The Hedley Verity (Lloyds No 1), Leeds

An impressive Victorian building, probably not branded as Lloyds now in spite of being on the edge of the university area and the Merrion Street/New Briggate collection of shite bars and nitespots. I didn’t see anything saying Lloyds and the students were away for Christmas. Normal sort of spoons with a mezzanine floor, tall tables in the middle and lower ones to the edges. Two banks of five pulls topped and tailed by T-Bars as normal. Odd cricket based decor upstairs, yes I know who it’s named after, fairly bland downstairs and only partially carpeted. Basement toilets a long way down too. I’ve no idea what the zebra stripes on the glass panels mean, let alone whatever Mr Bundy was chuntering about in 2017.

this is unashamedly a big, brash Lloyds bar and it’s absolutely hideous inside including ghastly purple lighting. in parts it rather reminds me of the Lime Kiln in Liverpool and I never liked that one either. the group of freshers students sat behind me were also irritating beyond belief. Staff were good and i enjoyed my porter so hey, you may like it!

I liked this JDW even though it's supposed to be a Lloyds it wasn't obvious to me. Loads of small areas to sit in which made it feel quite pub like even though it's one big room really. We didn't visit the upstairs area either as we didn't even realise it was there. A good selection of beers on the bar and whilst my notes fail me on what I had they do say it was a well kept pint. Possibly my favourite JDW in central Leeds.

I didn't mind this Wethers. A decent enough place which was an open plan pub with an upstairs bit that I never visited. The ground floor bar had a reasonably decent choice of beers from the 10 handpumps. For those in the know I didn't tread on the lines in the pavement or see the more cultural aspects.

This is a typical Lloyds which had music playing on my Thursday evening visit, an upstairs area and light rig with speakers. The whole place is split into different areas. It was reasonably quiet while I was here. The bar has ten hand pumps which had two available soon, one unused, the IPA version of the JDW Trio Of Doom, a cider, Rudgate Volsung, Little Critters Blonde Bear and Ilkley Ruby Jane. I went for the Volsung (£2.65) which was in good nick and a bit more reasonably priced than their other Leeds City outlets. It's not a bad place but the Lloyds aspect of it is off putting.