Dream team

The dream team both previously worked for the Exhibition Hotel Group. George worked his way up from barman to manager over 15 years at the Exhibition itself, on Bootham, and Jim ran Thomas's on Museum Street for seven years.

The pair got talking and discovered they shared the same ambition: to run a pub of their own. And taking over the Nag's is a prospect they relish.

"It's nice to have your own pub instead of being a manager," said Jim. He first worked at the pub as a barman 25 years ago - has it changed much?

"It's still basically got the same atmosphere. It's not as busy as it was 25 years ago - not many pubs are.

"There's such a lovely atmosphere. At Thomas's you get a lot of passing trade, here today, gone tomorrow. Here, it's all regulars.

"You are part of it. You are involved with people more personally."

The dynamic duo's aim is to drum up more business among the locals. How?

"I could talk to you all day about that and you still wouldn't be any the wiser," says Jim. "It's not a thing you can put into words.

"We feel that our presence and personalities, plus our standards, will assist in bringing in more people."

They also have plans to introduce a new menu and new beers alongside John Smith's.

George says they want to appeal to a wide range of local people, including younger pub-goers.

In the meantime, he has another important matter to think about. His wedding, to Anne two weeks today, followed by a Jamaican honeymoon. "This year's been a busy one," he says.

George was born in Bahrain, as his dad worked for the oil industry. He came to York as a boarder at St Peter's School.

His real name is Simon, but friends re-christened him after the boxer. As a sports fanatic, he is delighted that the pub has a large screen telly, and plans to make every big sporting event a big night in the Nag's. He is a big York City fan, and used to look after the supporters at the Exhibition on match days. At his leaving do, he was presented with two horse bronzes, reflecting another love - racing.

So if you're after a top tip for a dead cert, call in and have a word, George says. He'll pick you a winner; and it'll have come "straight from the Nag's Head's mouth".

u STILL on the horsey theme, Bar Talk is indebted to AJ Fletcher, who has written in about the origins of the name of the Frog Hall in York.

Local legend has it that the Layerthorpe pub, battling against demolition, is named after an early 19th century racehorse. The pub sign is supposedly a picture of the animal.

Mr Fletcher has done some research, and reports the following theories.

"First: neither of the racing authorities, ie the Jockey Club or Weatherbys, can find any reference to a thoroughbred registered with the name 'Frog Hall'.

" Second: Frog Hall is a recognised place name, similar to Cuckoo's Nest and Owl's Castle etc. The theory is that such names were applied to ruined buildings. There is a Frog Hall Quarry near Pontefract and several Frog Hall farms, including one near Barmby Moor.

"Third: there is also a suggestion that Frog Hall was a place name applied to premises adjacent to ponds, marshy areas etc where frogs lived and bred in numbers. Given the location of the Layerthorpe pub right on the edge of the Kings Fishpool, ie Foss Islands, this might not be as outlandish as at first thought. Equally this could apply to the farms and quarry.

"I can only conclude that the racehorse theory is somewhat suspect unless of course someone can come up with chapter and verse concerning the racing record of such an animal.

"Theories two and three might well be more relevant but who knows?"

Who indeed? Anyone with more information, please get in touch.

And our thanks to Mr Fletcher for his fine efforts. It's hard to imagine someone being inspired to do the same sort of research into the history of the Frog's threatened replacements: a video store and McDonald's.