HE'S as fit as a fiddle and there's no stopping Jamie Doughty after his recent success with other staff members in a charity swimathon.

The sprightly 35-year-old, who runs the Blue Fly caf in New Street, is on to his next challenge of running ten kilometres in aid of Macmillan Cancer Relief.

And the keen Thai boxer is even considering competing in his first live bout next year, but Bar Talk is told that depends how the other activities go.

There's still time to toast the compact caf's successes so far, however, after six workers raised £1,050 for the charity that helps people live with cancer, with a six kilometre sponsored swim at the Barbican.

It was a few months ago so Bar Talk asks sweetly - is Jamie still keeping up the swimming? "Sort of," he mumbles.

FOR drinkers with a taste for medieval clothes and colourful company, next Saturday is something of a red letter day.

It's the annual Assize of Ale which sees some of the city's great and good, joined by a bunch of councillors, dress up and head out for a long afternoon of beer tasting.

Festivities take revellers from Mansion House at 2pm on one of two carefully tested routes of seven pubs, all in aid of four charities, including the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Service.

The official leaflet, published by the Guild of Scriveners, points out that: "Any person participating or joining in the Assize does so entirely at their own risk".

Let's hope next Sunday doesn't become too much of a red eye day...

THE glittering gonad, sparkling sphere, gilded goolie - call it what you will - but the Golden Ball in Cromwell Road has again scooped the silverware, having been named CAMRA town pub of the season.

It's the third time that the traditional boozer has been celebrated by the city's branch of beer aficionados and Linda Foster, who took over from Don Butler a few months ago, was delighted.

She and husband Dave are planning a beer festival in September to help them enjoy their success, with almost 20 cask beers paying a visit between September 12 and 14.

Linda said the Darwin Brewery, in Sunderland, is even creating a special beer for the occasion, and rumour has it that it may even have a memorably "naughty" name linked to the pub.

CAMRA chairman Jim Thompson said the pub had "improved" even more since the couple's arrival, with a wider range of beer at what is "just a really good pub". We'll raise our glasses to that.

AT THE same bash, handsome plaudits were handed out for three York pubs which have made it into CAMRA's snappily-named Inventory of Pub Interiors of Outstanding Historic Interest.

Linda and Dave were once again called on to receive a certificate, alongside Rachel and Pete from The Swan, Bishopthorpe, and Jim Hardie, the big friendly giant of Fossgate's Blue Bell.

The publication, which can be bought at the Golden Ball, is no rip-roaring read, but fighting to slow the decline of our nation's beautiful boozers, fuelled by corporate greed and public apathy, can be no bad thing.

The CAMRA crew were there en-masse, before their monthly meeting took place, and while they look like an unlikely bunch of warriors for beer freedom, Bar Talk raises a fist (clutching a pint) in solidarity.

Dave Gamston, who in between living and working in York also found time to edit the book, handed out the accolades and reminded us all of why we were all sweating together in a crowded lounge room.

"Too many pubs have been absolutely wrecked. This book lists less than half of one per cent of the national pub stock and really we should be able to hold on to that," he said.

With three of the 205 recognised historic pubs situated in York, we should consider ourselves a very lucky bunch of punters indeed.

Updated: 16:57 Friday, August 01, 2003