YORK town crier John Redpath's vocal talents go way beyond yelling at tourists in the city centre

When he hangs up his tricorn, puts down his scroll and picks up a microphone, he can croon like a superstar.

His talents have been recognised in a karaoke contest at the Victoria Vaults, Nunnery Lane. John came through six weeks' worth of heats at the pub to make it to last night's final.

Shouting pronouncements all day does not help this budding Pop Idol so he's been going easy on the voice of late.

The secret of his musical success? "I have been doing really well with Dean Martin - That's Amor, Return To Me, songs like that.

"The ladies love Deano."

He was full of praise for his nine fellow finalists, especially Dave Marshall who does Elvis.

"It's been a bit of a competition between me and Elvis. He's the King and I am the Dean of karaoke."

Due to a conflict between Diary deadlines and contestants' deserved lie-ins, we will bring the result of this showdown tomorrow.

ANOTHER Elvis, Eddie Vee, has been a judge in that competition and even duetted with John on the Everly Brothers hit Let It Be Me.

You can catch Eddie's next solo performance on Friday at the Bay Horse, Stamford Bridge, eight till late.

Admission is "Yorkshire's favourite price" - free.

THEY'RE the dynamic business women who power our local economy to new heights. And now they have made a name for themselves: the Forward Ladies.

The inaugural Forward Ladies lunch recently took place in Northallerton food store Lewis & Cooper. Supported by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, the group is hoping the new network will reap business benefits all round.

One of the members, Janice Hand-Gree, a projects director with GNER, said: "I think Forward Ladies is a great idea."

So too will many backward men.

IT is filed under the heading "So what can we say?" The Diary was astonished to learn that the term "brainstorm" is now banned in certain places for fear of upsetting people with mental health problems.

In its place? A "blue sky thinking session".

DELIVERING copies of the parish council newsletter to 150 homes on Monday, Wigginton resident Alan Rowntree found that York estate agent Winkworths had beaten him to it.

Every house had a copy of its leaflet sticking out of the letterbox - kindly alerting passing burglars that the property was vacant.

Mr Rowntree pushed through the leaflet with the newsletter, but many homes not on his delivery round still had the unsolicited mail protruding.

So he rang Winkworths to point out the folly of doing this when most Wigginton villagers were out at work.

Later a representative from the estate agents was seen walking the streets with a clipboard asking folk if they had received the leaflet, but making no effort to post them through properly.

EAGLE eyed readers will have noticed there has been something missing from this space yesterday and today: Wolf's cartoon.

Unfortunately Wolf, also known as Richard Stansfield, has been unwell. But he hopes to be back at his drawing board very soon.

He is clearly on the road to recovery, mind you: yesterday he was fuming that he had missed the chance to do a cartoon about Batman at Buck House.

Get well soon, Richard.

Write to: The Diary, Chris Titley, Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York YO1 9YN Email diary@ycp.co.uk Telephone (01904) 653051 ext 337

Updated: 11:14 Wednesday, September 15, 2004