Thetownend.com

Got my tickets booked for the Port Vale game and a hotel for that night. Not been out in Swindon for a few years, where's good to go and where's best to avoid? Not really into clubbing so any decent bars worth a visit?

Nope

I'll be out in Swindon on Saturday celebrating my birthday if anyone fancies buying me a pint..

Though I agree nowhere in town is actually good...

 Tricky one, Swindon has plenty of drinking establishments, but they're not necessarily best suited to a lady...kind of depends on how sensitive you are to the low side of life....

You've obviously not seen some of the local pubs round where i live!! Definitely not overly sensitive just somewhere that serves a good pint and we won't be looked at funny because we're 'strangers'!

Well best to head up to Old Town....Beehive serves good beer but is expensive...always welcoming. The Vic is lively, with a younger clientele, but generally civilised. The Donkey, is a decent back street pub, with a bit of character. Pig on the Hill is nice enough in a bland sort of way...did see PdC in there earlier in the season.  The Plough is worth a visit for a chat with Andy Rowland...The Wheatsheaf used to be a top pub, but not been in it since it reopened.  Steam, I use fairly regularly, and has a range of ales.  The Goddards is a bit fake but nice enough...The Bell, probably is the most interesting building, but has gone right down hill. Baker Street, Mackenzies, Old Bank and Longs Bar are probably worth going to if you say OMG every 10th word, and like to slap stuff on your face every 10th minute.

And there you have the Lonely Planet guide to pubs/bars in Swindon.

Do you do accommodation, local attractions and restaurant guides Reg? There should be a special match day boozer section as well.

Simples. Savoy for 9 to grab a fry up, then take your pick between Sir Dans/Zen or The Tap before a swifty in the County.

I used to love The Wheatsheaf until Arkells decided to hammer the Landlord for even more of their profits which forced them to put up the cost of a pint of Peroni to £4.50!!

Haven't been in there since!

dporter, depends on what you want on a night out? quiet night? etc etc

Interesting what you say about the cost of a pint of Peroni. My mate got stung in The Sun @ Coate. He thought nothing of it at first as he did not exactly hear what the bar maid said and just handed over a tenner, like you do. He said he was going to challenge her on the second pint but of course he asked her for one before she said the price (that just sounds wrong reading it back), so the pint was poured, which we all do in fairness, something we generally never do when buying any other consumer product, strange that. Any way after he picked himself up off the floor his thought was, well you can guess and has not been back since. Strangely enough it's nowhere near that in the legends lounge around £1 less IIRC.

Thanks Reg, looks like a pub crawl could be on the cards  :pint: Made a mental note of where to avoid - definitely don't want to be surrounded by OMG types!

Spud - I'm wanting a decent night out with a bit of atmosphere, not too quiet but not a rowdy trendy bar full of teenagers!

Wheatsheaf is real quiet now, but it's a Wadworth so has some decent ale on.
I usually go between the Donkey and Steam Railway, bit more atmosphere and decent ales (Steam seems to have a wide range of clientele - from Reg to younger folk, via me somewhere in-between!).
The Vic has some decent music on and is a bit more alternative, but that works for me (and Mr Cod over the road does great post-pub hotwings...).
Out of all the 'bars', I prefer Longs... not as much posing, decent choice of drinks, nice outside bit in summer.

Deers Leap?

We ought to award each establishment an award much like Michelin Stars only they could be 'Smeeton Bars'

Reg might have been around the block but he's about a million years old, why anyone under 50 would want his advice on where the scene in Swindon is mystifies me.

True, but DPorter might not be so young herself :)

* and she might not want to bump into the likes of you.

Of course she does I'm every birds dream

That's slightly harsh! Any suggestions from yourself DMR?


Nice one! Early 30's so not past it but too old to be hanging out with the youths!!

Pics or STFU :-)

I don't like going to the cinema  ;)

Old Town's alright, Longs, Spot, McKenzies and Goddard Arms are all alright. Sujus OK if you're blindo, £1.50 jaegerbombs what else could you want?

But in all seriousness pics please.

Then only way you can enjoy suju is if you are so smashed out of your face you dont actually realise whats going on.

