The William Morris (JD Wetherspoon), Cowley, Oxford

I can add little to the previous reviews. This ‘spoons was named after the William Morris of MG (Morris Garages) car fame, later Lord Nuffield, founder of Nuffield College Oxford and not he of pretty wallpaper. This sits on the edge of the depressing Cowley Centre which I visited once before in 1999 to buy a cheap camera from Curry’s, with this outlet – the first in Oxford – opening in 2003. At 9.30 on a Saturday night, it was only about 15% full, the customers overwhelmingly being quite a bit older than me and almost all male. Ales on offer amounted to Doom, Abbot, Ruddles Best, Summerskills Tamar and Chadlington Oxford IPA (£1.00 a half) and fine, served by a friendly barman. This isn’t the best ‘spoons I’ve been in, but it’s not the worst either; I’d prefer to take the short(ish) walk to the Jolly Postboys though.

On the edge of the bleak Cowley shopping centre, this seems to be an attempt to create a striking modern building, but is already looking dated. The Z-shaped subterranean interior snakes between the main road and the shopping centre behind and does not benefit from the intrusive industrial ducting throughout, but otherwise is acceptably average. Still just the one guest ale, which in this case was a creditable Vale Black Swan mild.