THE bald claim "York Needs More Shops", which was the front page headline of later editions of the Evening Press on Tuesday, is already stirring up a debate, as our letters page proves.

Our take on the issue here at the Diary is threefold:

1 retail consultants would say that wouldn't they;

2 let's enhance centuries of history on the site before worrying about scratching the modern shopper's itch for disposable goods;

3 it is crazy to consider any site in isolation when York Central, Hungate and Terry's are all up for grabs. Joined-up thinking anyone?

Tree freedom fighter and Green councillor Andy D'Agorne adds a salient point: "The main rationale is that there is more 'footfall' on the Castle side of the river.

"They don't however seem to have taken into account the fact that if you remove castle car park and replace it on the Piccadilly side, hey presto the 'footfall' so sought after by the major retail chains moves to the other side."

THE Diary is not anti-shops, mind, and insists on using them whenever we need to buy something. What we do lament is the demise of the independent family trader.

The York Chamber Of Trade Original Guide To York from half a century ago is filled with the names of shops long since departed. How many of these do you remember?

Burdekins stationers and map specialists, Parliament Street; G Lamb & Sons, decorators' merchants, Colliergate; CH Young & Son, Feasegate, York; John Grisdale, dresses and knitwear "for ladies of discrimination", Coney Street; Iles hosier, glover, milliner, Parliament Street; W Turnpenny, cycle specialist, Colliergate; Blundy, Clark & Co, for house and steam coal and graded coke nuts, North Street; Pawson's Rubber Stores, Stonegate; Crow Bros pork butchers at Spurriergate, Walmgate, Townend Street, Heslington Road, Acomb Court...

The guide states "York is eminently a city of open spaces." (You did have to pay to enter Museum Gardens, though: 6d for adults, 3d for children).

And York's commercial development "has been so carefully planned as in no way to detract from the aesthetic appeal which the city makes to visitors in search of the picturesque and the beautiful".

With the disgraceful development next to the Stubbs building approved, such careful planning is a thing of the past.

IT has to be said, without your good selves, the readers, there would be little point to our producing this paper every day. Once again you have triumphed. On Tuesday we reported how Keith Cass received a letter from Sheilagh Richardson, ne Price, who lives in South Africa.

She was trying to contact an old friend from York, Tommy Cass, who was stationed out there with the Royal Navy in the war.

He wasn't a relative of Keith's. But thanks to several of you, including Minni O'Sullivan, of Rowntree Avenue, Tom's brother, we tracked him down.

Mr Cass, 79 later this month, now lives in Scarborough. He was surprised but delighted to hear that Sheilagh wanted to get in touch.

"We were very close at one time," he said.

Born in Regent Street, his family moved to Lucas Avenue and he went to Manor Higher Grade School. He served as a Leading Telegraphist in South Africa.

After the war he worked for the Admiralty as a radio operator and was posted to Singapore, Hong Kong and elsewhere.

We are forwarding Mrs Richardson's letter to him.

Updated: 10:44 Thursday, October 14, 2004