Multi-skilled landlord Craig Regan has taken the helm at the Spread Eagle in Walmgate and pledged to give the traditional boozer a lift.

Craig, 27, who was trained in the dark art of ale management by former Spread Eagle boss Andy Yuill, says he's chuffed to bits to be there.

The qualified chef, skilled musician and keen sportsman, who remembers a few swift halves in the pub's dark corners in his younger years, has waved goodbye to regulars at the Corner Pin, Tanner Row, after two years.

And he's brought girlfriend Angie, 28, to help out and the handsome twosome plan to brighten things up with barbecues, guest beers, a new food menu and speciality nights that may include karaoke, fancy dress and live music.

Gigs are close to Craig's heart as he spent many a happy Wednesday night at the Roman Baths as bass player with his old group, the Awesome Faces.

"I know this area very well and practically everyone that comes in knows me or my father," he says. "We want to get the food back on which will take about a month or so. We've already had a few barbecues."

There's a place in the Spread Eagle for children too, with youngsters encouraged to come with their families and make use of the beer garden before 7pm.

He adds: "Other landlords in the area have been really friendly and we hope to be able to co-ordinate evening events so that we don't clash. All in all, it's great to be back."

u IN the words of The Undertones, Here Comes The Summer! Hopefully the glorious weather over the last week wasn't the last of the sunshine, and therefore it is time for beer drinkers to take to the beer gardens.

So here is a list, by no means definitive, of a few of the ones we at Bar Talk have sampled recently.

One of York's least-known beer gardens must be the Five Lions on Walmgate, possibly because the pub and the garden aren't actually next to each other. Hidden away at the end of the car park, overlooking the River Foss and Wormald's Cut, are several tables on a patio that is in the blazing sun at lunchtime - not that Bar Talk has ever taken lunch there, honestly! Well, okay, we did go in to sample the Duchars IPA, a very fine beer indeed, and selling like hot cakes.

Over the road is the Red Lion on Merchantgate, with what must be one of the biggest city centre beer gardens, and a great place to catch the evening sun after work.

Not five minutes walk away is a beer garden that isn't a garden - at the Golden Fleece. A previous landlord came up with the innovative idea of providing a decking platform at the back of the pub, all the better to work your way round some of York Brewery's finest in the open air.

Although by the same token the Five Lions is a beer patio, which gives rise to the question: where is York's most unusual outdoor beer drinking area?

It's only a short stagger on to the Roman Bath, a busy little beer garden with the advantage of a serving hatch directly to the bar, therefore giving easier access to the newly-installed, wonderfully cold Stella Artois.

We'd recommend a trip underground round the bath itself to cool off, but when we went down there earlier this week it was even warmer than outside.

Another well-hidden beer garden is The Priory on Micklegate, which has a few tables out the back and half a dozen drinks at £1 each on Monday to Thursday evenings - although you'd need to sink a few cold ones if you've walked all the way from the city centre up the hill. It also does an amazing menu, including big platters to share and soak up some of that alcohol along with the sun.

Also worth checking out on Micklegate is the roof garden at Rumours.

There are three serious points we feel we should make to end this, although we are sure you've heard them all before. Sunny weather means sun cream; drinking and driving is right out and try alternating beer and soft drinks (preferably water) not just to avoid hangovers, but to stop you getting dehydrated.

That said, we are sure there will be the usual sort of silliness along shortly.

Updated: 15:40 Friday, July 18, 2003