GAVIN AITCHISON drops in on a familiar York pub which has changed its name and some other things.

WHAT'S in a name? It depends who you ask. For many drinkers, a pub's name is immaterial, so long as the beer inside is bright and the welcome warm. For others, a well-known name gives familiarity, history and a cherished continuity.

Pub diehards may recall a feverish furore on the topic around the turn of the century, when husband-and-wife MPs Anne and Nicholas Winterton pressed for legislation to protect the old names, as Scruffy Murphy's pubs, Slug and Lettuces and All Bar Ones began springing up in every town and city in the country, where ye olde names had once ruled the roost.

They would no doubt be pleased then by recent events in and around York, where there are signs of a new-found regard for history.

The Punch Bowl at the top of The Groves abandoned its short experiment as The Independent many years ago. Last year, The Hansom Cab in Market Street reverted to its original name, The Burns Hotel. In East Yorkshire, the Swordsman in Stamford Bridge has gone back to its original, if less unusual name, The New Inn.

And now The Tap and Spile in Monkgate has also gone back to type, doing away with the name it has held for the past 25 years, and re-embracing the one it had for the previous 91 years: The Black Horse.

The name is the most noticeable change, but far from the only one, as a new era dawns at this classic late-Victorian pub.

Ian Carter, Paul Rodgers and Mark Taylor have taken over the lease from Pete Pendlebury, and plan to write a bright new chapter for the pub.

Mark is new to the trade but Paul and Ian come with considerable experience. Ian already runs The Masons Arms in Fishergate, and Paul is moving from The Fox and Roman in Tadcaster Road after 13 years. They took over The Tap and Spile in July and the name change seemed a natural move, they say.

"We want to give the pub a fresh start and a new direction, so chose the old name to reflect that," said Ian.

"We plan to make it a real ale pub with nice food. We are also putting two letting bedrooms in and will be doing live music.

The music begins tonight, with local band Karno's Circus and a weekly quiz will be held on Wednesdays.

"I don't think the pub was particularly student-friendly in its last manifestation but we will welcome them as well," added Ian. "It's a good city-centre pub for locals and visitors alike."

The pub will be open day and night every day, and will sell traditional, simple pub food such as home-made pies, burgers and large Yorkshire puds.

There will be five real ales, with Roosters Yankee and a Black Sheep beer as the permanent fixtures and three rotating guests. Midweek, they included Bradfield Farmer's Blonde, Clark's Classic Blonde and an excellent Merrie City Atlantic Hop, the latter two both being from HB Clark of Wakefield.

Paul added: "After 13 years at the Fox and Roman it's time to break away and start up on our own. We're taking it back to being a traditional inn; that's part of the reason we have gone back to the traditional name. It's a great pub with a fantastic reputation. It's had that for a good number of years and it's now about building on that."

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