Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 10 and Version 2 of Jackdaw And Rook, SW12 9AA

Version 10 Version 2
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The Jackdaw & Rook was a [[Category Fuller's|Fuller's]] pub on [[Locale Balham|Balham]] High Road, but it closed some time around the end of 2010/start of 2011. As of October 2011, the premises are occupied by [http://gazettebrasserie.co.uk/balham/ Gazette Brasserie], which was previously situated nearby on Ramsden Road.
 This Fullers pub on Balham High Road - an area infested with many loathsomely trendy bars - has large plate-glass windows, sofas, pool tables, and pale wood. But when you go inside it's not so bad. Yes, there's music, but it's not overly loud and isn't the awful stuff that is so common these days and which offends those who are actually musicians. On a Thursday evening when [[DrHyde]] visited it was very quiet, with just a couple of other small groups of customers. Service was very quick, although how they would cope on a busy night I don't know. The pizzas we ordered were good.
== Line 2 == == Line 2 ==
The information below is retained for people who want to know what it used to be like.
 That's not to say that everything's great though. There was only one real beer on, London Pride. It was well-kept, but with four hand-pumps on the bar they really should have some of Fullers' other beers instead of just having the Pride pump-clip on all four. The soft drinks selection was also a bit poor, with no grapefruit juice. They also tended to put too much ice into soft drinks.
== Line 4 == == Line 4 ==
<div class="old_info">
A [[Category Fuller's|Fuller's]] pub on [[Locale Balham|Balham]] High Road.
 So over all, this isn't a great pub, certainly not one worth travelling to, but if you do need a pub in the area, it's sufficient, and given the lack of other choices nearby (the Duke of Devonshire has been vandalised in the name of fashion; the Clarence is full of braying idiots; and the Bedford can be very noisy), it'll have to do.
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The dark red of the exterior is carried through inside, where cream walls are set off by dark red and dark green paint. The floor is hardwood, and some if not all of the tables are unvarnished in that gastro-trendy way. There are also signs of unintentional wear to go with the intentional ones; chipped and marked paintwork, and blu-tack residue on the walls. Plate-glass windows and patio-style doors at the front let in the light (and the dubiously-fresh air of Balham High Road, when the weather is good enough for them to be opened up). There are plentiful sofas at front and back, and two pool tables out the back near the loos.

On [[DrHyde]]'s, [[Ewan]]'s, and [[Kake]]'s various visits, weekday afternoons and evenings have generally proved fairly quiet (except when the live music is on, starting around 9pm), though weekend evenings are far busier and the feel is more like a sports bar.

As of June 2009, the only real ale available is London Pride; [[Kake]] was told that they'd tried stocking Discovery too, but found they couldn't sell enough of it to keep it in good condition, and that they'd rather not sell it if they couldn't guarantee its quality. The Pride that [[DrHyde]] tried in March 2008 was well-kept, providing further evidence that they do actually care about the beer here. However, on the same visit, the soft drinks selection was a bit poor, with no grapefruit juice, and they tended to put too much ice into soft drinks. In June 2009, [[Kake]]'s half of Honeydew (not a real ale) was &pound;1.70.

Food is served noon-9pm, but beware that on quiet evenings the kitchen may close early. The pizzas [[DrHyde]] and friends ordered in March 2008 were good.

A sign on the bar (June 2009) advertised free wireless, with the access code being available on request. Another sign advertised live music every week; [[DrHyde]], who experienced this in September 2008, found it not to be good, and more like someone wailing off-key to random guitar strumming than actual music.

[[DrHyde]]'s verdict: This isn't a great pub, certainly not one worth travelling to, and the nearby [[Balham Bowls Club, SW12 8QX|bbc bar]] is much better.

Accessibility: No steps to get in, step-free throughout, and there's a RADAR-locked accessible toilet.

See also:
* [http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/comments.shtml/7393/ Beer In The Evening comments]
* [http://fancyapint.com/pubs/pub3384.html Fancyapint review]

<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]], 3 June 2009.</div>
</div>
address='100 Balham High Road'
category='Now Closed'
edit_type='Normal edit'
 Web site claims to have wifi available, and it appeared to be wheelchair-accessible.
address='100, Balham High Road'
category='Fullers pubs,Pubs'
edit_type='Minor tidying'
== Line 31 == == Line 11 ==
formatted_website_text=''
host='81.187.166.218'
hours_text=''
major_change='1'
map_link='http://streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=528627&y=173498'
node_image='https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3331/3597878509_e9501c9a60_m.jpg'
node_image_copyright='Kake'
node_image_licence='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/'
node_image_url='https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/3597878509/'
opening_hours_text=''
 formatted_website_text='="http://fullers.co.uk/rte.asp?id=4&itemid=151&task=View">http://fullers.co.uk/rte.asp?id=4&itemid=151&task=View '
host='195.149.50.60'
hours_text='1100-2330 (1100-0100 Fri/Sat). Food 1200-2100'
locale='Balham'
major_change='0'
map_link='http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=SW12+9AA&ie=UTF8&ll=51.445917,-0.150354&spn=0.006553,0.008712&z=16'
opening_hours_text='1100-2330 (1100-0100 Fri/Sat). Food 1200-2100'
== Line 42 == == Line 20 ==
postcode=''
summary='Now closed; was a Fuller's pub on Balham High Road.' website='http://fullers.co.uk/rte.asp?id=4&itemid=151&task=View'		 postcode='SW12 9AA'
summary='The best choice of pub in Balham, which isn't saying much'
summary='Now closed; was a Fuller's pub on Balham High Road.' website='http://fullers.co.uk/rte.asp?id=4&itemid=151&task=View'

This Fullers pub on Balham High Road - an area infested with many loathsomely trendy bars - has large plate-glass windows, sofas, pool tables, and pale wood. But when you go inside it's not so bad. Yes, there's music, but it's not overly loud and isn't the awful stuff that is so common these days and which offends those who are actually musicians. On a Thursday evening when DrHyde visited it was very quiet, with just a couple of other small groups of customers. Service was very quick, although how they would cope on a busy night I don't know. The pizzas we ordered were good.

That's not to say that everything's great though. There was only one real beer on, London Pride. It was well-kept, but with four hand-pumps on the bar they really should have some of Fullers' other beers instead of just having the Pride pump-clip on all four. The soft drinks selection was also a bit poor, with no grapefruit juice. They also tended to put too much ice into soft drinks.

So over all, this isn't a great pub, certainly not one worth travelling to, but if you do need a pub in the area, it's sufficient, and given the lack of other choices nearby (the Duke of Devonshire has been vandalised in the name of fashion; the Clarence is full of braying idiots; and the Bedford can be very noisy), it'll have to do.

Web site claims to have wifi available, and it appeared to be wheelchair-accessible.


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