After my post on the 1980 North Yorks Guide, reader “US” Dave asks;
“Other than the Black Swan are there other York pubs in that guide then that are commonly visited now ? “
The answer seemed to be “NO”. Most of York’s 2021 GBG entries are outside the centre, and the central pubs long ineligible for the Guide because they serve beer you’ve heard of.
I scoured Google Maps to see which ones I could tour virtually. Your choice today was Yates, Revolution or the Black Swan, which I’d NEVER been to.
The Black Swan is supposedly York’s most famous inn. Which is daft; everyone knows that’s the Market Cat. Or is it the Sam Smiths next to BRAPA ?
Anyhow, I must have walked past it, as I remember that cat on the wall.
I presume it’s most famous for being haunted, along with 87.2% of York pubs. The ghost of Pre-emptive BRAPA stands outside, waiting in vain for the Swan to make the GBG.
“Ain’t that just lil ‘ol England !” exclaimed the Southworths on their visit after an afternoon of Betty’s, the Fudge shop and that place with the smells.
I’m sure they were as amused as I am by the botched restoration of these two Renaissance masterpieces on display in the Oak Room.
Upstairs, we have the CAMRA GBG selection rooms four poster “Stag” room. Better than the Travelodge, anyway.
“But enough of fluffy pillows, what about the bar ?”
I’d take you there now, but the ghost of “‘ol man Mackay” is in my way, muttering about Brew York taster sessions.
Here we are; looks quite decent for those of us who prefer beer we’ve heard of, like Golden Dragon and whatever it is left of Deuchars on the far left.
OK, no Blue Bell or Maltings, but it all looks nice and pubby to me.
Just a shame they dropped the Bass, but then some folk made huge mistakes after 1980.
Photos by Jonathan Somers via Google Maps
retiredmartin 
Aye, that’s t’ difference between Yorkshire and t’ Black Country, a cat on t’ wall and little Yorkie below rather than a pig on t’ wall and proper Staffie below.
That cat does though look much healthier than Greene King’s in t’ Nutshell.
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Can you think of a huge Yorkshire mistake from around 1980?
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Alan Rough?
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They lost confidence in rhubarb and in liquorice.
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Touristy but for good reason. Has Simon ever written about it?
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Not directly, but read this;
https://brapa-4500.blogspot.com/2015/09/brapa-micro-pubs-special-report.html
That was before BRAPA realised life was about pubs, not beer !
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Interesting comment. I will say my Old Peculiar was a bit tired in the Black Swan, but the ambiance outweighed my reservations. It is olde England with the E.
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With the E. What about the Ye ?
I suspect many visitors to the Black Swan avoid the 5.9% OP (a mere Boy’s Bitter for you and me).
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It felt more genuine than to have a ye. Anything under 7% is child’s play over here.
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Been to the Black Swan a couple of times, as it featured in a York pub guide I had some time ago. Pleasant pub and, as you said, known beers to choose from. N’owt wrong with that.
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Those pics were from 2012, but I reckon the current (when it re-opens) beer range is equally “solid”.
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About a decade ago Copper Dragon beers (mainly Golden Pippin) were everywhere in North Yorkshire. Then after a huge expansion of the brewery in Skipton, they went bust on a t least two occasions. You can still get bottled Golden Pippin in my local Booths Supermarket, but its now brewed in Keighley.
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Yes, Copper Dragon were the Yorkshire equivalent of Cains, if that’s not too libellous to say.
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“I’m sure they were as amused as I am by the botched restoration of these two Renaissance masterpieces on display in the Oak Room.” That is the work of Google’s blurrbot, designed to hide punters’ (and other peoples) faces. It seems to have missed the five smaller faces on the painting to the left. I laughed at the Google view inside a Boston barber shop, when I say that a guy’s face was blurred, but not the reflection from the side in a mirror.
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“GHOSTS HAUNT THE BLACK SWAN IN YORK”
Blimey. That top photo appears to have one of those ghosts in it you mentioned!
(most likely just a fading memory of someone who’s been waiting to get back into pubs for ages)
““Other than the Black Swan are there other York pubs in that guide then that are commonly visited now ? “”
Sigh. Look at that map below. At least 42 pubs from my reckoning. That must have been a glorious time to be alive.
“The ghost of Pre-emptive BRAPA stands outside, waiting in vain for the Swan to make the GBG.”
Or just waiting in vain for bloody pubs to open!
“and that place with the smells.”
I take it Si had just left the loo?
“I’m sure they were as amused as I am by the botched restoration of these two Renaissance masterpieces on display in the Oak Room.”
I believe that was the first instance of blurring faces in early porn. You can see the four fellows in the painting on the left ogling them.
“Upstairs, we have the CAMRA GBG selection rooms four poster “Stag” room.”
Funny place to hold a Stag night.
“but the ghost of “‘ol man Mackay” is in my way,”
How the heck are you doing that?
“and whatever it is left of Deuchars on the far left.”
Deuchars is 3rd from the left. Copper Dragon is on the far left.
(and I’d have opted for the Theakston’s XB)
“but it all looks nice and pubby to me.”
Indeed! Love it!
“Just a shame they dropped the Bass, but then some folk made huge mistakes after 1980.”
Yep. Some of us got married*. 😉
Cheers
* – I jest! Love my darling wife tremendously. Honest! 🙂
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