Beeky aka Andrew said We'll have to work out a venue.
Wetherspoons is the Golden Bee in Sheep Street opposite the Bancroft Gardens (newsagents on one corner chippie on the other). Pub is on the right hand side as you go up. I have never been in it but is your best bet if you want anything but Greene King offerings. The Garrick (a GK house) was the only non smoking pub in town until recently then things changed! It was our normal haunt. They have now taken to seating you at the back tables but only if your having food their bar area wouldn't be big enough for a group of 10 or 12. Four pubs close to Basin have generally been ignored by us in the past due to rather choking atmospheres which is different now. Cox's Yard looked shut when we were there (last weekend) but that may have been the craft shops and tea rooms and the bar may have been open. It is a live music venue and all their gigs were cancelled until well into November from the adverts we saw around town. Any moorers could scout it out before hand. The Pen and Parchment was very smokey when we had a look in June but the beer wasn't bad (GK again). Quite roomy inside. Red Lion didn't have any hand pump beers on again was smokey in June but that's now changed. A foodie pub and was very busy when we went in there on a Saturday. Nice beer garden which is adjacent to the canal. The Encore is next to McDonalds. Never liked the look of it inside. It is a Beefeater pub. Rose and Crown opposite the Golden Bee has large bar area and reputed to have Directors and guest beers. We watched World Cup here but the beer was John Smiths then (2002). Heritage wise the nicest pub is probably The Dirty Duck (The White Swan) Waterside (down towards the Chain Ferry past the RSC follow signs to the Courtyard Theatre and you cant miss it. Its a GK house again but do nice Flowers and Old Speckled Hen. Plenty of room inside or out (rear garden appears to have been newly set out). Food is pretty good eaten there twice. Hope that helps just wish I could make it. This might help http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/results.shtml/near/3347/ Trevor ps GK seem to "own" the Town as they took over Flowers and inherited their estate of tied houses! Suffolk in Warwickshire makes me smile every time!
