IT is always fun to find out how much people are paid, and the Diary has been poring over the latest set of York councillors' allowances, just published. The figures cover payments for the last financial year, ending in March.

As you might expect, the top earner was Coun Steve Galloway, leader of the council, pocketing £29,104. It's quite a drop then to the next high-flier, Steve's deputy Andrew Waller who received £21,621.

They are the only two to break the £20K barrier, although Labour group leader Dave Merrett comes close at £19,558.

Bubbling under are the executive members: Ann Reid (planning and transport) £18,921; Quentin MacDonald (resources) £18,495; Sue Galloway (social services and health) £18,495; Carol Runciman (education) £18,143; Sue Sunderland (housing) £17,067; Keith Orrell (leisure and heritage) £17,067; and Charles Hall (commercial services) limping in with £6,982.

At the other end of the scale are Councillors Mick Bradley, Fletcher, Henderson, Snowdon and the late Rod Hills who troubled the taxpayer for only £551 apiece. None of them is still on the council.

According to the figures for attendance, the councillors who went to the most meetings were Quentin MacDonald and Janet Greenwood. Both sat through 86, poor lambs.

Altogether the council spent £550,126 on member allowances, saving nearly £40,000 on the previous year after the number of wards was reduced by six.

The allowances have been frozen for two years. Dare the Diary suggest that, in these times of fat cat business people, these payments (which include all expenses) represent good value?

THERE were fireworks over Acomb after England's victory against Croatia.

The Diary's own football pundit, John Terry, heard the festivities but preferred a quieter celebration, toasting our boys in Newcastle Brown Ale at his Almsford Road home.

Having correctly predicted a win against the Swiss (he went for 2-1, the score was 3-0), John's thoughts now turn to the quarter final against Portugal tonight. For that he predicts... a 2-1 win for England.

And the scorers? "It will be either Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney or Paul Scholes," he says, going wildly out on a limb.

As for Roo-mania, John has contracted a mild dose. Wayne Rooney "is full of it and doesn't fear anybody," he notes. But is Wayne the new Pele, as Sven suggests? "I don't think so, no."

John's credibility as our football expert is stretched somewhat when he suggests Emile Heskey could be the answer to the Michael Owen goal drought; but at least he only wants Emile on for 45 minutes (that's 44 minutes and 60 seconds longer than the rest of us, John).

THE Diary normally sides with the downtrodden workers against the lash-wielding bosses, but there are always exceptions.

So here's to John Baish, managing director of radio station Classic Gold Digital, who has suspended Tony Blackburn for playing Cliff Richard records on air.

Our only quibble: suspension does not go far enough. Surely this Cliff obsession gives our tough Home Secretary David Blunkett enough reason to "nail" the ageing DJ - and send him on a permanent Summer Holiday?

IF you were going to ban one artist from the airwaves, who would it be? Suggestions welcomed.

WE were delighted to read that the crow twins, infamous for wrecking cars' windscreen wipers at Askham Bar Park and Ride, have flown the nest before the pest controllers could do their stuff.

That feeling is shared by York bird fancier Clint Walsh, who redesigned the film poster for The Crow to protest at Russell and Cheryl's death sentence. "Quality!" was his reaction.

Did he have anything to do with the crows' disappearance? "It's nowt to do with me - although there were two rather large crows sat on the railings near my house while I took the dog out this morning..."

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: 09:12 Thursday, June 24, 2004