The Morden Brook, Morden

London Pride and Old Speckled Hen were on handpump. The Pride came up fairly cloudy, but was readily changed by the barman, and although the replacement didn’t come up much better it did taste just about OK. This is a John Barras branded pub, which is part of Punch Taverns. They were doing food of course, the menu containing the usual sort of Punch Pubco fare. The pub occupies a large corner site at a very busy roundabout. Inside it’s completely opened up course, which is always the way with Barras pubs, with drinking areas meandering around the central bar counter. It has a conservatory area on the right of the building, as well as a garden area. There are fruit machines all over the place (I counted four of them), a cash machine, a games machine, and of all things some sort of “grab a prize with a crane” amusement arcade style machine. There was a decent Christmas tree at the back though, and one of connected rooms contained a pool table. The usual sort of prints of local scenes decorated the walls, as well as the inevitable black and white photograph of Colonel Barras Reed. There was some pop music being played – essentially Christmas songs, including the subtle tones of Noddy Holder! – and the usual array of flatscreen TVs on the walls (on but muted during my visit). There used to be a carvery at the pub, in a separate building on the left, but this is not trading at the moment. This is a very large, very ordinary pub. But it is the only pub in the immediate area, so I am pleased that it is still there, even though it falls well short of my favourite venue for a drink.