WE always try to be helpful here at the Diary. And we think we have found a solution to the parking row.

It comes from reader Louis Stephenson. Why not, he suggests, ask every City of York Council officer earning more than £40,000 to take a voluntary pay cut of ten per cent?

This would save a fortune. A letter by former Tory councillor Ken Beaven, published by the Evening Press in March, stated: "According to the annual reports of the District Auditor on the accounts of the city council, the number of officers paid more than £40,000 in April 2000 was 34. Three years later, in April 2003, it had risen to 108."

Presuming that latter figure still to be accurate, we have done a few sums. The combined income of 108 people earning £40,000 is £4,320,000. Ten per cent of that is £432,000 - or four times what council leader Steve Galloway hopes to save in landfill tax. With that sort of saving, couldn't the council drop evening parking charges altogether?

IT should be noted that not all double yellow lines are there merely to provide our council with extra income, however.

On Friday the Diary witnessed a fire engine slowly and painstakingly reversing out of the top of Fossgate, in order to take another route on its way to an emergency call.

Why? Because a car thoughtlessly parked on the Fossgate double yellows had blocked the fire brigade's access.

THE best way to travel for nosy people is, of course, by bus. Overheard on the No 6 from Osbaldwick to Clifton Moor Tesco's was a conversation between two girls who could not have been older than 14.

One told the other she had a raging hangover because she had drunk too much "vodka and milk". "Have you tried Bailey's and milk?" asked the other excitedly. At least they're getting enough calcium.

A WEEK ago, we reported how green councillor Andy D'Agorne alerted city cleaners to blocked drains on Tadcaster Road - and was impressed by how quickly they were then unblocked.

John Hind read that, and would like a favour.

"Could you ask Coun D'Agorne to cycle here and report the gullies around lower Bootham-Sycamore/Longfield Terraces? We were told that these gutters were a priority more than two years ago," he writes.

"I clean these weeds away once a year when I'm sick of seeing them. Don't suggest 'York Pride' - they view things through rose tinted-glasses - that's assuming you can get them off their bums."

IF the police weren't so preoccupied with weightier matters, we would be tempted to call them to report a missing sense of humour.

It belonged to York MP Hugh Bayley but tragically appears to have been stolen away.

Readers may remember Hugh's Tory rival Clive Booth challenged the MP to a charity fun run last week.

Hugh demanded that the suggestion be put directly to him by Clive, who duly obliged.

Now we have Hugh's reply. "Thank you for your email about your racing challenge," it begins.

"I may be old-fashioned but when I give to charity I usually do so privately. I do not think it is a good idea to make party political capital out of charity giving. You do it your own way, by all means. I will not aid and abet it."

Clive is still up for the race, "if there are any takers on the council fit enough".

As he says, "Hopefully the idea can be made to work in a different way with the good humour and worthy intent in which it was intended."

We hope Hugh rediscovers his funny bone, perhaps on one of those many foreign fact-finding trips he dutifully undertakes on our behalf.

Write to: The Diary, Chris Titley, The Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York YO1 9YN

Email diary@ycp.co.uk

Telephone (01904) 653051 ext 337

Updated: 09:30 Monday, July 26, 2004