The Southern Belle, Gillingham

Old-fashioned blokes pub right opposite the station, but actually doing OK on a Saturday afternoon despite there being a football match on in town. Apart from that observation, there is very little to say about the dull interior given a basic refurbishment at some stage. No cask ale either, with the keg Greene King IPA (£3.70) being the least unappealing of a very indifferent bunch.

Originally The Railway Hotel, and built in around 1850, The Belle is very convenient to Gillingham Station. It has previously housed discos, but thankfully that has long gone. This week it was full of unpleasantly drunk clientele, apathetic staff and stale odours. The ground floor has been knocked through to form a single long bar, decorated in the worst 1970s style and with horrible, badly worn furniture to match. There is no ral ale. Please, someone, come and rescue this charity case before it gets any worse. Not worth breaking a rail journey for and not worth including on a crawl.

I popped into the Southern Belle during Monday lunchtime and found a characterless L shaped pub with a pool table at the rear and plasma screens throughout that were showing a muted replay of a football match. The barmaid was friendly enough, but I got the feeling that the twenty or so locals in attendance hadn’t done much paid work in the last couple of decades. I nearly didn’t venture in as there were a few unsavoury looking characters smoking out the front, but this turned out to be a harmless enough place. The bar is stocked with standard draught products and there was some random music playing off the jukebox. Thursdays are karaoke night and the warbling kicks off at 20:00. I cannot see a return visit happening anytime soon.

Situated opposite Gillingham train station, The Southern Bell is a pub that offers little more than the opportunity of a post-journey thirst-quencher or a game of pool – that is, if you could ever prise one of locals away from the table. The exterior is anonymous and within, the décor is bland and lighting, very dark. There are leather sofas by the entrance and tables lined up opposite the bar itself. There are two plasma televisions to keep the sports enthusiasts amused, along with a fruit machine and the previously mentioned pool table. There is a small patio area to accommodate the smokers. Clientele within seemingly consist of local residents and the odd off-the-train type. Language amongst the regulars can be a little blue at times, so here is not a place for the easily offended. Choice at the bar is predictably uninspiring, with the usual keg offerings being all that is available: Stella Artois, Fosters, Guinness Extra Cold, etc – the latter being priced at £3.00 on my most recent visit. The members of staff observed and encountered have been hospitable enough in their service: the landlord in particular, seeming rather eager in knowing your whereabouts prior to entering his hostelry – hmm… To conclude: a nothing-pub. OK for a post-train quickie or if you’re a chum of the governor. Otherwise, here really is a place to bypass.