Duke Of Edinburgh, SW9

A former Truman's pub with the trademark eagle still on view outside, once inside the pub goes back a long way, effectively there are two areas straddled by the bar. The front area is the smaller, others have commented on a pool table and dartboard but unless I was in a world of my own I didn't see either. There were however a good selection of board games on top of an old 1970s radiogram. The rear area is significantly larger and has some fine wood panelling, a stone feature fireplace, a pair of Truman's mirrors and well preserved amber banded leaded windows, not of the Charrington style, I presume a Truman detail. The windows have exposed brick mullions. Beyond is a huge garden with its own BBQ and bottle bar, this clearly was a big draw on a hot and sunny Saturday. Mixed seating but mostly at scrubbed large tables, there are a few sofas about as well. Flowers in beer bottle "vases" on the tables. A few beers on across a pair of banks of handpumps, Sambrook's Wandle and Junction, Doom Bar, SN Spitfire, the others were unclipped. TV showing cricket muted while music played. It isn't a bad pub at all and the interior is relatively well preserved, what really jarred with me however was the need for security staff on the door at 4:20pm on a Saturday afternoon which included me as a 52 year old normally dressed individual having to subject to a bag search, I suppose they have their reasons but with the pub having no edgy feel at all and with plenty of families in attendance this seemed totally unnecessary. No other venue in the area was doing this.