NO doubting which of the seven deadly sins we are keenest on around here. York Pride, Business Pride, MardiGras Pride, Pensioners' Pride, Clifton Pride, Mother's Pride, Park & Pride... this city is as proud as a prize-winning pride of lions.

While lagging behind on covetousness and lust, we beat all comers in the sheer weight of our self-admiration.

The latest initiative is Community Pride.

It is being promoted through March and April with various events including the inauguration of the first York Pride flats.

A report to the City of York Council executive meeting next Monday says council staff could get involved in the campaign by litter-picking and removing graffiti.

"The involvement of senior staff in particular in this type of activity would be more likely to gain media coverage," it states.

So, if Roy Templeman and Charlie Croft suddenly turn up and start cleaning your windows, you'll know why.

The report also says that the "formal launch will take place on April 24, which is St George's Day..."

Er, no it isn't.

As every patriotic Englishman knows, St George's Day is April 23, as is Shakespeare's birthday.

An innocent mistake or, heaven forfend, a case of someone at the council not taking pride in their work?

A CALLER to the Jonathan Cowap show on Radio York yesterday was complaining about a "service charge" that is added to the price of a ticket for a show he wanted to see.

"What was the show?" asks Jonathan.

"Well," says the caller, "it starred Cannon and Ball... and Lord Allen and Ray Charles."

WITH our appetite for celebrity diets seemingly insatiable, why has no publisher thought to sign up Po?

Okay, so the Teletubbies are not the cutting edge of toddlers TV they once were, having been usurped by those punk upstarts the Fimbles.

But we are sure there would be huge interest in how Po has transformed herself from her roly-poly appearance in the glory days of Teletubbies to the svelte version who launched the Acomb Festival of Love at the weekend.

Is it the Atkins Diet? Or has Po simply given up the tubby custard and stuck to butterless tubby toast?

We look forward to finding out the real reason from a forthcoming edition of Heat magazine.

THIS may or may not be a scoop. Only a 12-year-old girl will know for sure.

But Bryan McFadden, who walked out on record-breaking boy band Westlife yesterday, has apparently already lined up a new project.

He said at yesterday's press conference that he was off to spend more time with wife Kerry, who won the recent I'm A Celebrity jungle popularity contest.

But according to someone who called the Diary from a York phone box in best cloak-and-dagger fashion, Bryan is actually about to launch his own pet project, a new boy band called Franklyn.

What an enticing prospect.

You heard it here first. Or not, as the case may be.

A DISAPPOINTING response to the Diary's call for suggestions as to whose head should be figuratively spiked on top of Micklegate Bar.

Only one entry flooded in, so we're suspending the search for another 500 years.

Write to: The Diary, Chris Titley, The Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York YO1 9YN

Email diary@ycp.co.uk

Telephone (01904) 653051 ext 337

Updated: 10:03 Wednesday, March 10, 2004