Spot, Longs and Steam for me

£1.50 jaegerbombs! What more could a girl want?!

In all seriousness why would i post my pic on here? I wouldn't want anyone to recognise me when i'm making a drunken fool out of myself in the town  ;D

I like most of the pubs in old town apart from the ones DMR said.

Funny that, me too.

Me three. Must be our age

Goddards gets plus points because of the size of its beer garden in the summer - there aren't many that can compete up in that area (apart from Steam, which is basically one large concrete slab)

The Globe is worthy of a mention for sitting outside...also OK if you want somewhere to watch football.

Are you three all over 30 then? Thinking i will go with the suggestions of the majority!

Ah yeah, forgot that... the Eascott area pub crawl used to be a favourite before half of them closed down (and the Beehive started charging ridiculous prices). Prince of Wales is always a favourite, often free pool and jukebox (with decent selection of stuff)

Places with outdoor seating are good for me being a dirty smoker!

Yeah, i'm 34. I don't particularly like the main Old Town pubs, prefer the backstreet ones; Roaring Donkey, The Beehive, The Castle, The Globe, etc.

Yup.

This thread is making me nostalgic for the time I lived in Old Town.  You keep hearing about old pubs closing down...but the truth is that the good ones go on and on.  A long time ago now, but I spend many a happy evening at the pool table in the Roaring Donkey.

aye.

brunel rooms

This thursday I am off to a night at level 3 (now the furnace), a vague school friend of mine, and facebook 'friend' has hired the place out for her 40th birthday, with the intention of trying to recreate the vibe of the late 80's early 90's...looking forward to it, though no doubt it wont be the same as the first time around...may even pop to the wheatie for one beforehand as well, for old times sake...

now, where is that Ride t-shirt and my DM's?

Has someone suggested outside of Swindon yet?    ;)

Calne  :)

I used to get utterly hammered in level-3 quite regularly, my friends and I would run amok in the place.

One of the bouncers (Mel) would often 'confiscate' my pills from me. I would often see him at a friends house after he finished work, high as a kite...... on my pills.

What sort of era we talking here? Aceeeed days?

Post acceeeed, more coke and ecstasy.  94-96 ish.

Messy days

 Yeovil would be the man for this, but a leftfield crawl for me would be to take in some of the traditional Rodbourne, Railway Village...Faringdon Road pubs.

 Have to admit I'm not even certain what's left down there, as it's been years since I ventured that way...seems a bit pointless when I live within 5 mins walk of about a dozen OT pubs.

 Could start with a trip to Phil King's Dolphin....is the Redcliffe Street pub still open?  Lovely building. Then round to Railway Village for the Glue Pot, think the Bakers has lost its licence. Is the Cricketers still going?  Similar questions need to be asked of the Grapes, and the Falcon, fairly sure The Greyhound has gone....finish up in 12 Bar.

I would prob recognise you then, used to go there quite a bit back then, but by mid 90s was migrating over to route a little more I think..

The Famous Ale House? It is (or was the last time I went past), but it's a bit of a dive these days.

Possibly

I stood out a little bit 'cos I generally dressed smarter than the rest, no grungy gear for me. Often in a big group and sometimes with the Hell's Angels on the few occasions they went. Twas a bit of an obnoxious tit if I am honest, doing whatever I wanted to. But I had a bloody good time doing it.

I still tend to think of it as the Even Swindon Hotel...

and there was me thinking that was Rik Mayall in your avatar

Flash by name, Flash by nature

You could go as far as the Manor Reg!

were you the guy with very punky spiky hair that used to drive a cab?


(not to be confused with spunky pikey hair - I love a good spoonerism!)

Not me

Sounds like Vyvian

Is that what I know as The Steam Train? ...it's confusing when pubs change their names. That's the edge of known territory for me...after that it's "Here Be Dragons"

Ports are we having a little rendezvous then or what?

Cutting to the chase I'd love to bang a 30-something again.

me and yeovil used to go to level 3 all the time, and we are 40. might know you all you fuckers.

The Cricketers is still going, been in there a few times over the past year (No, it's no longer a gay pub, before you ask), the Glue Pot is also a good starting point with a decent selection of ales.

