Railway Pubs

[Bald Rick]

Not my neck of the woods but love Titanic beer!

Many many years ago there was a beer called ‘Titanic Wreckage’. It was 7% +, hence the name. Was this made by the same brewery?

 

[IanD]

Many many years ago there was a beer called ‘Titanic Wreckage’. It was 7% +, hence the name. Was this made by the same brewery?

It was indeed. It's a winter beer, sure I saw it last Dec/Jan somewhere but may have been hallucinating.

 

[Wolfie]

I have been to the one at Codsall which was quite good but the Albrighton one looks relatively new and possibly shares the same owners as the Codsall one.

The Codsall pub does not have the same owners (Holdens at Codsall) as the Albrighton one.

 

[Bald Rick]

Cheaper than the Camden Town Spoons, basic burger and pint for £8.25.

Interesting selection of real ales on Saturday evening alongside the usual Doom Bar/Abbot/Ruddles, all less than £3.50/pint I think.

Carlsberg £3.95, other gassy beers more pricey for those who like that sort of thing.

I saw that open yesterday. Didn’t realise it was Wethersp**n. Shame as it looked like it might be quite nice, but it will have to be boycotted.

 

[DavidGrain]

I saw that open yesterday. Didn’t realise it was Wethersp**n. Shame as it looked like it might be quite nice, but it will have to be boycotted.

Why? I think Wetherspoons have done a great job in providing quality bar/restaurants that I know that I can use when ever in a strange town. I also like their choice of names which are locally relevant.

 

[Bald Rick]

I find their pubs rather soulless, and it has been at least a decade since I had a decent pint in one (and hell, I’ve tried). Then the fact that the founder has been rather vocal about, and funded the campaign for, B**x*t, means I don’t wish to line his pockets any more. There are far better pubs, with better beer, to go to.

 

[Spartacus]

It was indeed. It's a winter beer, sure I saw it last Dec/Jan somewhere but may have been hallucinating.

I think it used to regularly be on in the now gone Stafford Arms at Stafford, which was great for viewing stuff through the station. Site now a Merc dealership.

 

[Trainfan344]

Went into the York Tap last Wednesday and was extremely impressed by the 18 hand pumps of Ale... Forget a pub crawl, just sit in there for a few hours would be enough.

 

[IanD]

I find their pubs rather soulless, and it has been at least a decade since I had a decent pint in one (and hell, I’ve tried). Then the fact that the founder has been rather vocal about, and funded the campaign for, B**x*t, means I don’t wish to line his pockets any more. There are far better pubs, with better beer, to go to.

Can't remember the last bad pint I had in 'Spoons that wasn't replaced immediately, no questions asked. Shame the same can't be said of a lot of other pubs where you have to jump through hoops to get them to admit that a beer might be off (which is a natural occurrence for a live product and not always down to bad cellarmanship).

I can't stand Tim Martin either but I've not bumped in to him yet. The moment I do, I will leave whichever of his pubs I'm in. After downing my pint.

 

[superkev]

Spare a thought for the establishments adjacent to stations who's takings have been decimated on strike days. Particularly sad for those on the Calder Valley where due to striking guards and work on the track there are no trains both Saturday or Sunday for 4 weeks.
Pic from Refreshment room Sowerby bridge.
K

 

[vlad]

Why? I think Wetherspoons have done a great job in providing quality bar/restaurants that I know that I can use when ever in a strange town. I also like their choice of names which are locally relevant.

It's interesting how people's opinions can differ so much. I've had poor service and products so often in Wetherspoons pubs that I've decided that it can't be coincidence but staff must be trained to behave badly. If I started to give examples we'd be here all day.

 

[IanD]

It's interesting how people's opinions can differ so much. I've had poor service and products so often in Wetherspoons pubs that I've decided that it can't be coincidence but staff must be trained to behave badly. If I started to give examples we'd be here all day.

The service is often terrible, long waits at the bar and grumpy, rude staff seem to be a regular occurrence. Indeed, I read somewhere that Tim Martin encourages his staff to be grumpy because he feels being pleasant is not in his customers' or staff's interest

 

[RichmondCommu]

I'm sorry to say this but the Station Inn at Ribblehead is a huge disappointment compared to what it was 30 years a go. The rooms are pretty good but the beers, meals and pack up lunches are far too expensive. Not only that but the staff refuse to take responsibility for pulling the wrong pints and the Aussie waiter (we've just spent the last 30 years living in Aus so I have no problem with Aussies) describes knives and forks as being "weapons".

 

[Mag_seven]

Stafford Arms at Stafford

I have happy memories of having a pint or two there in between "moves" in my late 80's/early 90's bashing days.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Not direct railway , but the Exmouth Arms near Euston (and out of the demolition zone for HS2) , has a long and glorious railway conviviality record......was the "management pub" - tucked away a little bit. Many deals done , jobs squared up etc.

 

[306024]

Many many years ago there was a beer called ‘Titanic Wreckage’. It was 7% +, hence the name. Was this made by the same brewery?

Only 7%? Baltic Trader from the Green Jack brewery in Lowestoft at 10.5% is what you need. Lovely drop - in moderation.

Now if you want to go to the back of beyond the Station Arms in Southminster is well worth the journey. Wibblers brewery tap room is a short stroll from the station too.

 

[sheff1]

Why? I think Wetherspoons have done a great job in providing quality bar/restaurants

Never thought I would see "Wetherspoons" and "quality restaurant" in the same sentence !

