LOCK up your daughters. Board up your windows. Keep pets indoors, livestock penned in and fathers sedated.

Yes, it's Freshers' Week again.

Or perhaps we should reconsider this stereotype. The idea that these young folk, freed from the parental leash for the first time, will maraud around York like Vikings in leisurewear could be outdated.

The Diary has been mulling this very question since eavesdropping on an encounter at the Victoria pub in Heslington Lane last week.

A most polite youngster came in and asked to see the manager. When he emerged he was asked: would it put you out most awfully if a group of students were to pop by one night as part of a pub crawl?

"Of course you can," spluttered the landlord, seizing on the chance to grab the much-sought-after undergraduate pound.

Does this make York students the most polite - and least spontaneous - in the country? And will they seek permission from the highways authorities before hilariously placing traffic cones on their heads?

THE Diary was thrilled to receive a letter from that most venerable Evening Press contributor, the first lady of Tadcaster Ida Mary Goodrick.

"I have been inundated with enquiries from my 'fans' (well three at the last count) informing me in a superior manner that they had never heard of Chartism or of Feargus O'Connor (my letter, September 18). Could you please help me to enlighten these doubters by including Chartism in one of your history columns in the near future?

"I myself did not know much about the People's Charter until I studied for my O level economic and social history examination. This was some time after I had retired from the brewing industry of which I did know a lot - still do!"

While also having a reasonable knowledge of the brewing industry, particularly its end product, I need to brush up on my Chartism, Mrs G.

If only York Library were licensed, I could indulge both interests at once...

THE resurfacing work on the Malton Road foot/cyclepath was postponed due to the weather, a council spokeswoman tells the Diary.

"Since then, members of the planning and transport advisory panel agreed a recommendation to install a bus stop en route at Muncastergate. Obviously this needs to be done before the path is resurfaced.

"We apologise for any inconvenience that the delay has caused, but can reassure residents that, weather permitting, the foot/cyclepath should be completed by the end of next week."

EARLY Christmas update... "Why do supermarkets insist on bringing Christmas in September? September 14, Christmas puddings and mince pies were on sale, September 27 Christmas decorations and imitation Christmas trees," fumes kindred spirit Colin Henson, of Moorcroft Road, Woodthorpe, York.

This, he points out, is long before Halloween and Bonfire Night are out of the way.

"It's no wonder people are fed up of the festive season before it even arrives. But we all know why, it's profit! If the supermarkets paid more attention to getting their shopping trolleys to go the way that customers want I would imagine they would have a lot more satisfied customers."

OUR second dip into Gervase Phinn's new collection of children's wisdom, Little Gems (Dalesman, £5.99), comes from the chapter on grandparents...

"My great-grandaughter, Ruth Hannah, aged five, informed me: 'Gramps, you have got a beard.'

"'No Ruth, I shave each morning.'

"'Yes you have. It's up your nose.'"

Updated: 08:51 Monday, October 11, 2004