Tim Bobbin, Urmston

Part of the Wetherspoon chain.

This is a typical Wetherspoon's pub, with a modern look and layout in a building that was built in 1939 for the Stretford & District Electricity Board, as showrooms for electrical appliances. It has a steady daytime trade and can be extremely busy on Friday and Saturday nights. Earlier in the day, and earlier in the week, it is a quiet, indeed tranquil place. It’s fully accessible, as the many mobility scooters testify.

The beers range across all strengths, colours and flavours, with perhaps a predominance of strong pale ales. Customers' suggestions strongly influence the beer ordering. The quality of the beers is to a large extent the result of appointing a member of staff as the pub's Ale Champion.

The cider on offer is very much the major brands with one regular (Old Rosie, from the fridge) and the remainder in bottles, none of which fulfil CAMRA's criteria for real cider.

Although the pub is essentially one large room, it is broken up into separate areas by the entrance aisle and by raised flooring at the front. Looking up there is an elaborate ventilation system which may have been mainly hidden behind a false ceiling.

There is an unheated smoking area to the side of the building and a fenced off pavement space at the front for outdoor drinking.

Food is what you would expect in a Wetherspoon's pub, but there are often some good value special days such as Tuesday steak day and Thursday curry day. On Mondays there are all day discounts for cask ale and a special afternoon deal on food. Cask ale is also discounted on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

PLEASE NOTE: Although the pub opens at 8am every day no alcohol is served before 9am.