Oh,Jeremy, you complain of a lack of privacy, hate the food, loath the government, are conscious of the decline of society and rise in aggression. You have to send your kids to public school to be educated and buy an expensive health care plan to stay alive. It's about time you considered emigrating

Wolfie, Toulouse, FRANCE

Spot on. I recently visited a beer/folk festival and there was more poo on the toilet walls than in the pan - why? Used tampons are another favourite - yeuch.

Try the Coach and Horses pub at Weatheroak near Redditch. The bar serves about 8 real ales and the best cheese and onion rolls. .

Geoff , Bromsgrove, England

last month i could have named you a fairley nice canal side pub in coventry(ish) but since the smoking ban its been forced to close.

Chris , Coventy, England

I'll second the Mark Addy - a classic.

JC could have gone to the Bear behind Coventry Airport, they always used to do a great Ploughman's Lunch.

Geoff SAUNDERS, Moscow, RUSSIA

Looking for a cheese pub? It's somewhat north of Coventrayyy, but I used to go to the Mark Addy on Stanley St, Manchester. It's a cool basement style riverside pub serving real ale and specialises in big blocks of cheeses and pates with a chunk of crusty bread. A legend in its own beer garden.

Rebecca Leeson, Sunshine Coast, Australia

I'm in Vietnam right now, in a tiny little peasant village in the middle of a river delta, and the food is FAR superior to anything you'd find in 99% of UK resturants.

That's if you don't count the swamp fish, I suppose.

Nicholas Ord, Guildford, UK

Restaurants are no longer the place for proper British food. I went shopping for some paint last weekend and, being a bit picky, I went to a nice little shop in a village not far from me. They also did food. I had the best ham sandwich of my life.

Robey Jenkins, York, UK

The problem is we didn’t let the Germans finish the job with Coventry!

I have an idea; we should invite the Germans back on the 100th anniversary of the blitz but not tell anyone in Coventry!

You should have gone just down the road to my town Kenilworth, we have a collective hate of Coventry!

Alex, Kenilworth,

I know how little you like the Antipodes but here "down under" we have literally thousands of GOOD restaurants in every city.
Yes Ive experienced english food and have to agree with you. England has become lazy and lost its way.

Steve, Perth, Australia

my restaurant story was in Spain when i ate my chips too quickly. the waitor noticed this and gave me a free bowl of chips. to avoid being rude i ate them quickly, as i had desert coming. but then the waitor gave me another bowl. i'd ordered desert already so i ate both i had to be rolled home!

Mark, Maidstone, United Kingdom

The Good Pub Guide is a strange book with entries often not bearing any semblance of truth!

My parents rely on it for Saturday jaunts to the sticks, basing a trip on someone else's opinion. I'd say 9 times out of 10 they're left disappointed.

Benjamin Wright, Chertsey,

Well put, Jeremy. I agree completely. admittedly the last time I was home in the UK was 5 years ago, but the memory lingers on...... Actually its just as bad, if not worse here in Canada, all American reconsituted prefab junk. Very difficult to find a real unadultarated restaurant.

Paul S, Ajax, Canada

It wasn't the Germans that ruined Coventry -it was our wonderfully enlightened city planners of the 1950s who made a hash of the opportunity presented to them -not just in Coventry, almost anywhere in Britain.
Finding good food in Britain is not as much a problem as finding reasonably priced food.

Mark Solomon, Alicante, Spain

I'm an American living in England.
The only thing worse than American food is our lousy government!
Do yourself a favor and pick up a good pub guide, keep it in your car, and say no to lousy food!

Mark, Maidstone, UK

Stay a while when you come to Hay-on-Wye for the Festival. Plenty of excellent food in and around the town.

John Mack, Hay-on-Wye, Wales

There are 800 million people in the world who are undernourished, but there are 1500 million who are overweight. Policies such as the CAP reserve a percentage of produce to maintain a minimum market price; the produce is destroyed. We Brits waste 30% of what we buy. Food shortage? No. Politics. Yes.

