You wouldn’t think it but Pubspy is actually quite houseproud.

So as an occupational hazard when popping into a new boozer there is always a cursory check for cleanliness.

I’m not talking about getting out the white glove and running a finger over the furniture to check for dirt, although in the case of the Sandrock it might have revealed that a good old dust was needed.

Because although the pub has undergone a fairly recent makeover some areas appear to have been a little bit neglected - like the top of the church-style pew I plonked myself down at to take in the surroundings.

Clearly visible were the marks were the masking tape once sat along with a line of dust.

There’s also the odd bit of chipped paint and the decoration is a bit slapdash in parts with remnants of old wallpaper by one of the radiators painted over to fit the new decor.

The Sandrock, in Upper Shirley Road, stands at the bottom of Shirley Hills and could be a truly great local.

Once an industrial area, it is now one of Croydon’s more affluent suburbs, which might explain its recent guise.

The watering hole has been through a number of reincarnations and the latest puts it fairly and squarely in the gastro pub market.

Now most of the pub is given over to a dining area, which has a reasonable menu, and the small drinking area is dominated by an ornamental, wooden carved bar, surrounded by a few tables and bar stools.

Hidden round one side is a small sofa and three tables with tub chairs.

Gone is the TV, in is plain walls or flowery paper, the odd print or picture, and on a Saturday night when you could be forgiven for thinking people might pop out for a drink, it’s virtually empty - just two couples are in having a drink.

The dining room is a little busier but even that’s not exactly rammed full.

It does mean you get quick service, and the bar staff were chatty and friendly, and it's nos short of a place to perch, but at the moment this is one pub lacking a bit of heart and soul.

How the pub rates out of five: Decor: XXX Like many other refurbs there’s now stripped wooden floors, white walls and flowery paper.

Drink: XXX Two ales on draught - Greene IPA and Old Speckled Hen, along with a choice of lagers and Aspall cider. Selection of wines and spirits, too.

Price: X On the steep side. A glass of red cost £4.45 - the less said the better.

Atmosphere: XX Distinctly lacking. For an early Saturday night the small bar area was virtually deserted. The music, while an eclectic mix, was quite loud, perhaps to fill the void.

Staff: XXXX Chatty - but that could be because there was no one else to serve.