The Spread Eagle, Tamworth

Must be an old building, and certainly a feature on this small town's High Street. The interior has been modernised, but it retains two separate bars. Live music is a main feature here at the weekends. Quite basic, but the landlords are an entertaining couple. Abbot and a decent What the Fox's Hat from Church End (£3.80) available from one of a pair of handpumps.

A detached pub opposite the Abbey gatehouse. Viewed at night, the place looks quite nice with its mock-Jacobean white and beam exterior, however, i saw it in the day when this frontage seemed a little incongruous compared to the rest of the undressed brick building and those either side. There is a small patio area. The interior had two L-shaped rooms either entered by separate doors off the main central entrance and served by an island bar. The lounge, seemingly in white, is to the right and was deserted with no lights on, so i went into the bar, to the left. The walls are coffee and white, with the internal beams painted out in white as if to hide them. There is a white ceiling and a laminate wood floor. There is a TV, which had the rugby on and the room culminates in pool table. Music came via the jukebox, which was quite loud. The service was OK and the clientele were younger based, or those recapturing their youth along with a few of their kids. Beer; no real ale, the single handpump not used. All tap stuff, with no MILD - had a half of Guinness Extra Cold, which was of course, cold. Nothing for the real ale drinker, it is a basic locals 'fizz' place. I was in and out in moments. One for the locals.

A very attractive exterior and opposite a Jacobian gatehouse this is the best part of Polesworth.However once inside this is a lads boozer,earthy and basic with plenty of body art on display.There is a public bar to the left with a small seating area in front of the bar and a pool table to the rear.To the right of the front door was a modest lounge ,not open on our visit.Just one handpump with a badged house bitter £2 per pint but you get what you pay for and there was an unfortunate tang to my sweetish pint.All other customers were on the lager or keg beer.The plastic wood effect flooring sums up the standards that applies here, in what could be a very pleasing drinking pub in the right hands.

The Spead Eagle is an attractive, traditional white painted, black beamed boozer with two main rooms. To the left is the bar with a pool table at the back and to the right is the more comfortable lounge. Customers consisted mainly of the two pool teams on our visit who were involved in an intense contest broken only for beer and sandwiches. Only one ale offered, Spread Eagle Bitter, brewed for the pub by the Crown Brewery. We had a pint but found it to be a touch heavy and sweet for a warm summer's evening.