Rachel paints a moving story

Rachel White was surprised to read that the livery for the 50th anniversary coach she co-designed for local bus operators Eddie Brown had won the bus equivalent of an Oscar in Paris.

Rachael, of York, said she and a staff member of the Helperby-based coach firm shared the £200 prize money when their design showing off the attractions of York beat all others to grace the £190,000 birthday coach.

The 23-year-old, who is setting up her up her own business painting customised murals for restaurants, hotels, creches, nurseries and hospitals, was pleased by this latest endorsement of her talent, even though it came out of the blue.

The Grimsby College of Art and Design-trained muralist already has work customising a restaurant floor and an Ouse barge on the drawing board so to speak.

"I can do really exciting murals to exactly suit a client's specifications," she says. "They are much better than stencils. All mine are hand-drawn and I can work in glass, emulsion, oh anything a customer asks for," she said.

If you want something special on your walls, ceilings or floors such a picture of me in my mask, just ring Rachael at Paintz on 07946 466306.

Turpin couldn't find anyone at the coach company for a comment.

THE enigmatic wagster who writes under the name of Old Owlie was quick to respond to my Wordplay competition where you change a word from the dictionary by adding, subtracting or changing one letter to provide a new, witty meaning. Here are a few of his:

Canaesthetics - Overuse of Special Brew

Cabstractions - taxi-driver philosophy

Repfrigerator - company car with broken heater

Sadidas - an affliction of the fashion-led (see also Dumbro)

Souporific - a 'Micky Finn' with the first course

Molart - the craft of tooth carving

Kneeclap - clicking of the knee joints

Buncontrollable - said of one breaking a diet

Adulltery - an affair gone sour

And these sparklers from Ina Paterson of Barbican Mews, York:

Tartefacts - Fruity revelations

Himproving - Male rejuvenating treatment

A Mossman, of Hamilton Drive, York, chipped in with:

Trainsubstantiation - Adoration of trains

Canoon - The one 'o clock gun an hour early

Old Owlie ring and tell me your real name because you have won the three free CDs I promised as a prize last week.

OUCH! I've just been verbally mugged by Neil Jones of York who writes:

'Dear Dick, I have just had my first thought for the day (well - it is my second actually, but she wasn't interested in the first). Why do media people constantly refer to football as soccer? It is not soccer. I do not go to watch a game of soccer, nor are the people who play the game soccer players. It is football and the players are footballers. No self-respecting fan of football calls it soccer. I demand that your media colleagues refrain from using the term soccer.

Furthermore your lot should learn how to pronounce schedule. It is pronounced with a sh in this country not sk. They are obviously watching far too many American programmes (please note the spelling - it is not programs).'

BUMPED into Irish Jim in York city centre yesterday and after 38 seconds my head was reeling. "I'm off to the Cork Music Festival, got a great deal. It's just £39 by express coach from York to Cork then Cork to York," he said in his machine gun staccato style. Though why he didn't just say "return" beats me. "Bejasus, I don't know whether I'm a Yorkie Corkie or a Corkie Yorkie," said Jim, one of the original brickies on the city's bar walls. He was actually knitted in Dublin. Baffled? So am I.

I'M becoming infatuated with the Women's Institute. Only this week I discovered the Queen and her Mum have been committed knitters and jam-makers for years when I spotted this: "The speaker will be Miss I Leek, whose talk is entitled Three Pairs of Knickers," an item from the Watton-at-Stone WI newsletter.

THE much-needed cashpoint built into the Dillions mini-mart in York's Walmgate is up and running and could qualify as the city's first drive-in hole-in-the-wall. One couple roared up on a motorbike. The biker slipped his card into the slot and copped the cash without getting off the bike. Easy rider beware... pavement transactions like this could damage your wealth.

RARE delicacies are not for sale in Guys Quality Butchers, Acomb. Despite selling a range of beef, pork, sheep and sausage products, much to the disappointment of the consumers' nouvelle cuisine, a sign on the door reads 'sorry, no dogs'.

If you have any comments you would like to make, contact features@ycp.co.uk

29/01/00

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.