WILL York city councillors drop their political differences and present a united front opposing bus company First's outrageous fare increases?

No chance.

The Diary has learned that transport boss Ann Reid will not even sit in the same room as her opposite number.

Both Coun Reid, Lib Dem executive member for planning and transport, and her Labour shadow Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, were invited to discuss the buses situation on BBC Radio York.

Both turned up promptly at the Bootham Row studios on Tuesday. But while Coun Simpson-Laing was happy to sit across the desk from presenter Sandie Dunleavy, Coun Reid asked to be put in a different room.

This separation was particularly odd as she could be seen by her fellow councillor through the glass which separated the two studios. The bizarre set-up was even referred to on air after Coun Reid talked about the need to form partnerships to improve the situation.

This is not the first time the Lib Dems have evaded direct confrontation. In a Radio York discussion about York Central last week, Coun Simpson-Laing went to Leeman Road only to discover council leader Steve Galloway was contributing by phone.

Meanwhile, Coun Reid declined to attend the meeting called by York Labour MP Hugh Bayley with First bosses.

Somehow we can't see an integrated transport policy emerging from this merry-go-round.

STILL with transport, here's a trivia question: where did history's first wing mirror turn up?

The answer is Hunmanby, near Filey, according to the Country Living Guide To Rural England - North East (Travel Publishing, £10.99).

This was where the grave of a first century British charioteer was discovered in 1907. Among the remains of his chariot was a rectangular strip of shiny metal. Experts believe it was fixed to the side of the vehicle so he could see competitors behind him.

AS promised, some facts about York's cat statuettes, culled from catsinyork.org.uk:

only one of the cats has a name. The chap perched on the window sill of Hunter, Gee & Holroyd in Museum Street is called Chambers

at one time, the white cat sitting on Gillygate was stolen. As it was made of concrete, the thief soon tired of his prize, and dumped it near a lamp-post on the other side of the road

There were rumours that the black cat perched high above King's Square jumped down each night to eat leftover fish and chips.

CALEDONIAN colleague Gavin Aitchison has vowed to avoid the Guildhall after our item yesterday about York council's ancient antipathy to Scots.

But our man in Selby sends this joke in response:

Tony Blair is being shown round one of the wards at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. He says hello to the man in the first bed. The guy scowls, and responds: "Fair fa' yer honest sonsie face!" Mr Blair, somewhat startled, moves on.

He goes up to the chap in the second bed, and asks his name. The stern-faced man replies: "Wee, sleekit, cowerin' timorous beastie." Even more confused, Mr Blair walks over to a third bed, and again introduces himself. This time the patient frowns and replies: "Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind."

"What's going on?" Mr Blair asks one of the doctors. "Does this always happen?"

"Why, of course", the doctor replied. "This is the serious Burns unit."

Updated: 08:55 Thursday, January 26, 2006