by David StanfordBUSKERS and street performers from across the country converged on York today to give shoppers a treat.

Parliament Street was the venue for York's annual Busking Festival, part of the Summer Entertainment in the Footstreets programme.

The event saw York's Greg Preston combine spectacular unicycling with death-defying juggling and an abundance of humour and eccentric wit in The Ivor English Show.

With cash prizes up for grabs, Greg pitted his wits against the Pantonic All Stars, one of the country's leading youth steel orchestras from Stockport.

Also in the competition, organised by the City of York Council was Rotherham's Albert Alchemy, who displayed feats of danger and stupidity with fire ball juggling and eating from fire irons.

Clownabout, from Sheffield, did battle with mind- boggling stunts and circus skills while the bizarre Circus Fudge Foolish Theatre, from Rochdale, offered music, playing washing machines.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.