The Star, Staines Town, Staines Upon Thames

A traditional looking pub situated near Staines Railway Station although the interior was refurbished about 5 years ago that has resulted in much of its original character being ripped out and replaced with a modern mix of bright lights, white walls and new wood. The smaller front section contains a pool table off to one side so as not to be too intrusive and there is a dart board in the rear section. I counted 3 flat-screen TV’s although they were not being used as there was a live covers band playing at the time. Beer wise it’s the usual run of household standarda with 3 unexciting ales set across 6 hand pumps (Pride Bombardier and Courage Best). Prices were however more than reasonable with the Bombardier just £2.30 and the quality was fine. Despite (or maybe because of) the live music there were barely a dozen people here at 9pm on a Saturday night and it appears that the pub is struggling to pull in anything other than a hatful of hardy regulars. It would seem that for most people (like me) its main purpose is to kill 20 minutes after a missed train although you could do a lot worse.

Decent pub by the station, with three reasonably-priced ales served far too cold but otherwise in decent condition. The range is fairly mainstream (Spitfire, 6X, Deuchars IPA). The interior is based around a central square bar – I get the feeling this used to be a multi-roomed pub a few years back. It’s had a recent makeover which is a little too IKEA for my liking though, but otherwise very good for Staines. It’s usually fairly busy, especially on football nights where there are a large number of screens and there’s a decent little beer garden for warmer days. Also contains a fabulous career barmaid who appears to do a lot of pub chores with a ciggie hanging out of her mouth. Down points are that the music is often (and unnecessarily) ear-splittingly loud and some of the punters can be a little on the, ahem, ‘gruff’ side. Worth checking out if you’re stuck at the station but it's not an essential experience.