Colleague Bill Hearld's Tuesday column about people just not whistling any more has prompted quite a response.

A flurry of letters cried out that whistling in the privacy of people's homes was alive and shrill.

One Wheldrake mum said her young son was now an avid little whistler. He had not yet reached the stage where he was driving them crazy, but at least it indicated he was a happy young chappie.

But the Diary has heard of a band of professional tunesters who puff out their cheeks at every opportunity.

Grimethorpe Colliery (UK Coal) Band - and you can't get much better than them - are regulars at Selby Abbey.

The abbey has become renowned for staging some amazing band concerts, by the way, and if you haven't experienced one in this splendid building, you have missed out in life. It's not far down the A19, you know.

Anyway, Grimethorpe staged a gala concert there earlier this month, and a Diary spy tells us that during W Howarth-Lear's 'Barney's Tune' the band put down their instruments and performed a whistling accompaniment, to the delight of the audience. "Just had to let you know, it can still be done with very great skill," crooned our informant.

All together now, lips pursed, blow.

When Chris Titley hung up his quill and handed over the Diary ledgers, we did not realise we would also inherit his looneys.

But that has come to pass. We had a call of welcome from Ebor Mountbatten Imperial Sausage III (aka Keith Fox), of York Apathy Party, who promised to be in touch after he has visited a clinic in a secret location in Cleckheaton to have his brain changed back from Apathist to Looney.

If they can be bothered, Sausage and other Apathists will wind up the Apathy Party and form the Ebor Looney Party to fight Steve Galloway in the next local

elections.

With characters like Les Dawson look-a-like Roger Snotson Beak and Guinevere Lock Up Your Wives on their side, how can they fail?

FIREFIGHTERS on York's water rescue unit looked ship-shape a few days ago during the filming of a new information DVD on the River Ouse.

But the Diary can reveal that the lads are no strangers to the cameras.

They recalled going prawn crackers for wok master Ken Hom when he featured them on his Chinese cookery TV programme, Hot Wok.

"Ken followed us around for the day, and came into the station with his wok to cook for us," said Jim Lagan, who has been with the unit for 12 years.

"We got an awful lot of fan mail after that!"

Did Sarah (the pretty girl pictured here) ever get her passport? Did she miss out on her dream holiday? The passport picture was found discarded in the street near our Walmgate command post, and was handed in by a reader. If you are reading this Sarah, we are keeping it safe for you. And we want to know about that holiday.

Updated: 09:17 Monday, May 01, 2006