The White Hart (JD Wetherspoon), Aylesbury

Potentially my local Spoons as the crow flies (I live semi-equidistant between Aylesbury and High Wycombe). This was formerly "Chicago Rock Cafe", but the name nods to a previous White Hart located on Exchange Street long before the planners of the 1960s drummed their fingertips together à la Mr Burns from The Simpsons and changed the town centre beyond all recognition. No "Lloyd's No. 1" trappings that I could discern. There’s a boxed-shaped 'bar in the round' to your centre-left on entry, with plenty of seating to the right, as well as a smattering around the bar, with access to a patio 'garden' to the left and behind the bar, which offers scenes of the now dual carriageway Exchange Street and the new(ish) (2010) Waterside Theatre, whose construction led to the demolition (2008) of the Benskins-liveried Ship pub. There are two sets of five sets of handpumps for ale aficionados – one at the bar as you walk in, and a second set opposite the entrance/exit to the patio. It's worth checking the latter before making a decision, as there is usually an interloper along with the expected national brand beers (Doom Bar, etc.). Pints are in the sub-£3 realm. In all, a workaday, perfectly perfunctory Spoons.

Busy, loud Lloyd's No 1 Bar in a new(ish) building, albeit looking like an older, regular 'spoons inside. Island bar near the front, main seating / dining areas further back, and a very plain patio area at the front. Just six real ales from the two banks of five handpumps, with the seasonal Crooked Hooker from Banks & Taylor (£2.15) being the most interesting.

This is a modern Spoons dating back to Summer 2010 set next door to Aylesbury's Odeon and across the road from the town theatre. It's a Lloyds so if it turns into a night club at 21:00 you have to wonder what the theatre and cinema goers make of it after their evening's entertainment. It's a single room with an Island bar at the main road side of it. The fixtures were a bit plusher than older Spoons. The bar has two sets of five hand pumps that had a promising looking range with two Tring and Two Loddon beers on. However, the barmaid informed me that the only guest ale was Loddon Hoppit. I went for that (£1.99) and it was in excellent condition. If all the beers had been on this would have got a well deserved 7 but it has to be marked down from that.