WE asked who should play Berwick Kaler's fellow ugly sister in his third Cinderella this December at the Theatre Royal.

This has prompted two very different suggestions.

A man who gives his name only as Steve writes in to nominate Douglas Craig. The Diary's campaign to erect a statue in honour of the former York City chairman collapsed due to lack of support, but this could yet be a suitable way of keeping the club's hero in the spotlight.

"There's only one person to play Mr Kaler's ugly sister... Mr Douglas 'I am York City's saviour' Craig," Steve writes.

"The chorus could be all the true York City fans so we can have a nice chant of 'bye-bye, bye-bye' to our saviour."

Steve also nominates former City player Barry Swallow to play a part in the panto, but we don't remember the ugly sisters ever having "a lapdog".

Meanwhile a neatly-typed anonymous note puts forward Chief Constable Della Cannings as Berwick's foil.

"Anybody who can come up with the idea of charging the public a premium rate phone call for them to volunteer information to the police must be pantomime material," the note opines.

"I think she would be very good in CinderDella."

MORE on former Lord Mayor of York Harold de Burgh. He was the man who, the Diary revealed yesterday, foresaw a time when parking would be banned on York streets. That was in 1945.

We idly wondered whether Mr de Burgh was the father of Lady In Red singer Chris. Way off the mark, Mrs Edna Booth of Dodsworth Avenue, York, rang to tell us.

His son was called Pat, says Mrs Booth, 84. Sadly he died of an illness contracted while serving in the forces in the early days of the war.

Harold de Burgh's wife, Alma, was three times Lord Mayoress: quite a hat-trick. As well as serving as York's first lady in 1945, she did so again when Ernest Harwood was Lord Mayor in 1950 and for a third time for York's second woman Lord Mayor, Ivy Wightman, in 1961.

Pat de Burgh, remembers Mrs Booth, was a fine musician, being a band leader and organist at St Chad's Church.

He gave piano lessons to her after Sunday School. One day the curate discovered he had veered from the classics to play Winter Wonderland, and gave him "a few choice words".

BEFORE half term, the Diary extolled the Evening Press's television supplement Eight Days A Week. We observed how its non-slip format ensured against banana-skin-style skids like those caused by the glossier Radio Times.

Not everyone is convinced. "You are the one who is slipping on Eight Days a Week," emails David J Brown.

"'Your complete guide to what's on TV' - where's the Trades Descriptions Act?

"Hundreds if not thousands of us out here have bought Freeview boxes but not a mention!"

Your points have been forwarded to the powers-that-be here David. However, as this Diarist recently invested in a Freeview box and has been digitally channel-surfing since, one observation comes to mind: you aren't missing much.

FANS of darts commentator Sid Waddell have emailed the Diary some of his words of wisdom. We have fond memories of Sid's son, "Sleazy" Dan Waddell, once an agency reporter in York whose kebab-stained fingers filed many a salacious court story from our fair city.

Dan has long since departed for London, alas. But he had a similar way with words as dad Sid, whose darts observations include: "He's been burning the midnight oil at both ends"; and our favourite: "Darts players are probably a lot fitter than most footballers in overall body strength."

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: 09:50 Tuesday, February 24, 2004