WHEN it comes to fireworks, nowhere holds a roman candle to York. Today city bigwigs launched a terrific game to mark the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, which the Diary is calling: "Where The Fawkes?"

As we understand it from today's story on page three, organisers of the pyrotechnic spectacular are not going to tell us where it will be based. The "launch site", to use the Pentagon-influenced term, is a carefully guarded secret.

And in a flash, the simple display becomes... a challenge.

Can you follow the clues and find the fireworks? Who will be the first to locate York's secret stash of combustibles?

The council is giving little away, other than saying the November 5 show "will be very visual in an aerial way". So at least we know we are not looking for either underwater or earthbound fireworks.

The Diary will be deploying the latest spy satellite technology to track the movements of rockets around the city, just like Kennedy did during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. And we will keep our eyes open for milk bottles half buried in soft earth at a jaunty angle.

As we judge it, the three most obvious sites are:

Shipton Street School - the council takes revenge on rebellious residents

Foss Islands depot - a hundred unused wheelie bins are turned into rocket launchers

The Guildhall - in a spectacular finale, all the Lib Dem manifesto promises go up in smoke.

If you have any further information, be sure to send it to the Diary.

SOME York fireworks:

St Sampson's Flare

Roman Bath Candle

Stephenson's Rocket

Catherine Wheelie Bin

THOSE good people at Minster FM have been in touch to say: don't blame us.

The Diary mentioned yesterday our love of Punked, a Sunday evening highlight of the airwaves.

However, our enjoyment was interrupted by several breaks in the broadcast, followed by silence and then the opening bars of Robbie Williams' Rock DJ. To make matters more puzzling, this week's playlist seemed to be the same as last week's.

It turns out we were wrong to point the finger at the Minster techies. The show is sent out from the Isle of Wight, that heartland of punk, and it is the island techies who are pressing the wrong buttons. My apologies to the skilled team of Dunnington knob twiddlers.

Incidentally, Minster FM installed a new station manager this week, so it's a big Diary shout to Pete Bilsborough (as they say in radio).

WE look forward to the opening of Space 109, the community arts centre in Walmgate. Hopefully the street will not have long to wait for its artistic education, as a sign in the window promises: "Space 109: comming soon".

"THE search for the man who terrorises nudist camps with a bacon slicer goes on. Inspector Lemuel Jones had a tip-off this morning, but hopes to be back on duty tomorrow.

"Next week, we'll be investigating rumours that the president of the Dairy Council has become a mason, and goes around giving his colleagues the secret milkshake."

Ronnie Barker, RIP.

Updated: 10:26 Wednesday, October 05, 2005