GREETINGS pub pickers. This week's sensational platter-spinning Bar Talk is grooving on down to the sounds of hep cat Paul "Ike & Tina" Turner.

Paul, right, is your host at the Junction, Leeman Road, York. When he started to run a regular Tuesday night quiz based around the recordings of popular beat combos, he decided to do more than just read out some questions.

First he raided his own bizarrely colourful wardrobe to recreate himself as Dr Pop. "Now I am dressed like a different pop star every Tuesday night," Paul explained.

As you can see from our picture, it's just like a Stars In Their Eyes transformation. Tonight Matthew, Paul's going to be, er, Freddie McCartney..?

Paul has secured a deal with party specialists Kaos on Gillygate to get his costumes at half price.

"Last week I was Gary Glitter. For some reason, nobody seems to want that one any more."

He reads out 20 questions, and the only way the quiz teams can secure more thinking time is to cry out: "Dr Pop, I want you to stop!" Who said variety was dead?

The show started six months ago and Dr Pop and his various alter egos have built up quite a following.

"It's an entertaining night," said Paul. "I camp it up to hell. It won't be long before I'm Dusty Springfield, I'm sure it won't."

This might be a suitable moment to mention that Paul runs the Junction with girlfriend Kati, and they have a little girl Polly. And that they have had a big screen installed so men can watch sport. "I just like fancy dress," Paul went on. But his pop star fixation has spooky undertones.

"I am getting a bit worried. Three weeks ago I was Robert Palmer who promptly snuffed it, and then the other week I was the one out of the Righteous Brothers and he died too."

But the Junction pop quiz goes from strength to strength. Try it.

LAST Monday, the Evening Press featured the latest work by York's premier historian Hugh Murray. A Directory Of York Pubs 1455-2003 does exactly what it says on the tin, and lists more than 1,300 pub names that have featured in Greater York these past six centuries. Lots of pictures, too.

It is an addictive read. Every entry makes you look up another entry, and before you know it, your pint of bitter has gone cold.

Here are a couple of random facts culled from the pages: the Bishop Blase, in Coppergate, was named after an Armenian who died in 316 when he was "barbarously lacerated with wool combs"; in the Brown Cow, Hope Street, in 1902 "food was never asked for and not even a biscuit was available for customers".

Soon you too could be hooked on the directory (price £12.95, publishers Voyager, available from the Barbican Bookshop, Ken Spelman's and other reputable book stores).

Bar Talk have two copies, signed by the author, to give away.

Question: What nationality was Bishop Blase, combed to death in 316?

Send your answer to Pub Book Competition, Chris Titley, The Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York YO1 9YN, by November 25.

BELATED congratulations to butcher Tony Neary, of Clifton Green, who snatched first place in the inaugural Tap and Spile pork pie festival - Who Ate All the Pies?

More than 60 tasters packed out the Monkgate pub for the Festival of Food and Drink fringe competition, organised by unflappable host Jack Merry. He tells Bar Talk that family butcher Kevin Boocock, of Fridaythorpe, and Ged Bell, of Dringhouses, snatched the glory for second and third place respectively.

Even better, for those who missed out on the stomach-filling extravaganza, Jack plans a sausage festival based on the same idea next year.

"The winning vote was so close we had to order a recount and then Tony Neary just pipped it by one point. Sainsbury's got one vote - but we think that might have been a wind-up."

Updated: 09:50 Saturday, November 15, 2003