QUIZ buffs are a competitive lot. They'll stop at nothing to get the right answer.

Emails have been coming into the Evening Press asking if we happen to know the name of the dog on a tomb in York Minster.

Being a newspaper which tries to help, we contacted the Minster authorities only to learn that they, too, have been probed mercilessly on the same point.

One of those keen to know the answer was Dorothy Jones who, it turns out, was emailing from Australia. No chance for her to pay her fee and scour the Minster then.

It turns out the source of all these inquiries is closer to home. The question is number 31 out of 60 in a charity quiz to raise funds for The Jay Gee Sanctuary For Dogs, based at Catton, Thirsk. The theme of the quiz is famous animals.

Anyone can enter if they pay £1 entry fee, with the winner pocketing £20 and a whole lot of pride. "Some people are very keen on quizzes," said Hilary Milnes of the sanctuary, which cares for about 30 dogs from around the area until they are adopted.

"It's amazing. They're just for fun, but this one is rather hard."

At the risk of upsetting quiz mistress June Parrington from Giggleswick, we have been doing our own research.

It turns out the dog in question can be seen perched at the feet of its master, William Thomson, Archbishop of York between 1862 and 1890, on his tomb in the Minster. Thomson was the man who introduced running water into Bishopthorpe Palace.

The canine companion was so familiar a sight trotting behind Archbishop Thomson that the sculptor Sir WH Thorneycroft decided to keep the two of them together for posterity.

Of course, we wouldn't dream of giving Evening Press readers a headstart in the quiz (see www.jerrygreen.org.uk/yorkshire_quiz.htm) by revealing its name is Scamp.

ON the same theme, a while back the Diary ran its Five Days Of Death feature, when we recalled some of the more notable epitaphs inscribed on stones in North Yorkshire churchyards.

After clearing out his office, York's modern Roman Keith Mulhearn came across his favourite.

It is found at the York Cemetery resting place of Peter Mortimer who died on June 9, 1882, aged 28:

Death did to me short warning give

Therefore be careful how you live

My dearest friends I've left behind

And not had time to speak my mind.

"WE all know that Sir Chris Bonington was the first Briton to climb Mount Everest but did you know that his nickname at school was Bonehead and if he could be any animal other than a human he would be an eagle?"

No we didn't, so we thought it right to pass these important details on. They come in an email to promote the Outdoor Industries Association annual trade fair "GO Outdoors", running in Harrogate until tomorrow. Bonehead will be attending in his capacity as president of the association.

THE Diary has reported various examples of humorous or artistic graffiti down the months, so when a reader heard this nugget on Radio 4's Quote Unquote programme recently she kindly sent it in.

"Seen on a bus station outside York Station: 'Jesus is coming!' Response: 'Look busy then'."

Updated: 10:29 Monday, September 26, 2005