The Twelve Tellers (Lloyds No 1 Bar), Preston

Stunning location for this Lloyds and certainly holds some grandeur from this former bank. The former staff would be horrified now, seeing the place packed out on curry Thursday, downing loads of booze. We went for the Moorhouse's Blonde Witch priced at £2.46 in good condition. Other beers on our visit, Titanic Raspberry Pale, Phoenix Arizona, Saltaire Unity & Amarillo, Beartown Skinfull, Coach House Bootleg Valentine and Grainstore Ten Fifty. As you can see quite a good line up of guest beers.

Classic Barque style building (formerly a TSB bank) that has undergone Wetherconversion not too long ago. Large inside with a couple of discrete areas off to the right and an ornate ceiling. Surprisingly light as well (was there a skylight in the middle of the pub?). Somehow I ended-up with two beers in here, Kirkby Lonsdale Jubilee (NBSS 3.5) and one from Phoenix (3.5). Seemed like an upper quartile Spoons to me (and I’ve been in a fair few) and much more enjoyable than the Grey Friar, the other JDW in town that I bookended the day with. 7.5

Pub thirteen on our Preston crawl and was coerced by Mr Fastard into giving it a go, my resistance to the idea was quite pathetic and ultimately futile. As impressive as the building is and any features within a Spoons is a Spoons in my book and to me it was just another beer canteen, Of course it serves a purpose and my Acorn Old Moor was OK but these places are just not my thing so didn't particularly enjoy it at all.

As described variously below, an impressive Spoons bank conversion with a splendid ceiling and generally a pleasant feel to it. The Jubilee Stout was in good form.

Impressive-looking building, with a spacious seating / dining area under a high ceiling in the former banking hall. The smaller bar area is set further back, as is at least one other room. Excellent selection of real ales from the two banks of six handpumps, including my pint of Hopsack (£2.10), one of three different Phoenix beers available.

As described below, this is somewhat more upmarket and cosmopolitan by the standards of some 'spoons, me plumping for a half of Acorn's Old Moor at the early '90s price of just £1.05. This would probably make for a good double with Popworld next door. ;-)