The Woodstock Arms (Morrells)
272 Woodstock Road, Summertown, Oxford
Now closed. (2011-10-06)
* Morrells Oxford Bitter £1.80
* Morrells Varsity £2.00
* Morrells Brewery Gate Smooth £2.00
* Guinness Stout £2.20
* Dry Blackthorn Cider £2.10
* Strongbow Cider £2.10
* Oxford Lager £1.90 (8.i.1998)
* Coffee £1.00
* Appletise £1.50 (24.vi.2000)
I am in the car park round the back of the Woodstock Arms. Somebody has
painted it peach with dark red window frames. The pub sign is as before,
but while the pub used to be carpety with vases of flowers, it now looks
as if they got halfway through renovating it and stopped. A television
relays Australia playing Argentina at the rugby. I have a cup of coffee
larger than most soup bowls. It tastes of Robusta, and comes out of a
metal jug. Over at the northern restauranty end, there's the standard New
Morrells menus offering Huge Helpings of Great Taste, a slogan which still
looks as if it's been mistranslated out of the Chinese.
Surprising number of mirrors. A friend comes in, spots me, and walks over
to where my reflection is sitting, then stops, confused. Perhaps there are
too many. (24.vi.2000)