Wheelwrights Arms

This is one of those pubs I've always wanted to go into but never quite plucked the courage to do so. Then once you're in, you wonder why you took so long. Tucked away behind a row of barbers, banks and takeaways, it survived the history destroying ring road creation that encases Kingston. It sticks out despite being hidden, as a building that doesn't quite belong in this part of town. The saloon type doors give way to the bar, a TV on opposite sides of the wall, there's a symmetry to the place, and you're spoiled for choice for where to go. You could people-watch at the right side, a prime spot, quite literally watching the world go by. Or you can go to the left, a favoured position of the locals, presumably due to the proximity to the jukebox, slot machine, toilets and "terrace". I perched on the corner of the bar, couple of pints of Fosters. Cash accepted, both pints south of a fiver. Unfortunately I'd missed the cut off for the sandwiches, genuinely gutted, few places offer this fine line between "pub snack" and "pub food". Intrigued by the need to specify the quality of the 50/50 bread. Sausage and onions will be the priority next time. They show all the football here, a worthy escape from the town centre to sneak in part or all of a game. That being said, I'd probably make a point of coming here specifically for the game. The pints are cheap, the staff are friendly, it's spacious and quiet. It has a predictability to it, a calmness, depending on your objective - whether it's many pints or recovery mode, this place could tick both boxes. Pubs like this are a dying breed, this one has even been knocked down and rebuilt further back (c.1950), had it not, the ringroad would've obliterated it. As so much of Kingston's history gets sold off to make luxury flats and questionably affordable housing, I don't think we'd ever get a say in the matter if this were to go. But I'm glad I've been now, and I'm looking forward to going back.