AS a Mucky Duck regular for a number of years now I feel I must comment on your article (September 16) and several letters since.

I find it quite strange that no one has approached the regulars about the name change. The petition that is allegedly doing the rounds has been nowhere near the pub.

We have a facility that is second to none in the town that caters for all of the community and the name is not as important as the friendliness, ambience and atmosphere that exist there.

May I suggest that as a well-respected, local newspaper you pay the Mucky Duck a visit and judge the opinions for yourself?

I know that mine hosts, Stu and Jan, are new to the town but this is not the way to encourage local business people to develop.

A name is just a name. It's the people that make the place.

Adrian Gascoyne,

Volage Court,

Pocklington.

I SHARE with John Tiplady his exasperation at the changing of the name of his well-loved pub in Goodramgate (Letters, September 23).

Like Mr Tiplady and his friends, I always think of and refer to it as The Anglers Arms.

May I assure him that the new name "The Snickleway Inn", including the mis-spelling, was conferred without my knowledge as writer of the guide.

Next time round, let us hope that the historic original name of the pub will be returned to its proper place, and that the present name will become the one that got away.

Mark Jones,

Bulmer, York.

Updated: 10:40 Saturday, September 27, 2003