Manchester Trip : The Sedge Lynn – JD Wetherspoon
This is one of the more attractive buildings operated by JD Wetherspoon, the Sedge Lynn located in Chorlton-cum-Hardy.
I’ll use the JD Wetherspoon history:
“This pub was originally a billiards hall, built in c1907 on a field sandwiched between a house called Sedge Lynn (demolished to make way for a cinema) and Red Gate Farm. Now a grade II listed building, the original billiards hall (and others like this one, in and around Manchester and south London) was erected to remove billiards from its usual setting of the public house and to further the aims of the Temperance Movement. The Chorlton hall was designed by Norman Evans, company architect from 1906 to 1910. It is believed to be the most complete of his designs to survive in the Manchester area.”
The chain has a different carpet in every pub and this is one of the best that I’ve seen with a considerable nod to their billiards past. I’m not entirely sure what the local members of the temperance movement of the time would have thought of their building becoming a pub, but there we go.
In one of the lowest price bands that the chain have, the breakfast was £3.14 and the unlimited coffee was £1.04, this met my financial and food needs nicely. Richard had Eggs Benedict as he’s more decadent and Ross had fruit for reasons unknown, but Liam and I didn’t judge. The egg was runny, a breakfast shouldn’t have a hard yolk. I’d rather that bacon was served crispy in the US style, but for £3.14 I didn’t have any complaints.
The Gaumont is next door to this pub and it’s where the Bee Gees played their debut performance in 1957.
It’s one of the better rated pubs in the chain, but I thought I’d have a little look at the reviews.
“Waitress dropped BBQ sauce on my son in laws lap, went all over his trousers, all over the table, she never appologiesed, didnt wipe the spillage up and didnt replace the sauce. Not good.”
I liked the bit added about how the sauce wasn’t replaced.
“You go to Wetherspoons because it’s the cheapest. If you can, don’t support Tim Martin and his horrible business practices. The staff here all work hard and are great and friendly, though. Tim Martin (the Wetherspoons chain owner) effectively fired all his staff over lockdown rather than pay them a little furlough money! 😡”
No he didn’t.
“Had the kitchen manager come out and swear at me. As I asked him to please move his car.”
I like to think that there was an interesting back story to this one.
“Me and my Sister have been barred over a minor thing yet bar staff allowed her to be abused on friday by a tall drunk man”
Another helpful review, but I liked the detail that the guy was tall.
“I bought 8 pints via the App, at 2 minutes past eleven. The App took my money, the staff refused to serve the drinks and refused to return my money. 1 week later I am still wainting for my money.”
I can’t even begin to imagine why after eight pints they refused to serve any more drinks….
Anyway, I’ve become distracted again…. With this sustenance, we were ready for our main activity for the day. Well, I wasn’t, but there we go.