Robert, Slough,

Must agree with earlier comments by Russell,

The Peldon Rose near Colchester - fantastic. I was stationed in Colchester a few years ago and the Rose became our Sunday lunch and ales pub.

Graeme, Amsterdam,

we are going to England in June, to the fens. I know it would be a bit out of the way for Mr. Clarkson ,if Coventry bound but there are a great number of really good pubs selling excellent food in the Ramsay area.

alan burden, mijas pueblo, España

Jezza you need to come a little farther south, and a smidgeon to the west where you'll find no end of great country pubs serving everything from gastro-gorgeous to a packet of salt and vinegar with a pint of scrumpy. And the local Harvester (in Bath) is being converted into flats, thank goodness.

Mike, Corsham,

Hi Andy, is that Roquefort les pins near Hérépian?

Brian, Hérépian, France

Oh look - an opportunity offered to promote pubs. Along with all the others, then, I should take the chance and suggest mine, next time you're over near Newmarket. The Tharp Arms. It's small, painted lovely, has a large garden, a variety of frothy ales and fizzy lagers and good home-cooked food.

Mark J Daniels, Chippenham, nr Newmarket, Cambridgeshire

The same "(meat) could not be served “rare” because meat, unless cooked properly, would kill us all." - routine happened to me in one of these awful places.
it is because the meat is cooked from frozen and so they have to nuke to life out of it in order to defrost it as cooks...

M Richards, London, England

Come up to Cambridge Jeremy, steer clear of the Greene King signs and you'll be fine. I can certainly recommend the The Bridge at Clayhithe, it is next to a canal and does fantastic fresh food, your restored lock is but 5 mins walk away.

james, cambridge, uk

I've eaten in a TGI Fridays once and rate it slightly better than McDonalds. Avoid at all costs any American food chain - no good here, no good there.

A tad out off the beaten track, but try The Snooty Fox, Kirkby Lonsdale for excellence.

Nona, New York City, USA

It says a lot for why there is a problem when people like Dave (below) think that 5 or 6 decent pubs in a 314 square mile area (10 mile radius) is good. The chance of anyone finding one of these wonderful places simply by driving around at random like Jezzer, is infinitesimal.

Steve Murphy, Bolton,

TGI's started off rather nicely and then rapidly went downhill.

(If you're ever in the north-west, go to the Waterwitch in Lancaster. Great food, and it's along the canal).

M. R., Stockport,

Jeremy - in all seriousness, take the advice of Paul and Mark. Get a copy of the Good Pub Guide or similar. You'll find all manner of wonderful places, many of which you would never have come across by chance.

Test it - see whether your favourite's in there.

I never go anywhere else!

Jon, Winchester, UK

To Simon from Macclesfield, I'm from the midwestern US, I know what a ploughman's, et al.. actually is.. so I'm sure there's no translation necessary.

Jeremy, TGI Fridays has been a joke in the US for decades. Why would anyone in the UK want them there?

Jenny, Grand Rapids, MI, US

We took our two children to our local restaurant that is exactly the same in every way to the restaurant Clarkson visited , even down to the chimney sweep serving the food . The critique from our children was " the worst food we had ever tasted".
No surprise when the staff are all outside smoking

Nick Dixon , Sutton Coldfield, England

There is no longer such a thing as a good pub lunch. Pubs and restuarants don't even serve real potatoe chips anymore! No wonder so many pubs are closing.

Glenda, London, UK

The reason I'm reading this Is that Sent a Scottish friend an sms telling that I was sitting down to a roast pork dinner with all the trimmings for the princely sum of AUD$10 or 3 quid in your money .God Bless Australia. that's the one in the pacific not the the one next to Germany.

david, Melbourne, Australia

Coventry is where they make London Taxis - Jeremy, you're not thinking of becoming.......no Anil, don't be silly!

