He's magic

John has been staging a magic show at the basement bar for some months now.

What started with a bit of part-time trickery is rapidly becoming a full-on sorcery spectacular, with a few one-liners thrown in for good measure.

In fact John says the show gives him a chance to practise the gags that will see him appear on the TV in October as a contestant in Yorkshire Television's Stand Up Britain.

The gregarious 56-year-old could win five big ones in the process, enough for a pack of over-sized playing cards or two.

John tells Bar Talk that he's specialises in "close-up" magic along with a few mind-reading tricks and sleight- of-hand moves.

"People always ask me to predict the winner of the next week's horse races but that's a bit out of my league. Then again, if I could do it I probably wouldn't be doing a magic show in a York pub."

Oyez to that.

THEY'RE making merry at the Golden Fleece in York.

With a magic trick of their own, Jack and Mel Merry are now at the helm of the ancient Pavement hostelry - while still pulling wonderful pints at the Ackhorne in St Martin's Lane.

Local Heroes, the pub group which already runs the Ackhorne, the Tap & Spile and the Edinburgh Arms, recently added the Fleece to its portfolio.

Bosses asked Jack and Mel to oversee it while interviews for a couple of new managers get underway. The Merrys are likely to remain in a supervisory role after that.

Bar Talk is delighted to see that Jack has already installed two permanent real ales: York Brewery's Terrier and Timothy Taylor's Landlord, with a rotating beer, currently Tetley's, on a third handpump.

He is also ensuring that the Fleece does not fleece its customers, slashing 30p off the price of a pint.

Next weekend, the pub hosts members of the Ghost Research Foundation, holding its tenth annual conference in York.

The Fleece is haunted by a number of spooks. "My first night here was spent on the floor of the function room, which is supposed to be haunted," said Jack "I only got two hours' sleep."

He is now working to turn the pub into a popular haunt of the living: "We're changing the style and making it a people's pub," he said.

THE Ackhorne is one of 13 pubs in this year's Real Ale Trail, part of the York Festival of Food and Drink which begins on September 13.

This is the third year of the trail, designed to promote city pubs which sell proper beer.

It is the brainchild of Shaun Collinge, the Fabien Barthez of real ale. During the festival (which runs until September 22), drinkers can collect a card from Fabien's pub, The Maltings, Tanners Moat. Get that stamped by all the pubs on the trail and you can collect an exclusive T-shirt (while stocks last).

Said Shaun: "If you can get 13 real ale pubs in a city this size, that's not bad."

York Brewery's latest pub the Rook and Gaskill opened too late to be included, he added, saying he's sorry if other worthy boozers have been missed out.

HAVE you heard the rumours? The Falcon on Micklegate, York, has been taken over and revamped as an Eighties theme pub called Rumours.

It's VIP night this Monday, and open to the public on Tuesday.

Licensee is Chris Fall of the Northern Wall. But we also heard rumours that former York licensing police officer Arthur Swaine is involved...

Look out next week for more hard facts on Rumours.

AN early-season transfer has been announced at the Red Lion Hotel, Merchant Gate, where long-suffering Huddersfield Town supporter James Tillotson is to up sticks after more than two years.

He's taking his ball and moving to York's north side and the Bootham Tavern with fiancee Susan Ross.

The 31 year old says he's looking forward to "new challenges" at the popular boozer, which lies virtually next door to the Exhibition Group's York head office, The Exhibition Hotel.

The last few months have seen a few changes across the group's 20-odd pubs in North and East Yorkshire, which include The Snickleway Inn, The Northern Wall and Thomas's Hotel, Museum Street.

James should enjoy the move as it will enable him to catch more footy on the big screen. But how often will the second division Terriers make an appearance?

REGULARS at the Five Lions in Walmgate could be dancing among the beer barrels if landlord Craig Holt's application for an entertainments licence is a success.

Craig and landlady Jo Tracey are able to let solo artists and duets take the stage, and want to put bigger groups on the bill. They also hope to run karaoke nights. But their plans have been hit by news that along with the letter of application have gone 12 letters of objection.

Craig said: "We don't know who the objectors are or why they are objecting. It is in the council's hands and we are keeping our fingers crossed.

"If we got it, we'd probably have bands on Sundays and Fridays. The regulars are really up for it, they think it's a great idea."

With Craig and Jo's continuing excellent budget booze deals, Bartalk thinks it wouldn't be long after the first band came on that the whole pub was rockin' in the aisles.

Updated: 09:18 Saturday, August 31, 2002