George, Bermondsey

A 1930s corner pub in faience and brick, by A E Sewell for Truman's Brewery. It retains large Truman signs and eagles on the gables, and on the right hand Leroy Street side are three original Truman windows with golden lettering. Interestingly a fourth window in the same style advertises Courage Best, the current cask beer sold at the pub which suggests re-glazing. The front windows look to be replacements.

It has a U-shaped interior as all partitions removed – originally it was two (possibly three rooms) and off sales (the front middle disused door). Note the ‘Saloon Bar’ brass plate on the corner door, ‘Public Bar’ one on the left hand door and a ‘Saloon Bar’ glazed panel in the rear right inner door (the right-hand side could have been subdivided in the past – but the indication of ‘Saloon Bar’ from both doors may discount this?). Interestingly the right hand side retains its saloon bar carpet whilst the left is bare boards.

The original U-shaped counter has beer engine service doors and is fronted with a red and black chequer-board tiling. The central gantry is a mix of inter-war and modern work – until the late 2000s there were mirrored backings on both sides but now you can see through. At the same time a modern pot shelf was, thankfully, removed. At the rear of the servery is a former publican's office with glazed upper windows, now converted to a food servery on the right hand side.

The bar has original dado and limited panelling all round but the three vestibule entrances were added in the early 1990s. Many of the benches around the bar are former church pews with numbered seats: these were added a few years ago, but fit in well. There are three fireplaces with original surrounds with Art Deco styling but all are blocked-up – two by 1960s brick and one by panelling. Above the fireplaces at the front left and rear right (but not the rear left) are framed mirrors with Truman lettering. Excellent leaded windows to the toilet doors and also a ‘Private’ one. The Gents’ on the right hand side and both Ladies’ retain their inter-war cream and green tiling to dado height with white painted pebble-dash above, and original urinals in the case of the Gents’.