Discount pint-lovers are sure to be out in their masses in Marlow tomorrow as JD Wetherspoon opens new pub The Grand Assembly at the top of the High Street – so we skipped the crowds and dropped by ahead of time to see if the town really is too posh for ‘Spoons after all.

The choice of name is a telling sign of the chain’s strategy to ingratiate itself with local naysayers wary of its cheap drinks and pub grub – and it also hints at the thoughtful and highly decorative redesign of the former M&Co on Market Square, which opens to the public at 8am tomorrow, Tuesday, September 24.

The Grand Assembly was settled upon after a few false starts (The Brass Thimble, anyone?) in a nod to the assemblies held by the upper social classes in the nearby Market House building in the 18th and 19th centuries.

It’s just the tip of the iceberg of local references and memorabilia crammed into the large pub space, with local artworks on display including a painting of rowers, swan-themed ceramic wall tiles and a mirror display inspired by Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein while living in Marlow in 1817.

(Image: NQ)

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Manager Rachel Turner is hoping the £3.5 million refurbishment will win over those still in doubt over the brand’s suitability for the area, admitting that the highly publicised incongruity was “a bit of a concern” at first, but has already won over more people than it had lost.

“People seem more excited about it than anything else – after the build-up, I’m just looking forward to it being a normal pub. I think everyone likes a Wetherspoons, and hopefully the new design will help us (fit into the area).”

Bar staff Ben and Callum, who live just down the road and have been busy training for the opening over the last few weeks, have a similar view.

Ben and Callum (Image: NQ)

Callum likened the hesitancy of some locals to accept the chain to Lidl’s replacement of Waitrose on Liston Road in 2022 – "People think of Marlow as quite high echelon and they said, ‘Oh no, we don’t want that here’. But when they actually saw it for what it was, no one seemed to mind.”

They were also both impressed by the size of the new boozer – “like going into a Tardis” – as well as its pretty, multi-level beer garden out the back, with literary-themed steps to boot.

(Image: NQ)

From tomorrow onwards, The Grand Assembly will be open from 8am to midnight between Sunday and Thursday, with alcohol served until 11:30pm, and from 8am to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, with alcohol served until 12:30am.

Food will be served until 11pm everyday, with family dining until 10pm.