DECOR **** (olde worlde charm) DRINK **** (three ales on tap and plenty of alternatives) PRICE **** (refreshingly cheap) ATMOSPHERE **** (safe and family friendly) STAFF *** (congenial company)

THE pursuit of the perfect pub can be a lonely pursuit, full of disappointment and soul destroying hours spent crying into pints of poorly pulled ale and lager, contemplating my own mortality and searching for a strong noose and a long drop.

But after mishearing a drunken punter last week raving about The One Bell, my heart skipped a beat at the thought of visiting a boozer named after Hitler’s sad, lopsided glands.

However, after having my ears syringed, removing a big enough nugget of wax to light and use as a church tee candle, I realised this pleasant little watering hole’s name wasn’t quite as seedy as it initially sounded.

This fat, solid, little building, with glimmering white-washed walls, stands proudly at the top of a hill — an appetite inducing trudge up from the town centre’s messy jumble of dauntingly large DIY outlets and greasy fried chicken takeaways.

But hungry punters drawn in by the advertised promise of some hearty pub grub, supposedly served seven days a week from 11am to 3pm, will have to fill up on salty bar snacks instead as the kitchen is currently closed.

With my stomach grumbling, I made do with a liquid lunch of Greene King IPA (£2.80).

Safe in the knowledge this refreshingly hoppy tipple had enough calories to fuel me until supper, I slumped happily on one of the front bar’s comfy leather benches by the window and soaked up my surroundings.

With its low beamed ceilings, open brick walls and three small bars placed smack, bang in the middle of a labyrinthine maze of cosy nooks and crannies, it has a warm, olde worlde charm.

The pub was acquired at auction by footballer Jimmy Bullard and the framed football shirts on the wall are testament to this.

The Ipswich Town midfielder bought the boozer for his dad, who is responsible for its day-to-day running.

Relaxed and seemingly trouble free, he seems to be doing a sterling job and it’s no surprise this is very much a family pub.

It’s a fact which was confirmed by the screaming toddler in the corner and the sickeningly happy little unit of mum, dad and 2.4 children playing a game of darts at the rear, where a door leads out to a large beer garden, perfect for a thirst quenching tipple in the warmer summer months.

Rubbing my temples and feeling a migraine surfacing, I ordered a soporific glass of Jack Daniel’s and coke (a pleasingly cheap £2.60).

Having got used to carrying around a pack of anti-bacterial wipes and paint stripper to remove the sticky, encrusted grime on the table and chairs which is all too often an unpleasant feature of local pubs, I was stunned to find The One Bell is kept immaculately clean.

As such, it’s a sparkling (and spotless) diamond in the rough.

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