Hound Dog; a classic track by Elvis from 1956 and also the annoying mobile phone ringtone of choice for one punter at The Woodman in Woodmansterne last week.

I suppose there’s nothing wrong with the song, but when your ears are assaulted by a rather tinny-sounding rendition time and time again, it begins to grate on your nerves.

For city folk like myself, Woodmansterne offers a little taste of country life. It’s a pleasant stroll from Carshalton, Coulsdon and Chipstead, and the Woodman is a handy stop for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Sutton and Croydon.

I arrived fully intent on enjoying a refreshing pint in the beer garden of what you could loosely term a country pub, bathed in the glow of the early spring sunshine.

I sat there quietly supping a glass of Sussex Best, allowing my mind to wander freely as I looked across the road to the lovely little village cricket green.

Deep in thought, my peace was hit for six by the piercing sound of Elvis once again.

Some people really can’t live without having their phone going off every two seconds as they give their friends and family a running commentary on their whereabouts and what they’re up to.

Some ringtones are fairly unintrusive and discreet, others loud, tacky and awful. I was being plagued by one of the latter, so you can imagine my pain when Hound Dog kept blurting out.

It was so loud the guy would have heard it had he been in the middle of the dancefloor at Chicago’s on a Saturday night.

As you might expect from a pub which is slightly off the beaten track, it’s a bit of a locals’ pub. There’s a little clique of regular punters who congregate at the bar but the banter was good natured.

However, there is a slight chavvy element who drink there too, as was demonstrated by a couple of Charlton and Chelsea football fans whose conversation made Wayne Rooney’s foul-mouthed tirade in front of the live Sky TV cameras last weekend sound positively intelligent.

The pub itself feels inviting. Wooden beams are always a winner in my book, but the walls are plastered with rather tacky posters advertising the latest meal deals and drink offers.

That said, if you fancy a cheap pint and a meal, then this place is worth considering.

With summer rapidly approaching, the big attraction of The Woodman has to be the beer garden.

What better way to while away a summer’s afternoon than to sit and sup in the sun, just don’t forget your earplugs.

How the pub rates out of five:

Decor: XXXX It’s got a certain charm about it, feels well lived-in.

DRINK: XXX Sussex Best, London Pride and Young’s Bitter will do for this real ale advocate.

PRICE: XXXX £2.75 for my pint of Best was very good value. London Pride was £2.70 and, better still, the Young’s Bitter is just £2.55.

ATMOSPHERE: XXX It was building up when I chose to leave. The Woodmansterne WAGS turned up dressed to impress the assembled plumbers, plasterers, painters and decorators.

STAFF: XXX They seemed polite, chatty and very busy.