The Midland Spinner, Warmley, Bristol

A traditional looking pub just off the ring road, it looks quite attractive with plenty of hanging baskets along the front, as well as a few picnic benches. Inside though, it was something of a disappointment and there was little in the way of any atmosphere; at 3:00pm on a Sunday many pubs would be heaving with diners, but presumably food is not offered here and the pub was virtually deserted with just a small handful of locals propping up the bar. It looks as though it may have recently been decorated, but the grey and white “colour” scheme looks very stark with no wall art or anything else to soften it or add some colour. A small fire-place was at one end along with piles of logs stacked up on the window sill next to it and a plasma screen mounted up above was showing some dressage event, but it seemed that the barmaid was the only person with any interest in this. Stripy carpet covered much of the floor with some tiling around the bar counter and seating was fairly limited with a few tables and chairs along the front of the pub and some bar stools. Like the walls, much of the pub seemed fairly bare. A patio area is at the rear, and although some effort has been made here with hanging baskets along the fence and several pot plants around, it still looked rather shabby in places and the fag ends all over the floor just contributed to the unkept appearance. Beers on tap were Gem and Doom Bar, whilst a third pump appeared to have run out, so there may perhaps on occasions be something else. Ciders were Strongbow Cloudy Apple, Blackthorn and Thatcher’s Gold, although I also spotted a few punters drinking cans of Natch which is always a sure sign of a classy establishment.