IN these days of cloned high streets, the Diary is always window shopping for something out of the ordinary.

And wouldn't you know it, the oddest item for sale in York was right under our noses.

Across the road from our luxurious Walmgate offices is a shop called Betwixt & Between. At the centrepiece of its display is... a pheasant wing.

The wings are imported from the United States, said John Swaney of B&B. Presumably the rest of the pheasant goes into a pot somewhere.

The wing alone costs a tenner. For a penny short of 30 quid, you get a set featuring the wing, some white sage and an abalone shell to burn the sage in.

Do you breathe the fumes in? "Not so much inhale it," John said, "as waft it around an area with the wing to purify it."

This is a ritual from Native American culture, apparently.

It is also used for vision quests, where you sit - preferably in a sweat lodge - breathing in the aromas until you go into a trance and see "visions from the other side and gain spiritual guidance".

The wings have not been his best selling line since opening the shop in March.

That would be the witch dolls which "literally fly out of here".

Another favourite of Betwixt & Between customers is the Millennial Gaia statue, the goddess of mother earth.

How does John describe his shop? "We are kind of an alternative metaphysical business. I don't really want to say New Age too much. People get a wishy washy feeling from those words."

Originally from Las Vegas he came to York with his wife Debra to be nearer her family. "It's not quite Vegas," John said. "That's a good thing in some ways.

"Not the weather aspect."

FROM a report by the head of performance improvement at City of York Council: "A consequence of this being a transitional year is that a significant number of the BVPIs have been amended, with sub indicators being added to existing BVPI codes to accommodate the amendments (i.e. BVPI 199 is now BVPI 199a, b, c & d)."

How do councillors understand this stuff?

DALE Minks' reference to the eccentric bookie Prince Monolulu on Wednesday prompts Alec Dobinson to get in touch.

"I have very vivid memories of the colourful character Prince Monolulu," Mr Dobinson, of Askham Lane, York, tells the Diary.

"I was a pupil at Nunthorpe Grammar School (now Millthorpe School) in the late Forties.

"Although too young to take an active interest in horse racing some of my fellow pupils and I used to wander down to the Knavesmire during our lunch break and stand, goggle-eyed, at the sight of Prince Monolulu in all his finery shouting 'I got a horse, I got a horse!'

"I don't know how successful his tips were but it was always a topic for friendly argument as to whether he really was a prince and did he really come from that far-off country Africa?"

AS for the man who started all this, the Diary's Ascot tipster Eddie Vee, he comes on to defend his record of one winner in 12 races.

"Okay - so it wasn't the best of results ever, but those who backed at level stakes and managed to get the 20-1 about New Seeker still finished in front.

"Princewhatisname never tipped a winner ever."

Updated: 10:39 Friday, June 24, 2005