The Duke of Sussex, SE1

Nice place, been tidied up a bit since I last visited. Four real ales on tap, all priced at £4.00. The wooden benches have been changed to smart tables. Strange sculptures on the wall, supposed to be sewer/drain pipes I think. The real ale handles are garden fork handles (cue the two Ronnie's sketch, Four Candles). They look easier to pull. Anyway, it nice to see that the change hasn't meant that the outside of the pub has to be painted black. It would have lost a lot of character.

I quite enjoyed my previous visit here but now think I may have been lucky on that occasion. Last time there was a golden ale (can't remember what) which two of us had to leave half finished, the third guy had Pride which made him ill - I dunno how he drank any of it; well, the guv had admitted that he knew nowt about beer, and it showed! Good that there is a separate room with pool table and dart board (bizarrely hidden behind full length curtains), but there were no markers for the whiteboard and, without drinkable ale anyway, what's the point? Shame, with caring management this could be very good, but it ain't.

The Duke of Sussex looks quite nice from the outside with its old Truman Hanbury and Buxton signage still in place. Once inside the pub seemed pretty much unaltered,i had a drink in the main front bar which was oblong in shape with the bar facing,there was comfy bench seating aroung the edge of the room,the floor was carpeted,there was a seperate pool room to the rear. There were two real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Youngs bitter which was a decent enough drink,the other beer was London Pride. This is a nice proper pub that i was quite happy having a drink in. Pub visited 2/8/2014

Nice appearance from the outside and some interesting old pictures inside but not much else going for it.