The Bakers you're on about, is that the one up from The Cricketers?
I never even knew that existed until a few months ago, there was about 15 of us out, we stumbled in there and they have a decent sized pool room at the back, we spent over an hour in there playing killer.

Wow you are slick, best line i've heard in a long time!! That either means you're getting on a bit or you're really young!!

Some time back I was going through some of the pics on the facebook "I used to go to level 3" page, or some such nonsense, came across this pic, and fook me I was in it...

for those who care, I am the gay sailor looking type!

Backs onto Cheney manor

Sounds like you're onto a winner, DMR!

A mere 23, educate me

Don't ask for a pic DP :)

This really could be the start of something beautiful.

Hehe, i haven't.......would be scared of what i might receive  :eek: *slightly scared of coming to Swindon now*

I see Ports hasn't rejected Dave's advances yet.

Is DMR in Portsmouth?

I haven't accepted them either! Trying to be tactful  :)

Are you Samantha Brick?

What, blonde and forty something? Or is Samantha Brick now rhyming slang?!

And the end of it 15 minutes later if I'm on a going night 8)

Or indeed, Port's muff ?

oh, that's glorious...

 :D

 :eek:

Haaaaaaa

And to think there's some that complain at Neville's word play

 :clap: Very good guys!!



No!!!

ha ha I don't know the face but I'd say that was the same era.

Famous Ale House is open they have management in there while the brewrey try and sell the freehold.I cant afford pub beer anymore but i've not seen more than 5 people in there at once for about 4 years.I expect it to become flats

Got £315,000 plus vat plus another £100,000 to do it up?
http://www.jamesabaker.co.uk/showproperty,783,1.htm

Got a link to the pictures?

I was probably there most nights between 90-93, used to DJ a fair bit as well.

There was a load of flammable bens in that picture..

IIRC is Level Three next to the Rolleston?

Roaring Donkey is good but when it's hot, it's like a sauna in there.

I can't find the group any more, but there are a handful of pics here...

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=6246053407&set=a.6193778407.15706.533248407&type=3&
theater

and yes, the one by the rolly..

Well in that case I used to strut mystuff in Bojangles, with DJ Stuart Mac as the house turn. Spent the remainder of my wages on 12" import jazz funk at flashback records.

Those were the days. No kids, mortgage or worries.

Wasn't he the one who cried his eyes out on live radio when we were getting beat 7-0?

there it is

http://www.facebook.com/groups/4066581445/photos/


lets of people there that Mex and I know...

I recognise a school friend in those photos, I'd have a chat with him at level 3 sometimes.

Bennett is in at least one of them!

I think you mean "didn't he wear his heart on his sleeve?" Yes on his last commentary on the radio. Top bloke.

i can confirm i am in one

Well found that man.....a couple in there of Paul Gordon, the laddy that killed himself around 1992 or thereabouts...top lad.

I only went there a couple of times around those years when i'd got thrown out of brunel rooms or refused entry. Wasn't my kind of place at all really. Was regarded as the place the goths and freaks went to. Always remember they served pints in tankard glasses and the floor was sticky.
Remember that bouncer Mel.

I went in there last year to see a band and it was still the same and the floor was still sticky.

I used to frequent Level 3 and still occasionally the Furnace. Although my 'golden era' if you can call it that, was between '95 and '00 before it became the Furnace. Would probably recognise some of you fuckers....

There's a picture of you on that Facebook page Marky.

Not with the long hair and that?  :(

Oh yes.

Were you "known" arriba? :)

I am a similar age to everyone on here who is talking about clubbing in the early 90's, out of interest does anyone on here from that era still go clubbing? I do the pubs and smaller clubs/late night spots infrequently but I don't think I could go to a big club nowadays.

Not enough love for the Royal Oak in here. £1.50 shots and Joycie's everyones pal.

I think I must have become middle aged before my time...because I never enjoyed clubbing.  To me, a club is basically a big, dark pub that charges a massive premium on drinks for no real reason as well as an entrance fee - and then turns the sound system up just high enough so you can't hear what your mates are saying to you.  The basis of a really shit night out.  BUT Good for a bit of a grope on the dancefloor, I suppose.

