The William Jessop, Ellesmere Port

No longer a Wetherspoons, the William Jessop is a large L-shaped pub with seating across the front and up the left to a popular dartboard at the rear. There’s also a stage on the left wall that hosts the advertised weekly fast quiz, karaoke and live music. Televisions throughout were airing Olympic coverage via BBC, live satellite sports are also shown. Standard and premium keg was available and I didn’t spot any hand pumps. This is the sort of pub I’d expect to find on a high street in a busy town.

The Thomas Telford is set on the ground floor of a hideous post war shopping block. There's a prominent sign outside showing that the freehold is up for sale. Inside it's not too bad and I didn't find it edgy in here but more the town in general. It consists of a rectangular room with the bar at the back and an unused looking dart board on the left. Furnishings were fairly typical. The whole pub seemed to be drinking rather than eating despite the fact that a large mixed grill here is just £8.60 or a chicken triple feast £6.80. The beer selection over the ten hand pumps was poor with Ruddles & Doom Bore doubled, Peerless Red Wheat tripled and a couple of International beers of which one was doubled. I went for the Peerless Red Wheat (£2.05) which was in good enough nick. It's not a great Spoons but it's not the best town I've visited either. The other JDW is not close by but in Overpool the next station along.

This isn't one of your better Wthrspoons but compared to what's near its ok.

Called in around 13-30 on a Tuesday in serious need of refreshment in the form of a couple of pints of cask.I was amazed when the barmaid said they had no cask or draught of any kind not even lager or Guinness.She said they had problems in the cellar and yet all the pumps were lit up.Looks like I was another one who went in on a bad day.

Perhaps I went in on a bad day, but this place seemed to have a distinctly edgey atmosphere. I was also surprised to see (or rather hear) the main TV turned up for the horse racing. I didn't feel like lingering so it was a very quick pint of Slater's Maravilla Rasberry Beer (£2.05) and I was off... (NB - Review dates from September 2011.)