The Gaffers Row (JD Wetherspoon), Crewe

This is a rather nondescript modern Spoons set in a shopping area of Crewe and near the bus station. It's an open plan L shaped room with typical fixtures and fittings. It wasn't busy on my late Saturday afternoon visit as the kitchen had a fault and was not in use although they hadn't put any notices on the entrance. The bar has ten hand pumps which had one available soon, the JDW Trio Of Doom with Abbot doubled and five festival beers. I went for the Everards Midland Red (£2.05 festival price) which was in good nick. It's not the best JDw but it's not a disaster.

Fairly anonymous split-level 'spoons, but definitely benefitting from having windows all along one side as well as at the front. Also has some patio tables on the pavements for the hardy souls on a cold winter's day. Fair selection from two banks of five handpumps, with the usual suspects supplemented by more interesting offerings such as a pair from Lymestone and Weetwood Mad Hatter (£2.09).

Named after the rows of terraced houses that were built for the railway workers, the Gaffers Row is a mediocre JDW pub sited right next to the bus station.The pub was an old furniture shop before being converted into a pub, that was quite busy on my early morning visit with a fair selection of casks on, although i found the interior a bit drab and without any distinctive points or qualities.One of the more displeasing features is the 4 fruit machines plonked side by side bang in the centre of the pub.