I think the same. I'm only 22. I only go because my mates go, and they tend to be the only places open beyond 1

haha! I am kind of the same. Had a laugh in places like Magalluf when at the end of my teens, but after that I preferred just staying in a decent bar, as opposed to going clubbing.

Couple of old bastards here Ardiles!! :)

I used to go to Goldiggers in Chippenham now and then - it's appartments now. Was the club in West Swindon once called Eros as well as Cairos?

I had this epiphany sometime in my early twenties.

Although I always found level 3 to be more like a social club than a nightclub.

I'm a miserable old bastard too :)
I've probably been clubbing 6 times in my whole life, always hated nightclubs, even as a young'un.

Necking birds in clubs is quality. The sort of thing you do at school discos when you're 14 but I'm 23 and still think it's class.

Im 19 and i agree entirely!

This isn't something you lose with age DMR...good when the bird is a bit of an exhibitionist.... :)

I'm 28 and I've only been out to nightclubs 3 times. Never really thought about it until now. Meh.

used to love clubbing but those days are long gone. Prefer a quiet pub nowadays

I went to an Ektos old school night at Suju a few months ago and danced like a massive idiot for hours ,didnt even take any drugs.it was ace even if I'm a fat 40 year old.

I assume it's one you're tagged in......are you still in touch with Laura who's also in that pic? I went to school with her in Eldene.

Last time I went clubbing i fell asleep on a sofa in the venue and got thrown out for being sick on a bouncers shoes.

Do they still have freshen up men in the toilets?
'Freshen up for the punani'
'No splash, no gash'

NO SPRAY, NO LAY, NO SPRAAAYY NO LAAAYYY

They still have these everywhere, some are quality!

Depends on the club.  I am a miserable old git (currently wearing slippers.  I'm 27).  But - a good old rock club, where they play good music, the booze is cheap, and you can wear your dirty jeans and old trainers is fine by me.  Anywhere I have to put on a clean shirt and shoes - count me out

Cardiff excelled in these good places.  Metros and "the Welsh Club" (Clwb Ifor Bach) were great ( I say were, its been a few years).  Struggled in Swindon to find anywhere like as good.

Night clubs have never been my thing either, Have always preferred drinking in late bars with the traditional duke boxes or bands. Can't see the attraction of paying club prices and communicating in sign language all night. Suppose if your out to attract the opposite sex the clubs are the place to be though. Trouble is for every hot girl in the club there are about ten drooling pissed up blokes to contend with, unless your in Nottingham that is, was often the other way round there  :)

Clubbing these days is a whole different thing to what it was back in the 90s though.

When I was in my teens, clubbing (in Swindon at least) first meant going Brunel on nappy nights pretending to get pissed up on non alcoholic drinks made to look like alcopops and later ment going to Lava Lounge or Casbah and dancing to cheesy music until 4 in the morning.

If you wanted to go clubbing in the proper sense you had to travel.

My early teens was around the time of the clubland compilations. We just used to hotbox a bedroom and stick on a clubland CD.

Clwb Ifor Bach is still going - my niece is at Uni in Cardiff and it is a regular haunt of hers.

There was a glorious stage in the late 80's when me and my mates were banned from every nightclub in Cardiff, for a variety of drink related mishaps and malarky.

Nah,the head bouncer at the time didnt like me so it was a bit cat and mouse

Oscars, concords, gold diggers, the venue

The late licence bars have killed the nightclub really (in Swindon at least). There used to be about half a dozen clubs in town, there's only two I can think of now. Although I'm counting the furnace as one of those it's really an anti-nightclub and people only go to Suju because it opens later than anywhere else in Old Town.

Brunel was always my favourite place and there's always been some right dives in town but I've always maintained that it's the company you're in and not the location which makes for a decent night.

Peroni is also £4.50 in the Goddards.

Gordy was one of my best mates. Stupid cunt for doing that. Still hurts.

i am not sadly

In the early 90's i always go to  route 66 & then when they changed that i went to destiny & desire ( before they changed it i had never been in the upstairs part )

Our end of season do for Melksham is in Nottingham, so I like this a lot.