Dickens Inn, Sheerness

I had great expectations of this pub, which were sadly not realised. This rather bleak house appears to be a large portacabin. The pub is primarily a clubhouse for the adjacent caravan sites which chimes with the area. It’s set in a large plot with a car park at the front and a decked terrace at the side which houses a covered smoking area and a bratty wagon-type eatery dispensing fast food. Inside, the portacabin structure becomes obvious. There is a games area at one side with a linoleum floor, while the rest of the single large bar is carpeted. There is a pool table, dartboard and gaming machine, and there appears to be a jukebox somewhere belting out the sort of noise I should expect in an Ibiza night club, sung along to by the elderly gang in the middle. There was also a tv screen for live sports above a fake fireplace, though not showing cricket. On the hearth – well, the middle of the room - was a Calor gas heater. No real ale, just Spitfire from Faversham and Hobgoblin from Witney, the ale of two cities. The clientele appeared to be holiday makers in their 50s and 60s, some of whom had seen hard times. The décor was basic, the only nod to the pub’s name being a painting of Charles Dickens on the wall behind the bar. It wasn’t a bad experience, but I wouldn’t make the effort again.