Posted by: Lois Lindemann on: November 23rd, 2008 
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We set off the pub, planning to drop in on Landlord John and consume a couple of beers. We made it as far as The (newly refurbished) York. I was busy being distracted by the sight of two 6 foot tall smurfs exiting the pub and climbing into a waiting taxi when Mr TLC said, “Isn’t that C?” So we reversed a few steps, gawped in the window and concluded that it was.
A few minutes later we were inside, gatecrashing on C’s evening out, chatting, laughing and generally catching up. I like it when that happens.
It was our first look at The York. It was a bright yellow Scream pub. Now it’s a bright purple not Scream pub. I can’t say I rate the decor to be honest, purple paint on scruffy walls with a motley collection of ye olde pub stylee pictures isn’t my thing really.
However I’ll award some points for serving lots of real ales and some bonus marks for 70s style pint pots – remember the ones with handles and umpty-nine little window panes? No sparklers on the pumps though, so it was a bit like being in the Sarf, drinking flat beer, although it tasted nice enough.
Overall verdict: it was OK, I’m sure we’ll be back. Especially if we spot old friends inside.
It is thirty years since I first visited The York. Then it was a proper pub that catered for a healthy mix of local residents and transitory students. I suspect at that time it hadn’t changed significantly in years. Later it became an Irish theme pub. Whatever happened to all those Irish pubs in the UK? It was a sudden fashion…like platform heels. Here for a while and then gone.
I liked it in its Irish theme phase. I didn’t like it as a Scream pub, but I’m not the target audience for that chain, so it’s not surprising.
I’m not sure what it’s trying to be now, seems to be an odd mixture of traditional and modern.
What’s a Scream pub?
I is old, see, and don’t know.
Well BW, if you were in a Scream pub, you probably would scream.
Unless I have completely misjudged you. If you are actually someone who likes drinking brightly coloured drinks in a bright yellow pub until oh no you’ve had too much and you can’t drink no more andyoufalldowndrunk.
Well then you’d like it 😉
The BW Party will place Scream Pubs at the top of its Agenda For Change.
Three-Legged Cat writes: I can’t argue with that.
I thought them up Norf didn’t like those little windowed pint pots. If they still drink bitter, when they are down Sarf they ask for straight glasses.
Its less obvious now because of all the designer lagers and bright yellow flambéed cocktails.
Actually the whole beer experience was a little geographically displaced, not just the glass.
A Northern pint is served differently – aerated by a sparkler and with a definite head. The beer here was what I would expect in a London pub.
Wonder how popular that’ll prove to be?