For me, all that is wrong with Wetherspoons (except maybe there were no winos or fag smokers blocking the entrance).