Drink 4/5 Decor HHHII Food n/a Price 3/5 Atmosphere 3/5 Staff 3/5

THE expression bold as brass' takes on a whole new meaning at The Woodman. Walking into this traditional boozer you cannot fail to be struck by the quantity of brassware on display.

As is usual in pubs of this sort, the locals all seemed to have their own positions surrounding the bar, so, once I'd been served I moved away to find a table at the front window.

Settling down to my pint of Spitfire I couldn't help but notice the instructions on the wall.

Luckily I didn't have children with me so that was okay.

But the fines threatened if your mobile rings in the bar persuaded me to switch it to vibrate I have to admit it gave me quite a shock a couple of hours later!

What it lacks in ringing mobiles and young people, the Woodman in Farnborough makes up for with brassware and hops, they are everywhere you look.

The locals didn't actually speak, but didn't seem overly hostile either and our host was certainly welcoming.

The pint and a large glass of red wine came to a fairly reasonable £5.80 and although we didn't sample the food, I think the Beef Wellington, at £8.95 looked an excellent option.

Plenty of the tables were set for dinner, so I can only assume this is a popular haunt for evening diners.

Whether it's the emphasis on meals or whether I was just lucky on the evening I visited, I couldn't help noticing the Woodman was refreshingly free of smoke.

All in all, I'd certainly recommend the Woodman as a pleasant stopping-off point for an early-evening pint.