PUBS in Chislehurst tend to be a mixed bag, ranging from the excellent to the appalling depending which end of the town you find yourself in.

Anyone who's been to the pubs on the Mottingham/Eltham fringes will know what I mean.

A friend of mine who recently visited The Penny Farthing, on White Horse Hill, has advised me it urgently needs a Spying and for all the wrong reasons.

Anyway, The Bull's Head is slap bang in the middle of the rather swanky Royal Parade and when my driver dropped me off the first thing I noticed was the size of the place.

It's a big old pile which serves a good range of Young's beers as well as the usual stuff at the bar.

It was certainly very busy when I visited and the elderly punters who filled the bar area seemed to have made the place their own. Though the hordes of pensioners lined up against the walls made me feel I was visiting my grandmother in the care home, their presence would seem to indicate The Bull's Head has a loyal clientele.

They were a hungry bunch and were very busy sinking their dentures into the excellent looking range of bar snacks which were available.

Not the most appetising of sights but the fodder smelled very good and I ordered a sarnie myself, which was quite tasty and slipped down a treat with a decent pint of Young's Special.

There's plenty of space at the bar to stand around and enjoy your pint and the staff were friendly enough despite the lunchtime rush.

Probably one for the older crowd but The Bull's Head is a good traditional old pub and is certainly difficult to fault. I might even try it in the evening.

January 30, 2003 12:00