The Lord Palmerston (Lloyds No 1 Bar), Southsea

The Lord Palmerston is a large Wetherspoons with a bar that that supports ten hand pumps and a standard keg range running along the left-hand wall. The front seating area is split down the middle by a glass partition which houses some model ships. More seating is found down the right wall opposite the bar and at the rear. Unsurprisingly there was no background music and two televisions were showing muted rolling news. On the path out the front is some seating and, during my recent Friday afternoon visit, some very drunk women who were falling all over the place.

I'm not sure if this is a conversion or not, the name Palmerston taken from his defensive coastal forts. Either way, it's a very smart 'spoons outlet and quite plush. I plumped for the Purity's Bunny Hop which was good and all the better for being £1.00 a half. Probably the best of the type that I've visited but I would prefer to see what it's like late on a Friday or Saturday.

The only clue I had to the fact that this Wetherspoons pub is a Lloyds No 1 bar was the fact that it appears to be located on Southsea's main binge drinking strip. Certainly upon entering, there is very little to suggest Lloyds branding, with the pub looking like one of Wetherspoons' smarter, more traditional venues. You enter through an attractive porch into a partitioned front section with lots of lovely dark wood panelling, simple seating options and the trademark Wetherspoons carpeting. The room opens out into a rather grand central area, with the servery over to the right and a pleasant raised seating area to the left. Beyond the bar, the room extends some way into a long area with a good mix of seating available throughout, all plushly upholstered and in keeping with the pub's aesthetic, which reminded me a little of an upmarket hotel in a way - not something I'd usually associate with this chain. This feel was enhanced by some carefully selected decor, including naval themed pictures, some photo collages including one detailing the literary links Southsea has and some rather nice portraits, including a large one of the eponymous former Prime Minister looking down over the main bar area. There was a rather inconspicuous DJ booth as well, which I suspect is considerably less inconspicuous should you decide to visit on a weekend evening. I think there were ten handpulls in total and I selected something from a relatively local brewery which I found to be in middling condition and deteriorating as I progressed. I stopped here for food before the long walk out to Fratton Park and fared much better with the food quality than I did with the beer. I suspect I got a little unlucky with my pint and should really have returned it in hindsight, so I'm prepared to let that slide, as aside from that, I really enjoyed my visit. I thought the interior was very nice and felt properly pubby, unlike many of the chain's shop converted properties. As others have said, you need to time your visit right to avoid seeing the pub in a different light, but if you manage this, you can expect a very pleasant Wetherspoons experience.

Quite a salubrious 'Spoon's with high ceilings and walls festooned with paintings in a comfortable if dark interior. Usual facilities and a pretty good range of beers, including several local examples.

The Lord Palmerston is a Lloyds so is worth avoiding later on a Friday or Saturday evening. I came here on a December Thursday afternoon to find it and the shopping area it's located in quiet. As described below it's a large long room with the bar on the right. I found a spot right down the end of the pub and started looking for the Lloyds disaster area before realising that I was actually sitting in it! There were lights and speakers above me and an idiot booth a few feet away to my left. The bar has two sets of five hand pumps which had one available soon, the IPA JDW Trio Of Doom with Doom Bore doubled up, Banks's Barley Brown Tumble Off, Adnam's Broadside and three JDW Xmas beers. I went for the Arkell's Sir Noel and Caledonian Cold Comfort both at £2.85, both in good condition but both very dull Xmas beers. I also tried the keg Oakham Green Devil IPA (£3.25 or £3.45 depending who served it). This is a much better Lloyds than most and if avoided on Friday and Saturday night is OK.

An upmarket Spoons (trailed elsewhere as a Lloyds No.1 but I saw no branding). Quite a grand entrance (an old hotel lobby?) that gets darker and more cavernous to the rear though the dark wood panelling with laid mirroring is attractive as are the decorative mouldings. Two sets of pumps, we arrived early (10.30am) so half of them were off but being readied as we ordered. Guest ales were two from Langham (including a superb Black Swallow) and a very good (in condition if not brew quality) Arundel Winter Ale. Pub is Good Beer Guide listed and I can see why. Ate here and no complaints about the grub. My companions thought this was a better-quality JDW and I’m inclined to agree, seems like there’s better management in here now than there was.

Slightly odd conversion, with a low ceiling along the frontage, three much taller opened-out rooms with decorative mouldings and other features to look at, a small raised area to one side and a large but dark seating area (again with a low ceiling) at the back. Seven of the ten handpumps were in use, with a moderate selection (such as the Sudwerk Inbetween, £2.60) but neither of the local beers from Oakleaf and King were on unfortunately.

As you walk into this Wetherspoon's it gives the impression that it is a small pub but it opens out at the back. Most of the ales on tap were local and the one's I tried were in good form.