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We've had fun finding the sites that make Yahoo! UK & Ireland one of the best places to find UK or Irish sites, so we thought we'd share a few with you. If you have any suggestions, please send us a note about them. Also send any general thoughts or comments about Picks of the Week or even suggest sites you'd like us to consider for the next issue. Click here if you only want to view the list of sites.

Somewhere between UN ambassador Spice Geri Halliwell’s husky, sub-Monroe-esque birthday salutation, and the apparently endless round of parties to celebrate his 50th year on the planet, the Prince of Wales found time to unveil his official online presence. And a fine thing it is too -- the very model of a modern major monarch’s web site, as Gilbert and Sullivan may have written, had death not sundered their partnership long before the Prince was even the hint of a gleam in his grandmother’s eye.

As one might expect the site reflects the Prince’s preoccupations with communication and innovation -- a large part of the site is devoted to an online forum which gives you the chance to speak to him directly (although it is made clear that individual postings will not receive a response). There is also a rolling Royal news feed, a diary of the Prince’s activities, and a host of biographical information. If that doesn’t sate your appetite you could always browse a selection of his recent speeches, take a wander through the picture gallery or catch up on his recent charity activities.

We feel it would be unfair of us to point out any resemblance between the Prince and EastEnders stalwart Frank Butcher (as portrayed by actor and comedian Mike Reid) . They couldn’t be more different after all. One is a middle-aged man deemed to be unsure of his place in the world, and trapped in a seemingly endless tabloid-driven soap-opera while the other ... runs a second hand car lot in a popular television drama serial! (sorry, we tried to resist it, but we couldn’t). The two might find they have much in common if the Frank Butcher Philosophical Car Lot is anything to go by. A one-joke site -- though the joke is a good one -- this consists of a collection of the gravel-voiced and permanently downcast Frank's pithy monosyllables offered as 98 separate .wav files. Hear him say "laughing-gear" as if his life depended on it. Thrill as he mutters "babe" and suffer with him as he attempts "fort" (it may in fact by "thought", we were not sure). There is also a quiz (sample question -- what was Frank's first word in EastEnders?) and some examples of other peoples' rather anaemic attempts to copy him.

Some critics we have come across contend that Frank's continual state of depression is enough to induce nausea in viewers. We can only point out that these reviewers have never encountered Stevie Starr, a Scottish vaudeville act with an astonishing ability to swallow and vomit up objects at will. Which explains why he is known as The Regurgitator If your idea of fun is watching a man swallow two goldfish then go see this show. We found our curiosity piqued by claims that he swallows a miniature Rubik’s Cube (remember them?) and when he brings it back up again the puzzle has been magically solved!. Don't try that at home, kids. The squeamish may simply prefer to browse the site, which has details of television appearances and tour dates.

However if you wish to watch Mr Starr in action, it may be wise to compile a list of acceptable public loos in the event that his activities induce a similar -- yet rather more uncontrollable -- response in you. Knowledge of where you can find a good clean public lavatory is of key importance when venturing out into the world, we have concluded. Which is why we will be maintaining more than just a weather eye on the Cannon Hygiene Loo of the Year awards. What makes a good loo is a question we have often pondered, and we couldn’t resist the chance of nominating our own favourite porcelain facility. You can also check out last year's contest -- which drew 353 entries.

Finally, and unconnected with what has gone before -- unless by the time you read this the English cricket team’s hopes of regaining The Ashes in Australia have disappeared down the toilet, there is the Barmy Army Cricket Page. Forget the plethora of slick cricket sites offering ball-by-ball updates, this is a fan’s eye view of the events as they unfold in Australia. The Barmy Army is a motley collection of individuals whose self-appointed purpose in life appears to be to follow England Cricketers around the globe (and let’s face it if you have to have a purpose there are worse ones than that). Less comprehensive than most, but with a personal touch that the others generally lack. And you can find out how you can join the army, too.

Well, cricket being a particular passion here at Picks Central, we are off to bed. We will rise at midnight and spend the next few months watching with trepidation, as our team undergoes the ritual slaughter that makes up a series against Australia. The only thing likely to cheer us up is our regular excursions into the strange yet beautiful world of Picks ...

Sites featured in Picks of the Week

• Prince of Wales - the heir to the throne goes online.
  
• Frank Butcher Philosophical Car Lot - anyone this depressed just cannot be real.
  
• The Regurgitator - sick, sick, sick, sick, sick.
  
• Cannon Hygiene Loo of the Year - help find Britain's cleanest lavatory.
  
• Barmy Army Cricket Page - English cricket's fanatical and hopelessly optimistic following.
  

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