LANDLORDS do not often get out and about, but this week there has been some discreet shuffling and whispering among the key-holders of York's best inns.

It turns out that a handful of the city's finest are joining forces and staging a major real ale festival in September.

About five Enterprise Inn pubs in York plan to stock up on beers between September 13 and 15.

The Tap & Spile, The Ackhorne Inn, The Minster Inn and The Five Lions Hotel are all expected to participate as well as Ye Olde Sun Inne, Colton, and hostelries in Pocklington and Market Weighton.

Up to 20 ales will be on tap at each from York Brewery, Roosters and Hambleton plus a large range of regular ales already boasted by these beer hot-spots.

Every pub will have a specialist beer, branded glasses, testing notes and goody bags and drinkers left standing after visiting all the venues can claim a unique T-shirt.

Organiser Delia Ricketts said the whole point of the festival was that the pubs can do something collectively to promote real ale and support regional brewers.

We'll drink to that.

u AFTER years of trying to enter York's lucrative pub market, J D Wetherspoon is set to open not one, but two outlets in the city.

The first, The Postern Gate, is set to open in Piccadilly at 11am on Monday. It will be followed by the provisionally-titled Punch Bowl (that has a ring to it) in Micklegate, on May 29.

Postern Gate manager Keith Pidd is no stranger to York's licensed trade, having had spells at The Gallery (ne Silks), the Roman Bath and Thomas's.

But this is his first spell in the driving seat at a York pub, and he told Bar Talk he is relishing the challenge.

He said: "I can't wait to get going, to be honest, it's an exciting time.

"From what the people of York have been saying they've been looking forward to us coming here. We are looking forward to serving them."

Wetherspoon fans will be pleased to hear the chain's ban on music and pub games will continue.

But, more importantly to the drinker, so will the policy of good beer and great prices.

Keith added: "We'll be doing seven permanent real ales and two guests at all times. We've also got a five-day beer festival planned for later this month, when we'll be selling 30 real ales at 99p per pint."

Among the early beer bargains are John Smith's cask at £1.29 a pint and Spitfire ale for £1.39.

u CONGRATULATIONS to Frank and Diane Cartin, who have marked their silver wedding anniversary in real style.

The couple enjoyed a weekend of celebrations including a dinner and lunch with friends. The undoubted highlight was the marriage blessing at York Minster, a service conducted by their friend, the Reverend Giles Galley.

For the past nine years, Frank and Diane have run the Snickleway Inn on Goodramgate. They came to York more than 20 years ago to run the White Horse.

They met in a pub. Diane was working as a barmaid in Yate, near Bristol, and Frank was a customer.

They first hit it off while jiving on the dancefloor.

The Minster blessing was unforgettable. "I have been married twice, both times in a register office. I've never had a church wedding. It was Frank's doing," said Diane.

The "spectacular" York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir provided the music.

"I am still on a high," Diane said. "It was absolutely marvellous."

u REAL ale names. There's a university thesis in there for somebody. Well, somebody else that is because we at Bar Talk like getting stuck into the genuine article.

The Mildly Mad Beer Festival at the city's two York Brewery pubs was a sparkling opportunity to appreciate a menu of colourful titles.

And the sight of landlord James Butler at the Three-Legged Mare standing proudly beside a rack of 30 beautifully prepared kegs was food for the soul.

He had assembled brews from across the country and we got stuck into Hop Back's deceptively strong Summer Lightning which was proving a hot favourite.

Rooster's MayDay was great, light summer drinking and Moorhouses Pride of Pendle was dark, smooth and very drinkable.

Alas, no farty smelling beers we said, but Ushers' Little Puck had that Pedigree gassy smell thing which I just can't get used to.

Over at the pub's stable mate, The Last Drop Inn, we found another brace of top-quality beers from Yorkshire.

First choice was more Roosters with the Harrogate brewery's tasty Lazy Day Juice - can these people do no wrong?

A glass of the Cropton brewery's Honey Gold proved the icing on the cake leaving us to wonder what could have been with Selby's Brown Cow brewery stalwart, How Now.

Both pubs have brought in a tremendous amount of extra stock and we're told that there should be a few ales left today, so grab a few gold coins, choose a familiar name and sink some lovely fermented hops.

Updated: 08:53 Saturday, May 18, 2002