Fort Cumberland Arms, Eastney, Southsea

Recently re-opened and refurbished, the pub still smells of fresh paint and feels a bit like a bad DIY job despite the etched glass on the bar door. The single bar has a long one-sided counter which makes it a narrow horseshoe shape, while the pool room off to one side kept spewing pool cues and teenagers, providing some entertainment. It was very noisy, largely due to the unholy row booming from the jukebox. There was a TV showing game shows of the Ant-and-Dom (or whatever) variety, and a dartboard with more holes around it than in it. A BT wireless router hung from the wall on its cables, its orange flash explaining the lack of WiFi connectivity. The female bar staff was quite belligerent, though the locals – those that were over 30 and could still stand – were quite welcoming and chatty. No real ale, the best they could do was bottled Doombar. It's good that this pub has reopened rather than become another supermarket or nail bar, but as it is I wouldn't want to visit too often.

Tenants leaving http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/business/local-business/sadness-as-couple-walk-out-on-portsmouth-pub-due-to-living-conditions-1-6832821 "HEARTBROKEN publicans Tina and Dave Dolling say a dispute over poor living conditions has forced them to quit their local. The couple, who ran The Fort Cumberland Arms in Eastney Road, Portsmouth, say they were given no choice but to leave this week"

As previously reported, the Fort Cumberland Arms in Eastney has been shut since Christmas Day due to flooding. Drains in the road outside couldn’t cope with the deluge, and water soon filled the pub’s cellar and bubbled up to ground level. Now, however, the pub’s electrics are almost back up an running, and the cellar is drying out. Landlords Tina and Dave Dolling say they hope it will be open again in a week or so. http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/business/local-business/portsmouth-pub-to-reopen-after-floods-forced-closure-1-5835150