YORK people are bananas about sex. Passing the Banana Warehouse on Piccadilly, the Diary noticed that the neon Sex Shop sign was still in the window gathering dust, long after it was first displayed.

Why would no one buy it? Are Yorkies (or Eboracensians as the Diary prefers) prudes? Quite the contrary. Warehouse owner Dave Dee Hughes says he bought six sex shop signs and sold five very quickly.

The last one hasn't gone because it is faulty (the light doesn't stay on) and he can't get it fixed because the supplier has gone out of business.

So who bought the others? "They were bought for all sorts of different reasons," Dave said.

"One was sold on Valentine's Day to a man who bought it for his girlfriend, for the kitchen.

"We boxed another up and sent it off to Germany to a guy who had emailed us."

Seems we can't get enough. "You get 20 people a day asking 'how much is the sex shop sign?'"

They cost more than £200. Dave would take a hundred quid for the last remaining one.

Other interesting items in stock at the Banana Warehouse include a near lifesize knight in shining armour. And you can pick up a piano for £50.

What with all the red tape, hiked liability insurance and numerous extra costs, Dave admits it is getting harder to make the warehouse pay.

So get along Piccadilly, hunt for a bananas bargain and support a landmark business.

LAST week we floated the idea of staging Busker Idol to decide which musicians were tuneful enough to play on York streets.

One supporter of the idea was Les Prentice, who sings and plays guitar in the city centre with his two border collies by his feet.

But even before Busker Idol is off the ground, Les has already lost his first vote. "Some of York's buskers are very good to listen to - especially the piano playing outside Betty's caf," emails Colin Jeffrey of East Mount Road, York.

"Quite a lot are not good. A few are absolutely awful. Sorry, but I put Les Prentice in the latter category.

"His singing and playing has no sense of rhythm or syncopation. As I hurry past, I always feel sorry for his two old dogs, Bessie and Rosie.

"No wonder Bessie howls a lot. Being next to Les listening to the noise he makes, for hours on end, would certainly make me barking mad."

CHANNEL 4 reality show Fairy Godfathers caused a flurry of excitement when it was screened last week.

The two gay men who try to put "traditional" men in touch with their feminine side met up with Harrogate musician Jed Thomas.

He has played in York on many an occasion, the Diary is told, in venues like the Roman Bath, the Old White Swan, Spread Eagle and Fibbers.

"He caused quite a stir last night when he appeared on the TV programme in his underwear," my female informant says. "One of the gay blokes nearly passed out, and I got a flurry of text messages as female friends checked that each other were watching."

ARE you a black belt in Ikea? Then get along to the inaugural World Flat Pack Championship at the first BBC DIY Show on Thursday at the NEC in Birmingham.

There you can pit your flat-packing prowess against other gifted people who can read self-assembly furniture instructions without weeping.

If you think you are up to the challenge register at www.bbcdiyshow.com

Updated: 10:54 Monday, May 17, 2004