I have no objection to a drink in a Wetherspoons though, so may pop into the new St Pancras one next time I have a wait for a train, rather than wandering over to the Parcel Yard.

 

[Bookd]

I find their pubs rather soulless, and it has been at least a decade since I had a decent pint in one (and hell, I’ve tried). Then the fact that the founder has been rather vocal about, and funded the campaign for, B**x*t, means I don’t wish to line his pockets any more. There are far better pubs, with better beer, to go to.

I am not a fan of Wetherspoons although I agree that their prices are cheap; increasingly their pricing seems to be achieved by cutting staff and quality. Although not a railway pub I occasionally use their pub in Twickenham, which has a very long bar, often with customers from end to end and one or two staff trying to cope; the last time I went there I had a curry, which used to be good, but this time there was a lot of rice and very little curry which puts me off having it again.

 

[boyaloud]

Remember you don't need to go to the bar at Wetherspoon anymore, you can order on the app and have anything brought to your table. They've had this for years, years ahead of everyone else , like they had no smoking pubs years before anyone else.

 

[IanD]

Remember you don't need to go to the bar at Wetherspoon anymore, you can order on the app and have anything brought to your table. They've had this for years, years ahead of everyone else , like they had no smoking pubs years before anyone else.

But you can't order the guest ales so the chance of getting a decent pint via the app are next to nil.

 

[yorksrob]

My view on Weatherspoons is why go to somewhere exotic and different, just to end up in a Weatherspoons when I can go to one in Leeds.

They've long since lost their 'edge' on breakfast since their baked beans started tasting of cardboard.

 

[sprinterguy]

Remember you don't need to go to the bar at Wetherspoon anymore, you can order on the app and have anything brought to your table. They've had this for years, years ahead of everyone else , like they had no smoking pubs years before anyone else.

The Wetherspoons app hasn't been around for "years", it was launched in March last year, 19 months ago. Also as noted above you can't have "anything brought to your table" as it doesn't include any guest ales, which still require the time honoured approach of going to the bar and checking what's on the handpulls.

They've long since lost their 'edge' on breakfast since their baked beans started tasting of cardboard.

Their breakfasts have come back into favour with me since they reintroduced black pudding with them in their English pubs, albeit as an optional extra. I'm jealous that it comes as standard and never went away in Scotland.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

My view on Weatherspoons is why go to somewhere exotic and different, just to end up in a Weatherspoons when I can go to one in Leeds.

Same reason I'll never visit a McDonald's outside the UK!

 

[IanD]

My view on Weatherspoons is why go to somewhere exotic and different, just to end up in a Weatherspoons when I can go to one in Leeds.

They've long since lost their 'edge' on breakfast since their baked beans started tasting of cardboard.

When visiting somewhere exotic and different, I will visit Spoons to start. For instance, the other week I was in Pudsey so had a quick half in the Crossed Shuttle and then had a mosey around the town, didn't find any other pubs with a better choice of beer. However, if I'd been in the centre of Leeds I'm sure that would have been a different experience.

 

[gcmozart]

I'm sorry to say this but the Station Inn at Ribblehead is a huge disappointment compared to what it was 30 years a go. The rooms are pretty good but the beers, meals and pack up lunches are far too expensive. Not only that but the staff refuse to take responsibility for pulling the wrong pints and the Aussie waiter (we've just spent the last 30 years living in Aus so I have no problem with Aussies) describes knives and forks as being "weapons".

Thats a shame i was planning a visit later in the year

 

[Mikey C]

Personally I've no problems with Wetherspoons. Decent range of real ales at a VERY reasonable price, and while the food isn't exciting, the majority of other chain pub meals are no better. The service in some pubs can be slow, but not all of them are bad, and once ordered the food does arrive quite quickly

When visiting somewhere exotic and different, I will visit Spoons to start. For instance, the other week I was in Pudsey so had a quick half in the Crossed Shuttle and then had a mosey around the town, didn't find any other pubs with a better choice of beer. However, if I'd been in the centre of Leeds I'm sure that would have been a different experience.

That's the thing, there are time when you don't have much time, and just need some food and beer, pronto, rather than trekking to some highly rated pub which isn't serving food that evening, or has no empty tables...

 

[boyaloud]

The Wetherspoons app hasn't been around for "years", it was launched in March last year, 19 months ago.

It may have launched 19 months ago in ALL pubs, but it first launched on
16 Jul 2015 on iOS at a not insignificant number of pubs (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/wetherspoon/id1003707932?mt=8 and click on "version history"). So, it's been out for 3 years and 4 months.

 

[yorksrob]

Thats a shame i was planning a visit later in the year

I'd say its still a nice place to get a pint. I spent a very pleasant couple of hours there recently.

 

[martinsh]

Titanic now have a cafe / bar on Stoke station - called "Bod". Available both trackside (platform 1) and streetside - with a barrier down the middle for revenue protection purposes. Makes it difficult to see what beers are being displayed in the other half of the pub ! Train departure times are shown on screen - but only in the railside half.

 

[sprinterguy]

It may have launched 19 months ago in ALL pubs, but it first launched on
16 Jul 2015 on iOS at a not insignificant number of pubs (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/wetherspoon/id1003707932?mt=8 and click on "version history"). So, it's been out for 3 years and 4 months.

Ah okay. I'd never seen it advertised or discussed by anyone before the nationwide launch in March last year. Was it just a "down south" thing for a while or something?