IF the burden of civic leadership ever becomes too much for the Lord Mayor of York, she could easily find work as a barmaid.

Coun Janet Looker poured a mean pint of Stonewall during her visit to the York Brewery in Toft Green.

Turns out this was not her first time manning the pumps.

"I have done a bit as a student behind the bar. It's going back a long time," Coun Looker said.

Our worshipful mayor likes a beer. "In my youth I used to be able to go pint for pint, certainly when I was going out with my husband.

"I'm afraid when old age comes over you, the capacity goes.

"But I really do like York Brewery beer. That's one of the few beers I can now drink."

Coun Looker, right, was asked to the brewery by managing director Tony Thomson. The invitation followed the inauguration of an "Adopt A Mayor" photographic competition for Britain's brewers.

Selby MP John Grogan launched the contest at the Great British Beer Festival in London last month.

The chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group challenged brewers to photograph their local mayor wearing their mayoral chains in a setting to show their commitment to British ale.

"It really is time for Britain's mayors, councillors and MPs to get behind their national drink and give it the same sort of practical and emotional support that France gives its wine," Mr Grogan told brewers.

"It is obtuse that the world's most refreshing drink, beer, is so often missing from important council or governmental events in Britain, but by allowing your mayors to understand not just your beers but also the importance of brewing to the local economy, you will help to change all that."

Should the York Brewery's mayoral picture win, as taken by our own Paul Baker, first prize is a slap up dinner for four at London's Aubergine Restaurant.

"I think we should stand a very good chance, especially as the pint was pulled to perfection," said Tony.

MORE York Brewery news. Tony is due to sign the lease for his fourth pub on Monday. Should all go to plan, the Stonegate boozer, in the place of the Mowbray Caf, could open at the end of November.

The pub, he is "99 per cent sure", will be called The Yorkshire Terrier, ending the execution theme of his other three, the Last Drop Inn, the Three Legged Mare and the Rook And Gaskill.

Unlike the existing trio, The Yorkshire Terrier does not come under the banner of the Mildly Mad Pub Co. That company is a joint venture between the Tynemill Pub Company, based in the East Midlands, and York Brewery.

This one is purely a York production, because the unusual layout - with a shop in the front selling bottled beers and other merchandise - did not suit the Tynemill brand.

Workers will turn the Stonegate premises' kitchen into a beer cellar, with a new kitchen created in the basement ready to serve "more exotic" grub than in the other pubs.

There will be room for six hand-pulled beers and a no smoking room upstairs, overlooking the opposition - the bloom-bedecked Punch Bowl.

Meanwhile, York Brewery has created Festival Ale in bottles (four per cent ABV) for the York Festival Of Food And Drink. It is installing two beer tents at Knavesmire for the caravan and motorhome show, where thirsty travellers are set to sup through 40 barrels.

THOSE crazy pedallers from the Blue Bell are off again on a marathon fundraising jaunt and this time they want you to join them through the wonderful medium of film.

Media guru Chris Brook will be trailing the six pub cyclists with a broadcast-quality camera as they cover the 260 miles from Edinburgh to York next week.

The resulting film will be edited (which will come as a relief for viewers as it's a five day trip) and may eventually be shown at exclusive riverside cinema City Screen, York, as well as being made available on DVD.

Landlord Jim Hardie, 44, said the 30 minute feature will be called "Ales Angels: the movie", and he hopes that it will help the team break last year's £5,000 charity total.

"It might be a bit like Calendar Girls," he said. "And maybe Brad Pitt will play me." Surely there's no need for the handsome Hollywood stand-in with those legs, Jim?

The tiny Fossgate boozer has a long-standing reputation as York's biggest fundraiser and the cash will go to the stroke unit at York Hospital, Martin House Hospice and towards helping people with special needs.

It is the seventh and final trip for the Ales Angels who have covered the roads between Paris and London as well as Galway and Dublin in years gone by.

"It's getting harder and harder every year," Jim adds. "Especially since our ages now range from 40 to 55. We've decided to make this the last one and take up something different next year - like extreme ironing."

Yes, you heard correctly, Jim is promising some serious shirt smoothing opportunity on top of Ben Nevis or a similar peak. But that may well be another story. Have a good trip guys.

THE Swan has never looked more beautiful. Pete and Rachel's whitewashed boozer on the corner of Clementhorpe, York, is on the cover of Beer, the supplement to CAMRA's national newspaper What's Brewing, this month.

A further four pictures of the interior adorn the back of the paper, making this two-roomed treasure look like a palace. People will be travelling from miles around to check out the place.

It is one of the oddities of York pubdom that the Swan is smaller than the Cygnet.

Updated: 09:03 Saturday, September 11, 2004