‘Bare with us while we do the place up’ – I’m paraphrasing, but that’s the essence of what the signs said on the bar of The Albany.

Oops, I appeared to have come at an awkward time.

Still, that’s the unfortunate thing about PubSpy turning up unannounced but I will duly take that into account, and it certainly explained the whiff of paint.

Let’s start with one thing that was utterly above criticism: the service. Chatty to the regulars and friendly to the irregulars (me), the lady behind the bar and the chap who brought my food over were really delightful.

Back to the decor, unless they go utterly abstract from here, the signs for the refurb were promising. The new furniture was understated but fitting and the exposed wood floor neat.

Lots of this cavernous station boozer’s original features had been maintained too.

The fireplaces, handsome carved bar and coloured glass in its interior doors were all preserved and complimented by new paintwork.

There were too many ‘inspirational signs’ for my liking, like you see people posting on Facebook the whole time – ‘don't get too busy making a living you forget to make a life’, that kind of thing.

The range of food and drink at The Albany was simple but not unsatisfying. There weren’t tonnes of ales on tap nor was the menu exciting but it was fairly decent value. Lunches come in at about a fiver.

It attracted a reasonable lunchtime crowd when I visited too – mostly middle aged blokes but all very friendly. The cricket on the telly helped my mood too, even if England’s Ashes heroes had yet to seize initiative in the test.

Had that not captured my attention, I’m sure the pool table or games machine could have kept me entertained.

The Albany Hotel, Steynton Avenue, Albany Park

How it rated:

Decor **** A projected score for when it’s finished

Atmosphere**** Friendly

Staff ***** Above criticism

Food *** Decent feed for a fiver

Drink ** Not especially lavish range

Price **** Good value grub