JP Wetherspoons (The Vale)

[sgb]

I hear JP Wetherspoons are close to completing on The Vale. They?ve surveyed it 3 times and had a design company draw up plans. Anything will be better than what The Vale has to offer but Wetherspoons! I also hear Pizza Express have had a look but Wetherspoons are much further down the line, looks like they be moving in to ED. I know ED isn?t the cheapest for a night out but don?t feel they're the answer or will fit in?.

[Vik]

It'll be a shame if it happens, I like The Vale, not a fan of Wetherspoons at all.

[DJKillaQueen]

Weatherspoons are much better on the wallet though and having seen how many former reasonably priced pubs now price people out of being able to afford them, I think it's needed. The Fox on the Hill is a great pub (bar the toilets)...not just on price but on the range of beers, ales and ciders they stock. I'm for it.

[binary_star]

Hmm, I've mixed views on JD Wetherspoon. From my experience, they're either blob shops where all the local alchies hang out, student havens or get turned into dodgy locals (think 'local' as in 'local shop'). Mind you, I haven't been in that many...not since I was an my alchie student days when we used to pop down the local anyway.

I guess if there is no need for it, it wont last long surely?

Unless JP Wetherspoons is a cheap rip-off of JD Wetherspoon....then we really are in for trouble.

[Applespider]

I'm a little ambivalent on Weatherspoons too; I prefer independent pubs and landlords and I think the food is dreadful. But they do usually have a better range of ales/beers than many bars and for that I can forgive a lot.

[DJKillaQueen]

Check out the Fox on the Hill....you'll find it mostly filled with a combination of families and other people who are fed up of being ripped off and given a poor choice of beers/ cider on tap. Nothing wrong with students either.

I'm sure it'll do just as good business in ED.

[aquarius moon]

I agree with DJQK on this. I have been to fox on the hill loads of times. Good atmosphere, nice friendly place, good food, especially their sunday roasts & before noon breakfasts.

Not everybody in ED is well off, myself included, so I would love to see a Wetherspoons here, complete with their special offers & meal deals (plus, they cater for vegetarians!)

[sgb]

Isn?t fox on the hill miles away? If I was to visit a Wetherspoon it would only be through lack of choice or convenience. They?ve a decent range of beer and some ED pubs will need to take note with their prices but then again maybe if it takes all the unwanted customers will it bother them? Also their food, cheap yes but I?d rather pay a few quid more and get better quality ingredients.

[PeckhamRose]

I used to work for the architects of JD Wetherspoons (to give it its correct title!) and they did spend a LOT of money doing up buildings, preserving buildings, making them useable again, albeit as pubs. The theatre (Cornet?) in Forest Hill on London Road for example; you may not like that it is a pub but at least the building has at least been looked after, and is still a public building. The staff used to (I don't know about now) be very well trained and there was a sense of pride but the company got very very big and quickly. They tend to do well in recessions, and are a bit Tesco-ey with the way they approach small breweries at beer festival time, buying in bulk for less money sort of thing, but business is business.

I have to admit having visited a LOT of Wetherspoon pubs around London and beyond (Often on their opening nights) they vary according - of course - to the local clientele. Personally, I would never want to go into the Peckham one again but the one in Old Street (Casque Marque?) and Farringdon Road (Sir John something?) are lovely. If the Vale becomes a Wetherspoon pub I would be 'appy though it's still too far for me to walk there!

[louisiana]

The Fox gets a 4.4 on Beer in the Evening. Possibly the lowest score I've seen. Some interesting comments there too.

If Wetherspoon take over The Vale, for me that's another pub I'll never go into.

[silverfox]

I heard it might become one of the upmarket Wetherspoons. I don't know how they brand them, but a sort of Wetherspoons Premier to fit in with the area (ie, not like the one in Forest Hill).

[sgb]

I heard the same thing. Don't know if that makes it a "Lloyds" or if they have a new, better concept?

[DJKillaQueen]

I'm sure those of us that go there will report back and people can decide if it's for them.

[aquarius moon]

I've been to lots of 'Lloyds no 1' bars as well, locally Croydon & Bromley. Either way, can't wait. It will probably be my local!

[Weegee]

This sounds good news.

My local back in my home town is a Wetherspoons and they offer cracking good value on drinks.

Especially the shorts like Malt Whiskeys, nice beers...

Might be a hell of a lot busier than The Vale which would be good!

[ratty]

As I am not a total snob I think this wound be a good thing!

[KalamityKel]

Any hints if the name will change?

[Fuschia]

I like them. The Fox on the Hill has a nice play area and very good value esp if you get one of the offers. They also do great breakfasts.

[KalamityKel]

I've hoped a 'spoons would be coming closer to the area for a loooong time :)

[felt-tip]

Weatherspoons are great. Cheaper double vodka redbull so I can get loaded up before throwing my weight around in the Bishop late-doors.

[Jeremy]

I think we must be talking about a different Fox On The Hill.

The one in Denmark Hill has zero atmosphere and disgusting food!!

[Vik]

100% agree with Jeremy! The Fox on the Hill (esp the garden) is always dirty, the service slow and the food horrible!

[Fuschia]

The food at fox on the hill is ok. If you are eating out with toddlers having a slide etc counts for a lot. 1/3 the price of the Herne anyway!

[????]

Wetherspoons are chain pub hell that serve crap food and put many decent small independent pubs out of business. One of the saddest things of the last 20 odd years has been the destruction of much of a very unique british institution and its replacement with dull managed chains or 'bars' in old shoe shops.

[louisiana]

Totally agree quids.

And they haven't got a clue how to keep beer.

If I waned the atmosphere of a bus shelter, I'd go and stand in a bus shelter.