VISITORS to the Jorvik Centre take the whole business very seriously. They are encountering 1,000-year-old history after all.

But not Dan Willis. It was a joke about the Viking exhibition which helped him win untold riches (well, £100) this week.

Dan was born in York and lived here until his parents split when he was four, a double blow because he had to go and live in Newcastle.

But he was back in his birthplace on Tuesday night, for the J2O Last Laugh comedy contest at the City Screen. He beat eight other entrants to take the hundred quid prize and gain a place in the Leeds regional final.

When he was made redundant as a computer programmer Dan, 30, took the obvious career path into comedy. He has played at the Comedy Store (in London, not the one proposed for York) five times and is soon off to a festival in Melbourne for a month.

He is an observational comic whose heroes include US acts Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock.

Now based in the capital - "as a comic you do need to be in London" - he stayed at his dad's in Wigginton for the York gig.

So what about that Jorvik joke?

"You expect Vikings to be all about raping and pillaging," Dan said.

"But at Jorvik they are eating, drinking and going to the loo in front of you.

"If I'd wanted to see that I'd have gone to Ziggys."

WE were also impressed by the press release from the J2O Last Laugh organisers who said Dan had "perfumed around the UK".

GRAEME Robertson is in touch about a York problem that should be curbed (or perhaps kerbed). "Becoming entwined in an eruption of children from the Theatre Royal, I asked an adult if he was in charge of this 'motley crew'," writes the Evening Press teacake authority.

"He replied 'yes', but when asked if he could marshal them in twos rather than the fours or more abreast that filled the pavement he said 'sadly, no'.

"This response says as much about the thoughtless attitude of the supervisor as that of the children as they steamed through adult pedestrians."

THE Diary's fashion correspondent, Anne McIntosh, has another job as MP for the Vale of York.

We were a little perturbed to read on Tuesday that Anne is second only to her Conservative leader Michael Howard in the number of questions she asks in the Commons.

Surely that will leave her short of time to ponder crucial fashions questions like whether blue is the new red...

Good news, though. We checked yesterday on Hansard, the written record of the Commons, and found no trace of her asking a question in March.

Presumably Anne is taking a break from politics to meditate on the perfect look for the summer season, and we will be in touch soon to check.

AFTER typing thomastankengine.co.uk in the hope of finding a website featuring the loveable loco, the Diary was a bit taken aback to be taken to www.chester-le-track, the official website for the old Durham town of Chester-le-Street.

No Percy, Edward or Fat Controller, but a site giving an "interesting" history on the Roman town, whose big claim to fame is that the bible was first translated there more than 1,000 years ago.

Oh, and you can also enjoy a 360 degree view of the town's station if you wish.

Thomas fans who are not so chuffed with Chester-le-Street can find the official site on thomasthetankengine.com

Updated: 10:41 Friday, March 05, 2004