Anil Chatterjee, Manchester,

It's perfectly easy to find good food in the countryside if only you'd look for it. Within a 10 mile radius of where I live, there are at least 5 or 6 great independent proper English pubs, all serving great food.
Handily, there's less chance of being stabbed than if you were in London as well

Dave, Loggerheads, Uk

I agree with what you say Jeremy, except about the bloody Germans ruining Coventry: Compare that with what the bloody English did in Dresden, and it is not so bad.
I think that it is time that you stopped comparing our German friends with a Nazi dictatorship.
And before you ask, I am English....

Peter Goddard, Le Rouret, France, EU

Try a bit further south next trip Jeremy, specifically "The Viper" pub at Ingatestone..look for Chelmsford then Wickford..it has everything you could wish for..and not a tv in sight! Cheers!

Ian Smith, Sotogrande, Spain

Jeremy you're in serious trouble and you need help. As your self appointed pub doctor I'm going to prescribe a trip to the Jolly Farmer, Bramley, Surrey. Repeat prescriptions may be necessary as and when you feel the urge for a damn fine pint and some pickled onions.
Steve Hardstone, Bramley.

Steve Hardstone, Bramley, U.K.

think yourself lucky jeremy, i live in glasgow. we have a few good restraunts but we are also the home of the deep fried mars bar.

thank god for my mate being a chef to show me a bit of food sanity now and again.

ok im away now to have a kebab for lunch washed down with fizzy juice

steven, glasgow, scotland

Come to Phnom Penh Jeremy, we have great food, an eclectic array of restaurants and, best of all, no ghastly multi nationals - oh no, I've heard KFC has just arrived!

Trevor Sworn, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

I normally agree with (parts of) what you say, but i did think your description of cheese , branston pickle and onions as some sort of culinary utopia folks from 'the provinces' wouldn't understand odd though, Jezza.

Simon, Macclesfield,

People who live in London (and who usually do not originate from London I might add) always think you can only eat well in London. Yes, London has terrific restaurants, but it also has the 'steak houses'. London is meant to be cosmopolitan, yet I increasingly find its residents very narrow minded

Daniel, Leeds,

Oh dear, yet another sorry tale of English cuisine gone wrong, well of course it is not cuisine at all but merely from the freezer to the micro, or deep fat fryer!! no training required!!! thats what the masses want and demand, perhaps it has affected their aim Jeremy!!!

Edwina Taylor, Titchfield, Hampshire

When last in Coventry had a dreadful lunch at what was supposed to be a very fine establishment. Trouble is a lot of eatery guides and reviewers are increasingly wary of litigation these days and are tending to say only nice things.
Really is quite depressing. Take your own food or plan in advance

Peter Hall, London, UK

He's totally right, get out of london and there is shortage of good food in the provinces.On a recent trip to Spain I realised that even in the middle of nowhere there is always a restaurant or a bar that serves what here would be considered gourmet food.

Anthony, london,

Like a man of the Slow food association in Italy told you, this restourant chains are not made to astonish your tongue, but to maximise thei profits. And of course of you save 20 cents for each hamburger and you produce (yes, produce)a million of hamburgers you have just gained 200.000 euros.

Francesco, Treviso, Italy

Jeremy, carry a copy of CAMRA's good beer guide. It's not only for bearded beer bores but has the local inside knowlege about the UKs finest and often little known pubs that serve great food.

With this in your glove box, never eat at a motorway services again. You shouldn't anyway of course.

Paul, Richmond upon Thames, England

Currently over in Oz where the food is, in the main so much better. Basically: good ingredients, well served by friendly staff, good presentation, at a price which means the family can go out without remortgaging + it's usually yummy. + in the country two cars is considered a traffic jam - what joy

Nic Pratchek, PUCKAPUNYAL, , AUSTRALIA

Personally I find the idea of a restaurant which is guaranteed to free of 'special needs' celebrities like Mr Clarkson quite attractive.

So TGI Fridays it is for me then. In fact this the one in Poole isn't as bad as the one Clarkson went into either.

