The George, South Woodford, E18

This was a Bass Charrington house last time I came here and as I recall had a pool table and darts, catering mainly for lager drinkers. It is now a Stonegate pub, a company of which I know little apart from the fact they do have quite a few other outlets in this neck of the woods. It has been entered in the 2015 GBG which is the only thing that bought me here. The pool table and darts have gone and it now consists of a single bar facing as you enter with a synthetic tiled floor in front of it. On either side of the bar there are small areas with tables and chairs primarily for meals. On the bar there were six hand pumps which could have been good news but wasn't as all of the beers were mainstream; Greene King IPA and Old Golden Hen, Marston's Pedigree, London Pride, Taylor's Landlord and Woodford Wherry. I went for the Wherry which was in very good nick but way over the odds at £3.55 for a cooking bitter. It's a comfy enough pub and may well be a good place to come for a meal as there were cheap offers advertised. Just one or two local beers at a better price would be nice as there are enough of them to chose from nowadays.

This pub is a large imposing structure dominating the junction of George Lane and Woodford Rd. The interior is exactly what you would expect to see in a chain pub – black and white photographs on the walls, muted TVs showing a sports channel, and normal tables and chairs plus a sofa or two. It’s mainly bare-boarded although there is a smallish area to the left that is carpeted, and which also has green flock wallpaper on the walls, which is something that you don’t see much of these days. There were a couple of real ales on offer – Ilkley Brewery Stout Mary and Marston’s EPA. The latter was very cheap at circa £2.20 - £2.30 a pint, although the quality wasn’t brilliant. I’m not sure what pubco this pub belongs to, but the menu is the usual basic affair with plenty of colour photos of the food on offer, which is standard pub grub. Of course it includes meal deals, such as the Wednesday grill day, giving among other things a rump steak meal and a drink (which includes the EPA) for £6.49. This is a pub that’s certainly not worth going out of your way to visit, but OK if you want a cheap bite to eat washed down with a half decent pint of beer.