Now demolished.

(2012-12-12)

The Duke of York (Morrells)
Oxpens Road, Oxford.

    * Morrells Varsity £1.95 (One Pound Ninety-Five) (21.iv.2000)

This has been recently refurbished by New Morrells. But first, a brief 
account of what it was like before.


Definite smell of food about this place. It was constructed on what became 
the edge of the Westgate Centre car park, when the plans for housing 
development in the Oxpens area looked rather different. Food served till 
9.30pm in the evening. Definite sense of folk coming in in the evening 
when their work finishes. Youngish clientele.

Whereas the Bear has ties in glass cases on its walls and ceilings, and 
the Port Mahon has jugs screwed into the ceiling of its upper bar, the 
Duke of York has baseball caps drawing pinned to the ceiling.

There's also threatening notices warning you of the inadmissibility of, 
say, not buying a drink before playing pool or on the fruit machines, 
sharing drinks, not having bought a drink, and not leaving after fifteen 
minutes of buying a drink. (19.xi.1997)


All this has gone. We now have standard issue Morrells bar tat (old 
advertising, bar towels surrounded by beer mats in a flower-like 
arrangement) spread thinly over a newly wood-panelled and bordello 
lighting lit pub of twice the former apparent size. Varsity (approaching 
the turn, I thought) and Oxford on offer; Graduate off. Projector screen 
in the corner showing football. More in the way of customers than last 
time.

There is no earthly reason you would come here with The Wharf House a 
little further along. (21.iv.2000)