OPPONENTS of the Disasterthorpe plans are up in arms at the recommendation that the scheme be approved by York council. All except the Osbaldwick meadow newts - and they are up in legs.

The Diary has received the latest Letter From Amphibia from Newton and Ridley. And the amphibians are not pleased.

Their ire has nothing to do with the failure of their protest single Big Yellow JCB to chart (see Diary, November 5, 2004).

Instead they are galled by the now imminent threat to their habitat by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's plan to build a village over it, officially called Derwenthorpe.

In the latest despatch, Newton explains that the pair had hoped to attend the crucial planning meeting at the end of the month.

"But upon telephoning the council we were told that only one human would be allowed to speak and newts would certainly not be welcome.

"Ridley then flew off into a rage and said the whole planning committee system reminded him of the classic Steeler's Wheels tune played in the iconic film Reservoir Newts: 'Clowns to the left of me/Jokers to the right/Here I am, stuck in the middle with you'."

"It certainly seems mad to us lowly amphibians," the letter continues, "to destroy 53 acres of wildlife meadow when huge areas of brownfield lie idle - even madder when 97 per cent of new development in York is simply to meet demand from inward migration."

Seems like those great crested guys have been doing their research...

MORE on our library niches quest. Who should be honoured with a statue placed in one of York Central Library's empty niches?

Our suggestion that citizens would flock to gaze upon the likeness of York City FC's saviour St Douglas Of Craig has, we're disappointed to relay, met with less than warm support.

"Are you people at the Press trying to stop people from using the library, suggesting a bust of St Douglas Of Craig being placed there?" asks "44 years and still supporting" Steve Mortimer.

"A niche would not be big enough for his ego surely. A better suggestion would be for a St Douglas Of Craig doormat so we could wipe our feet on him, after the years he did it to us."

And this was one of the nicer suggestions.

YORK historian David Poole is in touch regarding our history of Bootham Crescent, published last week.

"Can I correct an inaccuracy which seems to have been repeated in several books/publications etc over many years?" David writes.

"The only county cricket match to be played in York took place in June 1890 on the Yorkshire Gentlemen's Cricket Ground, usually referred to as Bootham Stray. This was the eastern side of the area on which is now York Hospital.

"The 'Gentlemen' were a middle/upper class club who played regular two-day midweek matches, sometimes against county sides.

"I assume that many years ago, some writer confused Bootham Stray with Bootham Crescent - they were certainly two separate grounds, albeit only 300 yards apart."

A YORK mum noticed that her six-year-old daughter hadn't eaten her packed lunch at school for two days.

Worried, she took her to one side. Why wasn't she hungry?

The little girl explained that her sandwiches were filled with salami, which she knew had killed thousands of people.

A relieved mum was able to tell her: "No, no - that was a tsunami."

Updated: 09:17 Wednesday, January 26, 2005