The Postal Order (JD Wetherspoon), Worcester

This is an old school Spoons dating from the beginning of 1997. It's housed in an old red brick building just yards from Worcester Foregate Street Station and was clearly once a post office building. Inside it's a fairly typical last century Spoons, wide at the front and narrowing down at the back. There were two banks of six hand pumps with Ruddles & Abbot, Pope's Absent Friends doubled up, Slater's Top Totty & Queen Bee, Wadworth's Golden Perch, Old Pie Factory Pale, Cheltenham Spa Battledown Porter, a Bespoke Brewing beer and Fortyniner & Snecklifter available soon. I went for the house Absent Friends which was in excellent condition and was £2.20 discounted to £1.99 on Cheapskate Monday. This was a vast improvement on the Crown and I would happily return.

Funny how things can vary, I popped in here for a very late lunch on arriving for a wedding weekend in Worcester, I looked in the other JDW, The Crown, first which had only one beer of interest on and felt dingy and down at heel. I found this one to be much better, five or six guest ales on plus uniquely I reckon, a house brew called "Absent Friends" by Pope's Brewery. The service was friendly, chatty and genuine, not something you can often say about your routine 'spoons. The pub is, as you might guess, a former Post Office but also once a telephone exchange. There is a large main room with a smaller more intimate bit to the side, a few booths, fireplaces, eulogies to former PM Stanley Baldwin, Thomas Telford and Edward Elgar, stalwarts of Worcester's past plus various bits and bobs regarding the city's importance concerning the Civil War. This was a jolly good start to a very enjoyable weekend in Worcester and marked up accordingly as the good lady behind the bar saw no reason why I couldn't choose whatever drink I liked with my fish and chips instead of the usual list of dross. You might not pick a 'spoons as one of the better options in a city blessed with pubs as Worcester is but they do serve food all day whereas others don't, I rather liked it.

Fairly large 'spoons, the appeal of which is not helped by a paucity of windows. On the plus side, there is a good selection of 12 real ales on handpump, with offerings including BattleDown Natural Selection (£2.20).

Housed in a former Telephone Exchange,this is a bog standard 'spoons with a large open plan interior and a seperate seating section through to the left hand side.The two ranks of six handpumps included the usual regulars,cider and some interesting guests which is maybe why it features regularly in the GBG.My Popes Brewing Absent Friends was decent enough but the rather faceless interior wouldnt attract a further visit from me given the excellent real ale options close by.

Very crowded when we called yesterday, but not a bad selection of beers. One of the better ones in this chain and is in the 2014 Good Beer Guide. Had Battledown Natural Selection and Popes Brewing Co Worcester Gold, both in good condition.

A large and somewhat uninspiring 1950s looking undressed brick Spoons' corner pub and eatery. Housed in a former telephone exchange, it has a patio area at the back and large 'rounded windows' in true Play School style. The interior has a large L-shaped room with a library room side area. The decor is a mix of chocolete brown, a greeny/grey colour at the front and wood panel, with a white ceiling and a patterned carpet. The place is, as we all know, set up for food, but we didn't eat so can't comment on that. There are old photos on the wall, along with a history panel or two and there are the usual silent TVs with sub-titles and there was no music. The service was really good, led by a big chap who looked like the 'team leader', and he clearly had some interest in the beer. The usual mix of clientele were seated, or haunting the bar. Beer; the usual tap stuff with Ruddles and Abbot on handpull. Of the several other real ales on, there was Three Tuns 1642, Elgood's Black Dog MILD and Sadler's Magic Miles MILD - the Elgoods was OK. I have been in worse Spoons than this. I would pop back, but Spoons in general do not excite me.