The Captain Noel Newton (JD Wetherspoon), Oakham

There was a decent ale selection in the Captain Noel Newton during a recent Tuesday evening visit when it was fairly busy with just over half the high tables in the bar area being used. The bar counter along the rear wall supports premium and standard keg as well as two banks of six hand pumps. These were drawing the usual three plus Cairngorm Brewery’s Nessie’s Monster Mash, JW Lees Game On and Arkell’s Kingsdown alongside Oakham’s Inferno, Citra and Green Devil. I plumped for a decent pint of Inferno which I enjoyed sat at a table under a framed piece on the Captain this pub is named after, no spoilers. There is more seating up the right side of the pub, but this was pretty empty. This isn’t the most interesting Spoons, but the ale selection available made it a worthwhile visit.

The front part of this 'spoons looks traditional enough, but the interior has been comprehensively modernised and extended at the back (where a patio beer garden can be found). No real features of note, apart from a better-than-expected selection of eight different cask ales from the two banks of six handpumps, including Whakahari from Purple Moose (£2.49).

Despite the nice Georgian-style exterior, this a fairly modern Spoons, not unpleasant but totally devoid of any character or atmosphere despite, or maybe because of, the drawer front decoration mentioned in the earlier review. There is a small separate side room, and a patio garden at the rear. The beer front was also a bit disappointing, with a just couple of unexciting guests alongside Doom Bar, Abbot and IPA.

Tidy, nice Wetherspoons with real fire. Big space, ok

A fairly modern Spoons, situated in what was once the Royal British Legion building. Blocky interior with white, blue and red colour scheme. Of note is the bar front which is cladded with old drawer fronts, for reasons unknown. A bit of a let-down on the beer front with just one guest, Exmoor Gold (in decent nick) and just one cider (Thistly Cross) on a Saturday evening! Pretty disappointing, seems to have slipped since Aqua’s visit a couple of year prior. 5.5