Walkabout, Bournemouth

A very large instance of this real ale-free chain. It tries to be Australian, which means it's loud, garish and devoid of subtlety. There are gaming machines and a pinball table. There is a large screen at one end where customers can watch Australia lose at cricket and rugby. The staff were friendly and loud, the clientele equally so. The lack of ale means I won't rush back.

Walkabout is a big barn of a place with a bar on the rear wall that is stocked with standard draught and drink deals are available for shots etc. My visit was around 19:00 on Saturday evening when the pub was starting to fill up with stag and hen parties, many in fancy dress and competing to see who could get the most inebriated. Upstairs at the rear is a covered decked smoking area that was handy to escape the madness. I found the staff to be friendly, but the toilet troll was objectionable and made going for a wee a bit of a chore. As the bar got busier and busier my group decided to move on as the atmosphere was starting to become a little hostile. I don’t plan on returning here whilst this place is in its present guise.