John, Bournemouth, UK

The Peldon Rose on the road between Colchester and Mersea Island in Essex. Good food and beers and decent wine list as well. For the guy who said it is possible to have a 'rare mate burger', priceless.

Russell, Lugano, Switzerland.

I have never eaten in a TGI's where I would consider the food worth paying for. It's never been nice in my experience.
Mary's right, the Tap & Spile is a good pub . I'm totally with Jeremy on this one. Eating out in a pub these days is difficult for good qlty. All the best places seem to be in Brum

Bexster, Switzerland,

Like Craig, I can't understand how TGI Fridays can be ruined in Britain. The first TGIs in UK - in the 80's/90's were fine. Here in the US (which you constantly deride, jeremy, and I really don't understand why) you can get a hamburger done pretty well in most chains and exceptionally in others.

Martino, Shalimar, USA

The canal-side Tap & Spile, Gas St, Birmingham city centre. Home-cooked food, real ales, real cider and a good range of beers. No purple dinosaurs. Clients: businessmen, students, locals (me), tourists, journalists/ ITV staff from across the road. Second entrance in Gas St; also on road parking.

Mary, Birmingham, England

Get yourself a Good Pub Guide

Mark, Christchurch, NZ

Up the A38 just after Lichfield is Fradley, an idyllic place. It has canals, boats, a lovely pub serving food, and a delightful cafe with tea and cakes. No need for Coventry ever again.

williamwiltingweeds, Nottingham, England

Up the A38 just after Lichfield is Fradley, an idyllic place. It has canals, boats, a lovely pub serving food, and a delightful cafe with tea and cakes. No need for Coventry ever again.

crustos, Derby, England

Come on down to Sussex. The County's full of em. We're talking pubs. Local brews. Good food. Decent prices. You'll be spoiled for choice

Jeremy Bridges, Chichester, UK

Good news Jeremy. The beautiful old traditional English pubs are being bought up & ruined by the chain that owns Harvester. The famous Trout in Oxford for instance. (Don't light up outside in the eating area either or you will be told 'you can't smoke there it's company policy'). And the decor yuk!

SA, Monmouth, UK

Last time I was in the UK, I trouble finding a fish and chip shop, let alone a ploughman's lunch. Curry, chinky, pizza, kebab, but no chipy.

No point coming back really......

Haydn Windle, Ibague, Colombia

you went to coventry, a place that uses "peace and reconciliation" in pretty much the same way the South Africans did.

If you'd nipped over to Kenilworth, Leamington, Knowle or even Henley you'd have been much better served. Coventry, a nice place.. in the middle ages.

AndyB, Swindon,

Queen Arms, Corton Denham. No slashed seats, lovely unpasteurised Cheese with home made Chutney and home baked bread or if you would prefer some nice rare mate in your Burger.

Steve Ferris, Sherborbe, England

How can you muck up a TGI Fridays? Yes, it's one of the chains we Americans have inflicted on the world, but it's not so bad as chains go and a welcome step up at the airport. The Fridays' in the US turn out pretty good burgers, cooked any way you like them. Must be a British thing...

Craig, New York, USA

Just remember the old adage...

In Heaven the Engineers are German, the Police are English and the Chefs are French.

In Hell The Engineers are French, The Police are German and the Chefs are English.

Shane Kerr, REGENTS PARK, Australia

There are plenty of non-chain pubs in the Midlands, if you're willing to look hard enough and not assume all that is good in England begins and ends in London. Those of us in 'the provinces' couldn't care less about London. I suggest the Plough and Harrow at Drakes Broughton near Pershore.

Sophie, Liverpool,

There's a fairly nice old canal-side pub called the Greyhound Inn (white, next to a working lock) at Sutton Stop about a mile from the hell-hole above. No shops or purple dinosaurs though.

Harry Krishner, Tokyo, Japan

What were you doing in Coventry anyway? There really shouldn't be any need to go there. I'm afraid I have no sympathy for you on this occasion.

andrew williams, roquefort les pins, france