The Lord John (JD Wetherspoon), Stroud

The town's Wetherspoons was an emergency stop, owing to the late opening of The Ale House, and I'd say it's best kept that way. It's relatively small as their pubs go, and was incredibly busy, as is so often the case; under-staffed, as you've come to expect, with plenty of customers who've already had more than a few. Chaotic service was the rule at the bar, with punters having to decide among themselves "who's next". I opted for a swift half from the current festival range, which, to be fair, was perfectly fine and, naturally, incredibly cheap. In summary, it's a Spoons, it's Friday afternoon. It's just what you expect it to be.

The Lord John was my first Wetherspoon's experience since re-opening. I have to say that they have set up their pubs well. Whilst you can order using their app, you're also welcome to order at the bar, as the app seemingly doesn't show every drink and doesn't appear to deal with 50p CAMRA vouchers. The pub was relatively busy for a Sunday morning. There was a group of rowdy youngsters in, who had clearly had one too many despite the time of day. The usual Greene King Abbot & Ruddles Best were on. Guests were Sharp's Doom Bar, North Cotswold Shakespeare Bard's Best & Great Western Moose River. Ciders were Old Rosie, Black Dragon & Stan's Big Apple. Typical Wetherspoon's layout, albeit the interior was a bit brighter than most. I seem to recall some skylights. Slap bang in the centre of town, which can make parking a bit tricky. A fairly decent start of the day.

Not obvious that this building was a post office before being converted to a 'spoons, but the front section leads to an atrium housing the central bar area (with further slightly split-level seating / dining areas beyond). Usual furniture and decor throughout. Modest selection from the two banks of five handpumps, with some duplicates but two seasonal real ales (including the Banks & Taylor Santa's Slayer, £1.90) and three ciders.