WE all know many York residents are unhappy about the new rubbish regime. But how are the people on the front line finding it?

Not to their liking, according to a tirade from "Billy the Binman" which dropped on our desk this week.

Confusion has reigned in the first days of the scheme, with householders unsure whether to leave out their grey or green bin for collection, and descending in packs on the Foss Islands tip to offload excess waste.

But don't blame us for the problems, says Billy.

"The residents cannot blame the bin men for the cock-up of the management.

"We were thrown a list and told this is what you are doing now.

"They split up the crews, changed all the areas and said it would work. Nobody knows where they are going, our mobiles are ringing all the time from other drivers: can you tell us where this is? How do I get to that?"

Meanwhile the managers, who are ex-bin men with heavy goods vehicle licences "follow us in their cars instead of bringing a spare wagon out as we are all working overtime".

He finishes his letter by throwing down a mucky gauntlet to council leader Steve Galloway. "Let him try a week doing our job.

"If he can do it, I will eat a bin!"

SPOTTED at York Railway Station yesterday: Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye and team captain on Have I Got News For You?

He was boarding a London-bound train along with what our witness described as "an attractive redhead".

No sign of Paul Merton, though.

NO doubt Dame Judi Dench will plant one right between the bushy eyebrows of Bernard Ingham next time she bumps into him. As our article elsewhere relates, he placed her at number 51 in his list of 50 Yorkshire Greats.

But solace arrives just in time in the form of the Groovy Gran Survey 2005, by Yours magazine.

Not only does "our Judi" top the poll for the "most inspirational" woman over 50, she knocks the Queen into second place.

The same survey reveals that two-thirds of Yorkshire grans visit a wine bar, wear high heels and would like to take a "gap year" to go travelling.

What do they miss from the old days? Less crime, less swearing, friendlier high streets and more respect for older people.

THE Boyan Ensemble of Kiev, an internationally-renowned male voice choir, give a concert at St Andrew's Church, Bishopthorpe on Sunday November 20.

This is the first time they have performed here, but it's not their first trip to York.

The last time the choir passed through the city, they stopped for a few hours sightseeing - and lost one of their members. The man, who did not speak much English, had emerged from a different door of M&S and become disorientated.

The police launched a hunt for him, and he was discovered walking along the street with an Orthodox priest, who spoke some Russian.

Local organiser Carole Green plans to escort the choir on their sightseeing trips this time round.

IN our feature about the York Tourism Bureau yesterday, gaffer Gillian Cruddas was pictured under some York street directions. One arrow points visitors to "The Shambles". Isn't it time we got rid of the The?

Updated: 10:01 Wednesday, October 12, 2005