Marstons' Ale House - a new "concept"?

I had a good chuckle when I read this report about Marstons rolling out a concept called "Ale House", which sound suspiciously like traditional pubs - remember them?
Morning Advertiser, 9th February 2011

Thanks to my old friend/fellow licensee Don Woods, whose catchphrase was: " I wouldn't have it in a (expletive deleted) Ale House!", I called my first solo limited company - back in 1988 - Alehouse Investments Ltd!