YORK Central Library should reopen tomorrow after its facelift.

This is an exciting moment for the city's book borrowers, as we get to admire the new counter, wallow in the improved air conditioning and slurp a beverage from the drinks machine (not too loudly, mind).

But the improvements don't go far enough for some Evening Press readers. The refurb has prompted Richard Leigh Perkins, after his recent victory against the MoD and the Inland Revenue, to resurrect his plinth campaign.

There are eight niches awaiting statues inside and outside the library building, which was built by Shepherd's in 1926. But they remain defiantly empty.

"York from the time of Constantine forward and into this Millennium has a host of wonderful citizens to celebrate, and what better way of doing so than inviting the skills of the Minster's craftsmen to carve eight statues of the city's luminaries down the centuries?" asks Major Perkins.

He would like to see Yorkies vote for their favourites. A sort of Bust Idol. So who would he nominate? Although Constantine already has a statue near the Minster, Major Perkins sees the Roman leader as also worthy of a library spot. And he wants Evening Press "people of the Millennium", Dame Judi Dench and Joseph Rowntree, to be represented.

Adds Major P: "Avoid the various Dukes of York; ditto especially the current Duchess; there must of course be a soccer luminary and - er - Geoff Boycott?"

Cycling sensation Paul Hepworth independently contacted the Diary with the same idea, and he has his own niche nominations.

"How about Berwick Kaler and Martin Barrass? They deserve some recognition for fronting York's best ever entertainment event."

Any more suggestions?

MAJOR Perkins envisages Dame Judi's library likeness "winking across the entrance to Constantine".

That is certainly a jollier idea than her grumpily queuing at a bus stop.

When the great Dame was having her portrait painted by artist Alessandro Raho, he told her to pose as if "waiting for a bus".

The finished picture was unveiled at London's National Portrait Gallery on Tuesday night. As you would expect from such a great actress, Dame J has captured perfectly that glassy-eyed stare of someone waiting for the delayed No. 13 to Monks Cross. All the more impressive because the millionaire film star has probably not travelled by bus since the days of her youth in Heworth.

So did Dame Judi like the portrait? Bizarrely, she refused to say publicly and no one at the National Portrait Gallery was willing to say.

We'll take that as a no, then.

MORE on the terrific decision to rename York City's ground KitKat Crescent. This is such a great idea that we are convinced other stadiums will follow suit and go for in-your-face product branding.

So Leicester City's Walkers Stadium will be renamed the Really Cheesy Weenie Wotsits Stadium while Huddersfield's Galpharm Stadium would become the Entrocalm Diarrhoea Medicine Superbowl.

Why stop there? This sort of thing seems to chime perfectly with York Minster's corporate approach.

Who could object to visiting the Norwich Union Quote Me Happy York Minster to gaze in awe at the Rose Safestyle UK Double Glazing Window?

Updated: 08:56 Thursday, January 20, 2005