WE'VE heard of drinks on ice - but next weekend's Festival Of Angels goes one better than that.

It will boast York's first ice bar. That is a bar, carved out of ice, from which staff will serve drinks to thirsty shoppers. You can't get cooler than that.

Situated outside Oscar's Wine Bar, it is one of many treats for eyes and tastebuds served up by the sixth Festival Of Angels.

The event is funded by old and new businesses in the Quarter, and the city council. Shonet Hockley, food manager of El Piano, was nominated as "Local Legs 2005": which means she had the role of marching around the neighbourhood drumming up support.

Her endeavours have helped ensure the biggest and best festival yet. Among the attractions in Little Stonegate, Back Swinegate, Grape Lane and Swinegate are ice sculptures created before your eyes, stalls selling food, drink and great Christmas gifts, and the Parade Of Angels, setting off at 2.45pm on Sunday 11.

"There's so much going on. Everybody's got involved this year," said Shonet.

Andrew Dunn, of Oscar's, is event manager. "The best thing about Festival Of Angels is its grass roots," he said. "The people in the Quarter thought of it, we then organised it and on the day it is those of us who live and work here who are hauling the ice around and making the whole thing come together.

"The festival has been a great unifier for business people in the Quarter and, although an exhausting weekend for us all, is the annual flagship event for our area."

Carollers will be belting out the classics. If real snow fails to fall, they have fake snow on hand. And Santa will be there of course. "We are trying to get him an elf. If you know any elves, let me know," said Shonet.

The festival takes place on Saturday, December 10 and Sunday, December 11.

YORK party pub Flares won't need any Christmas decorations this year. It's gone wall-to-wall glittery.

Part of the pub is closed off next week while mirrors, sparkle and general fairy dust is added to the Tanner Row nightspot, and then the new look is unveiled on Friday.

To make the night go with a jerk, robotic performer Ant-e-Static will be on hand to entertain revellers. Some will recognise him from the Channel 4 comedy series Max And Paddy.

"They had him at Bradford Flares and he went down a storm," said York Flares licensee Beverley Collins.

It is hard to believe that Flares has been enjoying one long Seventies night since it emerged from the far more traditional Brewers Arms in March 2002.

That pub was run by Beverley and her husband Tony. He took over Eighties pub Reflex, on George Hudson Street, but they still work as a team.

"We work together. We send customers to each other's pubs, forward and back in time," laughs Beverley.

Reflex is soon to undergo its own refit, with a new dancefloor being added. Much of the pub will remain open while the work goes on. The launch date for that is Friday, December 16.

Back at Flares, meanwhile, Beverley says she is expecting many Christmas parties in. Drinkers will be encouraged to take part in games like the champagne train, space hopper racing and something enticingly called Big Man Funky Pants.

Or they can just enjoy the exploits of the dancing gorilla (it's not a real one, animal lovers, but a chap in a suit). "Every weekend I crack up. It's really funny," reports Beverley.

Updated: 16:18 Friday, December 02, 2005