THE Diary was very concerned by our report last Friday on the decline of York market.

Having given some thought to the matter here is our five-point plan to restoring its status and prosperity.

1. Bring York Market back to centre stage. Move it into Parliament Street and elbow the continental markets and novelty fairs into Newgate. Presumably those tourists lured here by the prospect of extortionately-priced German beer served from tatty sheds won't be too fussed over its precise location.

2. Slash the rent on stalls for six months and advertise the fact to encourage young entrepreneurs to join the market.

3. The council to spend time and cash on a publicity drive to remind everyone of the social, environmental and financial benefits of market shopping. How about a top trader contest?

4. To combat parking problems, traders could start a home delivery scheme on a rota basis. Local customers' can opt to have their purchases delivered later by the designated stallholder in his/her van.

5. Coun Steve Galloway champions the market by pledging to spend a week's allowance there. This might only buy him two Guatemalan aubergines in his favoured boutique, Marks & Spencer, but he could stock the Galloway larder with the same money spent wisely at York Market.

AND why not have themed local markets?

In times past, a general market was held in St Sampson's Square; at the same location was a leather-ware market on Thursdays, a linen market on Fridays and a meat market on Saturdays.

Wheat was sold in Pavement, peas, beans and oats in Coppergate, and poultry near All Saints Church.

The sea-fish market was found on Foss Bridge, the butter market in Micklegate, the herb market in High Ousegate and the wool market in Peasholme Green.

INCIDENTALLY, the Diary is told by a reliable source that the York council spent £6,000 on security for the Bavarian Festival.

But a council spokeswoman tells us that any such fee is added to the bill paid by the organisers, and the event made a profit for the city.

"I AM the original Pamela Anderson. She followed me."

This is how the Diary was firmly ticked off by Coun Pamela Anderson, John Greenway's Ryedale election agent, after our item comparing her to her Baywatch namesake last week.

Needless to say Coun Anderson is used to this sort of childish jape which has even made the pages of the Guardian.

Considering her name forms the main part of her email address, we speculated that she might attract some odd correspondence.

"I get some very rude emails," Coun Anderson confirmed. "Very, very rude emails. Pictures and things."

Thankfully she did not forward any to the Diary, on condition we made it clear that she was here first, before the swimsuited American actress - only by a year or two, of course.

POOR Rosie Winterton. The pre-election Labour health minister confided to our political reporter Dan Jones in York on Thursday that her lamentably low profile had not been helped by a large picture of her in the Guardian, the caption to which renamed her Melanie Johnson (the same picture caption also rechristened children's minister Margaret Hodge "Patricia").

The next day we carried a photograph of Rosie on the front page. It was correctly captioned but because it made her look like John Prescott's grumpier sister, she probably wished it wasn't.

Updated: 09:26 Monday, April 25, 2005