AFTER the ice age, the floods. And the national media have been portraying this part of the world with typical moderation and accuracy.

Tabloid headlines such as Noah's York Floats Out To Sea and Underwater City Folk Evolve Gills have put off some potential holidaymakers. Softie southerners probably.

But as one source of visitor revenue dries up, another begins to flow. Fins are looking up as fish make their way to York's attractions.

Only yesterday, a pike called in to the Yorkshire Museum.

Well, that is a slight exaggeration. It made it to Museum Gardens, where it became stranded and was placed in the care of assistant curator of natural history Stuart Ogilvy.

Tragically he was unable to save the exhausted creature. Perhaps it should have stuck to the pike lane.

Some people assumed the one metre-long freshwater carnivore had been deposited in the park by the floods.

But we are sure it was trying to make its way to the Yorkshire Museum's temporary exhibition, The Glass Aquarium, before it closes on February 15.

This display of squid and jellyfish modelled in glass by the German Blaschka brothers is just the sort of thing to interest a well-educated pike.

Mind you, Mike the Pike, as museum staff have respectfully christened him, would have avoided the Viking exhibits. Pike were a particular favourite of the Viking dinner table.

PLUNGING further down the food chain, did you spot the exciting job offer in the Evening Press on Wednesday? The Central Science Laboratory near York is looking for an "invertebrate supply unit assistant" to look after a live collection of bugs and insects. There are good prospects for the spineless specialist: this time next year you could be preparing a meal of weevils and cockroaches for the next batch of I'm A Celebrity hopefuls.

WELL, well. On Tuesday the Diary reported how Hazlewood Castle Hotel's top man John Benson-Smith took the mickey out of an Evening Press report. We had stated Benson-Smith was opening two "brassieres", rather than brasseries, in Manchester.

What should we then pick up but a copy of the hotel's own glossy magazine, the Hazlewood Castle Annual.

In a profile of Mr Benson-Smith it states how he "opened two successful brassieres in Lancashire".

Ahem. Boobs all round.

FRANKLY, we're a little disappointed by the immediate response to the Diary's crusade to place a statue of Douglas Craig outside Bootham Crescent. One person has offered 2p towards campaign funds, but then asked for change.

We expect this is all a misunderstanding, something to do with the Royal Mail's problems, and expect a postbag bulging with support any week now.

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: 09:35 Friday, February 06, 2004