SKEEBY, between Scotch Corner and Richmond, is a pleasant enough place never notable for much beyond a narrow bridge and those pesky road humps wished upon the rest of us by boy and adult racers.

Now the place has come to Spectator's eagle-eyed attention for something which doesn't exist any longer, more's the pity.

Driving through Skeeby the other day, Spectator noticed a conspicuous blank space on one wall of the stone-built bus shelter near the Travellers' Rest pub.

That space used to be filled by a small metal sign, white with black and red raised letters, proclaiming that it was a United bus stop. Given that United is long extinct, that sign must have been one of the last survivors of its type anywhere in the vast area that constitutes North Yorkshire.

It was clearly visible in a D&S Times photograph taken 14 months ago when, no doubt by design rather than by accident, the 60-year-old preserved United double deck bus GHN 189 stopped at the shelter on a visit to its old haunts.

What has happened to that sign, which imparted a splendid period appearance to a bus shelter in a village where Miss Marple might feel quite at home?

Perhaps an answer will be forthcoming from Arriva North-East, which has never been universally welcomed as United's successor, or from the United Enthusiasts' Club, which produces an excellent monthly newsletter devoted to both companies.

Has the sign been taken into safekeeping or has the thing simply been unscrewed and snaffled for somebody's private collection?

MME question

While musing on the debate about whether Teesside Airport should change its name or not, Spectator wondered why the three letter abbreviation for Teesside Airport - which you see on the sticky tags placed round baggage handles when flying into Teesside - is MME.

Most other airports have something straightforward and clearly derived from the long form of the name - NCL for Newcastle, LBR for Leeds-Bradford, MAN for Manchester and so on. So why MME? Spectator would like to know.

Putting things right

FINALLY Spectator finishes with yet another question.

Spotted on a tradesman's van last week as part of a list of services rendered was the enigmatic phrase "DIY support".

Is this a euphemism for putting right the mess we make after enthusiastic but misguided amateur building projects?