WHETHER putting carpets in the front bar and a big screen in the middle one will be enough to return the Spread Eagle to its heyday, only time will tell.

But confident landlord Ian Taylor is certainly going to give it his best shot with a £100,000 plus refurb.

"When I came here eight weeks ago things could not have been any worse," he admitted to Bar Talk.

"But we are shutting for seven weeks and once we re-open we can really give it a go and get things back to how they used to be about three years ago."

As well as the padded flooring and enormous TV already mentioned, the facelift will include a general clean-up of the pub and an extension of the famous hatch.

This funny part of the bar where often the staff don't spot you has witnessed many a strange occurrence including a one night ban on serving for "health and safety" reasons - for fear of dropped glasses breaking bones in customers' feet.

The hatch is being extended to become a real bar and coupled with new menus "taking a pick of the best dishes from the old menus", the pub may once again return to its former glory.

The Spread, much of which is listed, has witnessed a very high-turnover of management in recent months, but Ian, who "is here to stay", is determined to ensure things return to normal.

"We are bringing back the Sunday lunchtime music and perhaps the odd karaoke night," he continued.

"We want to be a real drinkers' pub once more and when we re-open, just before Christmas, I am looking forward to running a busy pub again."

He is used to that, in his role as manager at the Hole in the Wall, High Petergate, a busy and student-filled pub at all times.

Bar Talk hopes the Spread can return to its former glory days. We will only be too delighted to return to our Walmgate local.

We look forward to sampling the regular guest ales, especially if Ian's promise of providing handled tankards proves to be true.

(And the over-sized glasses for lager is also to be welcomed).

More power to Ian's elbow, especially the one involved in pulling pints.

u NOT for the first time in history it's England against the rest.

John 'Tug of War' Parkinson, landlord of the Jolly Farmer, Leavening, near Malton, has set up the challenge.

His latest beer festival pits England's finest brews against interlopers from over the borders.

It's nine ales against nine. In the English corner fight such bulldog brews as: Dent's T'owd Tup (from Cumbria); Rooster's Scorcher (Harrogate); Skinner's Cornish Knocker; and good old Timothy Taylor's Landlord (Keighley).

Ranged against this mighty armada are Ventnor's Kangaroo (Isle of Wight); Okell's Mountain Hare (Isle of Mann); Felinfoel's Double Dragon (Wales) and Orkney's Dark Island.

Like his North v South festival, this will be a bitter battle in every sense. Get supping and voting from this coming Wednesday to Sunday.

Another beer festival is taking place within the greater Selby conurbation next week.

The Jug Inn, Chapel Haddlesey, is staging its latest fest from Thursday to Sunday and it will offer the usual wide range of regional ales.

The festival will give the chance for the country pub to show-off its real ale, recently renovated car-parking and general garden arrangements.