Drinkers at an established Malton drinking emporium may feel a little disorientated after marketing people gave it a bright, new facelift. Public relations and design experts have set about transforming Suddaby's Crown Hotel, Malton Brewery and its all-important products.

Neil Suddaby, whose dad Bob Suddaby was one of Malton Brewery's founders, says he's hopeful the horse racing-obsessed brewery will soon be supplying national supermarket chains.

And he's "thrilled" with the new look, which could soon be gracing shelves up and down the country.

Bottle labels, stationery, pump clips and exterior hotel signage feature a new circular design combining the crown of the Crown Hotel, the white rose of Yorkshire, a race horse and three ale kegs.

The brewery was founded in a stable block at the back of the Crown Hotel and legend has it that a 1920s Grand National winner, Double Chance, was once stabled there.

Bar Talk is confident this thoroughbred has much further to run.

When Pierre Rhodes worked as a doorman at what was then Harry's Bar ten years ago, he told his mates: "One day I will manage a bar like this."

Well, now he does but he has set about changing the Micklegate nightspot beyond all recognition - with two huge beds and a £400,000 refurbishment.

Pierre says The Bedroom, as it is now known, will become a key player in the regeneration of the Micklegate Run.

He says the infamous York drinking route has been on the rise since Flares took over the Brewer's Arms at the city end and Wetherspoon moved into the Punch Bowl at Micklegate Bar.

"The Bedroom is like a caf bar with a lot of attitude," he adds. "Imagine a really big, colourful Bar 38 with attitude - it's like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? when the lights are on."

The refurbishment has seen the bar done up in snazzy silver and maroon with a posh, lacquered floor, £104,000 of sound-proofing, new lights and, of course, those beds.

The centrepiece furniture is "up to the job" says Pierre and comes in circular and four-poster styles with cushions and swish fabrics. "Of course people will come in and be naughty on them. People will come in and sit and jump up and down on them. We can put all the action on the plasma screens around the bar," he says.

The Bedroom officially opened this week and it sounds like there won't be any sleepy heads on Micklegate for a while.

Brewers at the Marston Moor Brewery are working quietly away up in the wilds of Kirk Hammerton, near York. The festive shopping spree has allowed them to extend their usual outlets to the farmers' markets at Murton.

Head brewer Peter Smith says the two-man operation still produces four barrels a week, but most of work is now geared towards creating breweries for other businesses.

They continue to cater for discerning real ale fans though, with a version of their hefty Brewer's Droop made in bottle-conditioned (yeast left in) form and touted as an ideal Christmas present.

Other beers including Brewer's Pride (five per cent), Cromwell (3.6 per cent) and Merrymaker (4.5 per cent) are said to continue to sell well. Who can argue with a liquid Christmas present?

Bar Talk relatives - we hope you are reading!

Heart-broken staff at the Rook and Gaskill, Lawrence Street, are still mourning the loss of one of the three kings who was snatched in his prime from their lovingly-crafted beer Nativity scene.

Would-be Blue Peter presenter turned barmaid, Kendra Gill, made the figures from York Brewery beer bottles, beer towels, toilet rolls and some polystyrene balls.

The festive scene features landlord Vernon Seymour and his wife Elaine as Joseph and Mary, some of the brewery bosses as the three kings and a group of regulars as shepherds.

Staff suspect a group of four men in their thirties could be responsible for the theft of the figure, but CCTV footage has so far proved inconclusive.

Barman David Butterfield said it was "really petty" and questioned what kind of sozzled drinker would want to nick something so useless. Has he never heard of traffic cones?

The pub has launched a poster campaign appealing for information and a liquid reward is on offer for the return of the figure, but, so far, no sign.

Meanwhile, customers have been tucking into the pub's Christmas Beer Festival ales, which at least drowns the misery around them.

Hopback's Pickled Santa at a whopping six per cent stands out of a crowd of beers which includes Rudgate's Rudolph's Ruin, Sozzled Santa by Rebellion and Oh Be Joyful from Brakspear.

It seems bizarre beer names have become a sure Christmas bet, along with shopping queues, gifts of socks and left-over turkey.

But with the pub Nativity the big question remains for Bar Talk: who has taken the place of the donkey?

Updated: 17:35 Friday, December 20, 2002