WERE you hoaxed on Friday? April Fool's Day left the Diary more than usually a) confused, and b) wildered. We were convinced the Lottery jackpot grandma on her Harley Davidson was the Evening Press spoof, and the plan to transport Ascot racegoers to Knavesmire via the road train was one of the highways department's more sensible ideas...

To add to our befuddlement, a letter landed on our desk that had all the hallmarks of an April 1 joke - and it turned out to be true.

"Who gave the Minster the right to cancel Christmas this year?" began the missive from Harold Mozley, of Blakeney Place, York.

He went on to explain that Good Friday this year fell on March 25, the Feast Of The Annunciation, also known as Lady Day. Precisely nine months before Christmas it commemorates the day the angel announced to Mary she would conceive and bear a son.

Because of the clash of holy dates, this year's Lady Day officially takes place today.

But, writes Mr Mozley, "this has been cancelled by the liturgical authorities at the Minster. Something about not having a choir."

To prove his point, he enclosed a letter from Canon Jeremy Fletcher which indeed revealed that there would be no 5pm Eucharist at the cathedral today because it is during the Minster Choir's holiday.

Writes Mr Mozley: "You don't have to have much theological or biological sophistication to know no Annunciation, no Christmas."

He doesn't hold the Minster responsible. "I blame the Synod of Whitby in 698 when it decreed that Easter is to be calculated in such a way as to allow these liturgical clashes."

BELATEDLY, here are a couple of sample items of handwear from the York website lostglove.co.uk, as featured in last week's Diary.

We could only admire a showbiz-style glove found in Terry Avenue a year ago. The red was "mainly fleece but has a fluffy cuff with glittery bits in," writes the project boss, Annie Johnson.

Meanwhile, on March 11 this year Kirsty stumbled on a white woollen number: "Had an exciting find on Friday afternoon... found a lost glove on St Sampson's Square at 17.00 then set off home only to find the matching glove on Parliament Street (in the parking bay opposite Thorntons) at 17.03."

But it's not all thrills on glove patrol, as we shall reveal soon.

AS promised, we can now name the frontrunner to be figurehead of the Diary's Republican Ascot event.

Nominations have flooded in for this multi-talented York legend.

"Re Alternative Ascot, there's surely only one choice to head the parade: our own Dame Berwick Kaler!" says Ben Drake, trades unionist and Evening Press commentator.

Another distinguished citizen, who prefers not to be named, puts it another way. "There is one obvious Alternate Queen to lead the parade and that is out own, dear Dame Berwick Kaler.

"Assuredly he would be well qualified to assume the role, being anarchic enough to take the lead naturally and preside over the state of chaos that will reign when the royal race meeting takes off.

"And consider, he already possesses many of the requisite attributes - dignity, a mini crown, gorgeous garments.... Who could fit the bill better?"

Who indeed? Now Berwick is, thankfully, on the road to recovery, the Diary will approach the great man and sound him out.

Updated: 09:16 Monday, April 04, 2005