The South Park (Wychwood)
Cowley Road, Oxford
Now The Hobgoblin (27.viii.1999)
Wychwood Shires £1.50
Wychwood Special (4.2%) £1.95 (2.ii.1999)
Having reopened after moderate refurbishment and Wychwoodification on the
14th of December, though still as the Ampney Cottage, this had the name
and pub sign changed to the "South Park" at some stage over Christmas. It
used, in fact, to be covered in South Park-the-cartoon paraphernalia, but
all that remains of it is Kenny's "MBHMFMF" (or similar) painted on one of
the windows. The pub sign, which used to have the lead singer from Primus
on it, now has a Wychwood elf on a hill, which suggests that it has been
rededicated to South Park-the-grassy-slope-between-Oxford-and-Headington.
It remains an L-shaped building with a public bar containing a jukebox and
a pool table, and a lounge with very red plush seats and tables covered in
beaten copper. Quiz machine.
Good pint of Shires I had. Three cask pumps, which is fewer than in the
Hobgoblin on St Aldates. There is a calendar behind the bar showing the
projected guest ales for the rest of 1999, which are a mixture of cycling
through the standard Wychwood range and seasonals. I dread to find out
what St Patrick's Ale's like. The jukebox is much louder than it was on
the 15th of December last year. Those were the days when you could take
your supervisor. (30.iii.1999)