EVEN in these days of pub decline, York can still offer some tremendous boozers. There are your Maltings and your Masons Arms, your Ackhornes and your Royal Oaks, your Swan, Minster and Last Drop Inns.

And few come better than your Golden Balls.

Just like a certain footballer with the same nickname, the Cromwell Road pub is legendary and rich (in community spirit at least).

Unlike Senor Beckham, the Golden Ball is far from posh, has an unchanging sense of style and has already lifted a trophy this season.

It has been named the York Campaign for Real Ale's pub of the year. Publicans Dave and Linda Foster were presented with the well-deserved honour this week.

CAMRA members have always had a soft spot for this boozer so were bound to be anxious when the new couple took more than 18 months ago.

Any fears were groundless. Dave and Linda have increased the number of cask ales at the Victorian pub to six permanents plus guests. Look out for Malton's Double Chance next week.

They have also extended the beer garden and hosted the pub's first beer festival.

Good ales are important, but as the CAMRA commendation says "it's the licensees and atmosphere which really give a pub the edge over the competition. Dave and Linda are ideal publicans, friendly and relaxed and their approach sets the tone for the pub".

Linda was chuffed to bits to accept the Golden Ball's second award in their short reign. "We were pleased to win pub of the season, and now pub of the year - we're thrilled," she said.

The pub, which has a layout dating from 1929, has a mix of old and new. Football and rugby are shown on the television in the public bar, while you can enjoy a game of bar billiards in a small side room.

There is a quiz night on Wednesday, and a folk jam session - "what we call the diddly-dees" says Linda - on Sundays.

Forget Real Madrid. This is real York.

- FANCY a chuckle with your beer?

The regional heat of the J2O and Jongleurs Last Laugh Search comes to York on Tuesday evening.

It takes place at City Screen, also home to the city's weekly Other Side Comedy Club.

Bar Talk cannot tell you who is on the bill. But the competition is open to anyone who is funny, from traditional stand-up, through ventriloquism, impressions and slapstick. So anything may happen.

The two winners of the Last Laugh York heat, selected by the audience and a voting panel, will go through to one of six regional finals at Jongleurs comedy clubs. A grand final in London awaits the most hilarious, and the overall winner will pocket a grand in cash and guaranteed gigs.

More information on the talent hunt, supported by Dave Spikey, Jasper Carrott and Rhona Cameron, can be found at www.j20.co.uk.

- HUNDREDS of our beery brethren enjoyed an orgy of beer at CAMRA's three-day beer festival at the Priory Street Centre. This year's Roman-themed event clashed with the city's annual Viking fest - so it was always going to be a messy affair.

CAMRA members got into the spirit of the occasion by donning Roman costumes and giving themselves Roman names as they dished out the beer.

Bar Talk joined in the fun last Saturday night - gorging our way through the last drops of Scorcher, Pitchfork and Randy Monk. We won hundreds of unwanted beer mats on the tombola, talked utter rubbish for four hours about "peaty aftertastes" and were barely conscious by 10pm.

Let's do it all again next year.

Updated: 16:39 Friday, February 27, 2004