AN ARRANGEMENT to "meet in the Punch Bowl" has always contained an element of risk in York. With three such named pubs to choose between, a mistake could easily be made.

From now the confusion will be lessened by a third as the Punch Bowl in Lowther Street has been renamed. After nearly 150 years, the pub is now going to be called The Independent.

We understand that a certain upmarket national newspaper already claims this name, but confusion between the two is unlikely. And at least there's now a better chance of meeting in the right pub.

Updated: 11:00 Tuesday, December 11, 2001