AT a time when new bar licences exclude music and games machines, it is nice to know that if you want a lively pub there are still places you can go. One York pub is proving to be a haven for people who like beer, flashing lights and a bit of competition.

The Grapes, a Thwaites house on King Street, was a traditional tiled tavern about a decade or so back, which expanded to a cavernous comfortable colourful city centre pub, (trying saying that lot after a couple of beers).

It now not only accommodates the usual jukebox and fruit machines, but it also has the extra attractions of racing motorbikes, the chance to shoot zombies with light guns with House Of The Dead and, the best of all, a bar football game (an Italian style Garlando glass top table to be precise).

Landlord Gary Cahaline put the games in some time ago, and found the sit-in car racing game proved incredibly popular during Christmas.

The car has gone in favour of the two motorbikes, which you ride side by side on the same track, and has certainly provided Bar Talk with some entertainment over the last couple of months.

This must be the only time we could condone drinking and driving, but when the bike has no wheels and is attached to the floor, then we would hope most of you would drive safely.

CHRISTMAS brought good cheer and bonus sales for micro-brewer Jules Dolan, who continues to do a roaring trade from his pint-sized Abbey Bells brewery.

Five firkins - that's about 360 pints or 41 litres by Bar Talk's hops-addled mind - of Black Satin, his latest brew, were snapped up from his Hirst Courtney brewery, near Selby.

The stout was made as a winter warmer for The Cricketers, in Scarborough, where it went under the badge "Chloe Nielson", to celebrate licensees Stuart and Karen's new-born baby.

Stuart said the beer was "superb" and that the specially-designed pump clip bearing a picture of baby Chloe had left regulars cooing - no change there then.

Black Satin has also been sighted closer to home at the Ferry Inn, Cawood, and further afield at Brampton, in Cumbria, after a firkin winged its way north-west because of a family connection.

Jules said he plans to consolidate his success so far with his six beers, which include Original Bitter, Cordelia's Gift and Monday's Child, because he doesn't want to over-extend his range of products.

That may come as a disappointment to the thousands who have already enjoyed his excellent local product.

MANY congratulations to our own John Grogan. He is pictured beaming out of the front page of this month's What's Brewing, the newspaper of the Campaign For Real Ale, being presented with CAMRA's Parliamentary Award. The Selby MP chairs the Parliamentary Beer Group's licensing panel and has done more than anyone to modernise our pub opening hours.

CAMRA's campaigns director Bob Jones paid this tribute, over a pint: "John Grogan has done an enormous amount of work on getting the new licensing bill included in this year's Queen's Speech and we were delighted to present him with a special award for all his hard work."

We can only add that if Bar Talk did awards, JG would be polishing his right now.

Updated: 09:50 Saturday, January 11, 2003