NO sign of big Dick at the Little John, the Diary is disappointed to report.

This isn't our attempt to emulate the late lamented Carry On films, but a summary of the findings of a team of ghostbusters which staked out the Little John pub on Castlegate, York.

After Dick Turpin was strung up at the Knavesmire Tyburn, his body was brought to the Blue Boar, as the Little John was then known, and the landlord charged customers to have a gander.

Legend has it that the notorious highwayman still haunts the place, so a team from White Rose Paranormal spent the night in the pub to investigate. Although Turpin kept a low profile, there was plenty of spiritual activity to keep them awake, as their recently-published report makes clear.

The group's psychic medium, Kevin Crow, was poked in the chops in the cellar bar, and an invisible presence blew in his ear in the main bar. Later they had to abandon a ouija board session when it spelled out the letters RIP. At that point, Kevin felt they had "encountered a mischievous spirit who will only play games with us".

But he also formed the impression of a temporary hospital around the time of the First World War inside the pub, with either nurses or nuns tending the sick, and he encountered a girl spirit, aged 16. If you have any information which could shed some more light on these strange events, we would be delighted to pass it on.

Meanwhile, the report shows how easy it is to spook the ghost investigators. "After a short period," reveals the account on www.whiteroseparanormal.com, "Sara reports hearing whispering voices. But upon inspection, this turns out to be a radio in the cellar which has been left on with the volume turned down."

OUR thanks to Brenda Stripe, of Hambleton, near Selby, who puts us right over short nights and Mother's Days.

Last week, we reported a reader's concern that Mothering Sunday always followed the night when the clocks go forward, depriving mum of her full lie-in.

Not so, Brenda explains. "Mothering Sunday always falls on the third Sunday before Easter, Easter being a moveable feast," she tells us.

"Easter Day always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 21, so Mothering Sunday can fall on any Sunday in March.

"The clocks usually go forward on the last weekend in March so most years Mum will have her full 24 hours."

There's always next year then, mother.

MY thanks to Keith Mulhearn, Roamin' Tours centurion and all-round good egg, for contributing such an excellent Diary yesterday.

Here's a final thought from him.

"Continuing with the diary's revelations concerning a certain four-letter word which was used in York with 'grope' as the medieval name for Grape Lane. It appears that the BBC has received numerous complaints of its use in the courtroom drama, The Chatterley Affair.

"Many people rang and wrote in disgust over its 12 references.

"That's three fewer than I heard in my local describing the performance of the England rugby team."

Updated: 08:54 Tuesday, March 28, 2006