The Star, Godalming

The Star in Godalming is best known for being a truely preserved old historical building and for it's great cider festivals. However what really lets this place down is the disgusting state and awful pong of the toilets. They are so bad I would never take the risk of eating in this pub. I have never seen a member of staff taking any interest in keeping them clean and hygenic and ninety nine percent of the time there is never any toilet paper and this is just the womens toilet I dread to think what the mens must be like. They constantly flood and because they are situated in the eating area with only a door seperating them from the main bar and kitchen it begs the question how clean is this place. Come on landlord and landlady sort this problem out. The different types of cider they serve is amazing and so is their selction of ales it's a shame the lack of attention in keeping their ales means they are not always at their best, otherwise I would recommend this pub to any one.

5 Aug 2010 13:29

The Drummond Arms, Albury

This is a fantastic pub. Not only is it in a lovely setting with a stream running at the end of the beer garden the food is great to and reasonably priced and sourced locally. The bar staff are extremely polite, cheerful and helpful. They also offer accommodation which I would love to stay in and one day I will. The train station is about fifteen minutes away so no need to drive if going out for more than one. I would highly recommend this pub it certainly deserves a visit.

20 Jul 2010 21:02

The Freeholders, Farncombe

Long a neighbourhood local, toward the end of 2009 Andy & Sheelagh and their daughters arrived with ambitious ideas. It's to be hoped they succeed in their determination to rescue a pub which didn't have much going for it.

Already (April 2010) they've launched evening meals, though sadly that didn't build up the business it deserved and has been dropped for the time being. They're on first-name terms with all their customers and will give a very warm welcome to new ones. Business is building and the London Pride is now as well-kept as anywhere else.

Upstairs is being refurbished to become an impressive venue for live gigs and comedy nights. Downstairs the pub itself is to see some refurbishments. Quite rightly they're not aiming to take it up-market but instead to make the most of its 'proper pub' atmosphere, surely the right thing to do in an area where pubs tend toward the expensive and pretentious.

If Andy & Sheelagh can turn the Freeholders round it bodes well for other pubs facing decline or closure. Worth a visit if only to see what's changed this week!

14 Apr 2010 03:18