The Thomas Botfield (JD Wetherspoon), Telford

Rather hidden away from the Telford Centre shopping centre and adjoining entertainment complex, but I suppose that it needs to be in one of the outer units so that it can adopt its own opening times. Anyway, the square main bar area and a smaller side seating / dining area are exactly what you would expect in such a setting, but the outdoor patio seating area must be a bonus in the better weather. Thankfully, I found the usual trio of Ruddles, Doom Bar and Abbot supplemented on the six handpumps by Dark Tide porter from Greene King's Future Brewers programme and a couple from the beer festival selection: Brouwerij de Bock Germain and Leikeim's Chocolate Ale (£2.63). Pleasantly busy on a Saturday lunchtime, and with several interesting beers worth trying, I found this 'spoons better than I was expecting.

The Thomas Botfield is an open plan Wetherspoons with a bar counter up the right-hand wall that faces high tables and some gaming machines before a long double sided banquette with tables either side. Further left is a raised seating area and some booths run along the rear wall. At a glance the carpet looked threadbare, but closer inspection revealed that it just has an awful pattern. The standard television is in situ with rolling BBC News. Along with the standard and premium keg there are six hand pumps that were drawing Ruddles, Sharp’s Doom Bar, GK Abbot Ale, Limestone’s Ein Stein and Burton Bridge’s Festival Ale. In an area of very slim pickings this is probably the best choice without walking for some time.

A soulless concrete cuboid with the usual cluster of mute gaming machines at the centre, tv screens and WiFi, adjacent to the rather bland and futuristic (in a bad way) shopping centre. Five ales on, plus a boxed cider. I had a pint of Shropshire Lad which was over-gassed and initially in short measure; the latter problem was rectified when I explained it to the bar staff. They run quiz nights, and have a complete cross-section of Telford society for customers, though there are so many here who use wheels as a primary means of transport (wheel chairs, wheeled Zimmers and other mobility aids) that a Dalek would feel quite at home. It's average at best.

IT,S A SPOONS called half term full of kids one drink and off

This was my first visit to Telford although I have been through it many times on the M54 and the train. I was blissfully unaware that the M54 ran directly between Telford Station and Telford Central where this Spoons is situated. Telford Central seems to be a hideous large modern shopping centre with numerous roads looping around it. It's all pretty grim, they couldn't even get the bus station right as the buses have to pull into a tiny bay and then reverse out again. Given all this it's hardly surprising that this is a completely unmemorable shopping centre Spoons. As noted below it is just one big room with all the usual Spoons furnishing. Six handpumps is poor for a place this size but I seemed to have got lucky with the choice as there was a Locale Dickensian David Hopperfield, Salopian Oracle and the USA Mermaid Red to offset the boring GK duo and Broadside. I went for the Dickensian beer which was in good condition. It wasn't that busy on my Saturday afternoon visit which surprised me as there were lots of people in the shopping centre. It's not one of the worst Spoons I've been to but I can't imagine a return other than in the extremely unlikely event that I decide to go shopping in Telford Central. One plus point is that visiting here means that a whole County can be ticked off in the JDW pubs directory booklet. How silly of me thinking this was in Shropshire when it's in that well known County Telford & Wrekin.

I travel the country with work and I've been in a lot worse JDWs than this. OK it's small and packed and a VERY mixed clientele but where else are the locals likely to go in central Telford? Both the beers I tried Everards Equinox and Highwood Jolly Ploughman were well kept AND I managed to win £5.50 on the quiz machine so not a bad visit all round

First a few words of context, this pub is situated in Telford Central - a new town that I find downright creepy, with its post modern style and being overgrown with vegetation it’s the kind of place you could film a post apocalyptic nightmare. I wont use the word soulless but it must be implicit in any description of Telford Central. There are four pubs to choose from. The pub itself is a fairly standard ‘spoons box with glass doors along the front, side counter which is home to six pulls, and a raised area to the other side. The bandits are grouped in the centre by some short book cases(!) and the rear has some odd booths in metalwork. The usual Greene King beers on three pumps, Ruddles is doubled up, and there’s some small locals on the other three, so not a lot of choice by Wetherspoons standards, the T-bars provide the usual keg n’ wine choice. Staffing wasn’t outstanding, after handing me my change the barmaid uttered the immortal line “I’ve no idea who’s next”. There were two other customers at the bar! At least the beer was better than OK so in the context of Telford Central - a winner.