The Hope & Anchor, W6

I must admit that I'd forgotten that this was Hammersmith's gay pub (and failed to notice the small rainbow flag above the locked corner door into the public bar until I looked a bit more carefully as I left). Having said that, the clientele in the wood-panelled saloon bar seemed fairly mixed. There is plenty of heritage interest about the pub, mostly for Truman's Eagle beer but also some Courage bits and pieces. Hopeless ale-wise, with one disused handpump, so it was a quick pint of John Smiths (£2.80) and I was off.

After finding the one door that opened into this pub, from the several that must have been in use at some time, I found myself in the Saloon Bar. This is still a two-room pub; rare now, but ten a penny when this inter war pub was built. Its Truman's pedigree is displayed on the woodwork above the fireplace and the bar. Many other original features remain in place, which is what you would expect from a pub on the CAMRA list of heritage interiors. I found the Saloon Bar to be comfortable and clean. There was the predictably banal pop music being played of course. I quite like this place, but the major (terminal!) flaw as far as I am concerned is that they have no real ale on offer, and without something decent to drink I can't see me returning. It’s a shame, as it’s the sort of unpretentious pub that I like, but the presence of a real ale is a major factor for me.

This old fashioned 2 bar local corner pub is quite rare in that it has managed to survive for much of its existence without being modernized into some trendy Yuppy type bar or knocked through into an open plan cavern. Perhaps not the most appealing pub from the outside, the carpeted saloon bar is nevertheless neat and tidy and has a largely untouched 60's/70's period interior with dark paneling and cushioned pew seating. The separate public bar has a large brick fireplace, touches of coloured glass and is fairly spacious, even with the pool table taking up one end. There is also a pleasant beer patio with high ivy clad walls that go some way to hide the rather dull estate that surrounds the pub. The beer front isn't too exciting and the only Ale (Courage Directors) was off on my visit. On the commendable side, it has good wheelchair access. It is easily overlooked being set back just off the main through road but is an interesting place in its own way and a welcome change from the manufactured and refurbished pubs that dominate the area.