IF you kick one and they all limp! That was an old saying of my Mum's but it's still true you know.

As a nation, when attacked all petty differences are forgotten; the Scots, Welsh, Irish and English, who during peacetime have a healthy disdain for one another, suddenly become one in the face of a common enemy, and so it is with families.

I might call my brother, but woe betide anyone else who tries to.

So why am I saying this at this time? Well I feel that is what is happening in Iraq, all those different factions that for centuries, hated, had different beliefs and fought each other, are suddenly turning on what they see as their 'common foe' -- us, the coalition troops, and especially the Americans, we have suddenly become to them not the liberators, but invaders, and I am very much afraid that if we are not careful it could escalate and we could end up with a 'third world' war.

WELL, now that I have cheered you up and put you in a good mood for the rest of the week, I will continue with the good news; my little Robin continues to visit me every morning and if I haven't opened my door and let him in by eight o'clock he sits on the window ledge above the door and looks down at me, head on one side, and a very reproachable look on his face.

I know I kid myself that he and I have a 'thing' going, that we share some sort of secret bond.

But in my hearts of hearts I know it's just my crumbs he's after, I mean, you men are all the same.

EASTER and a new beginning, well that's how I always feel. As kids it was the time for our new, or in most cases nearly new, outfits to get an airing, and then there was the fair.

Oh 'the fair '-- it would have been already put up, but would be sheeted over in respect of Good Friday, then opened in all it's loud raucous noisy shining glory on Easter Saturday.

I must admit the other day feeling a little sad when I saw the posters advertising it.

Why sad? Because seeing them I felt no sense of excitement, no sense of anticipation.

Oh! To be a child again, and to feel that heart stopping wonder.

I got my first taste of gambling with the 'roll a penny' man and the thrill as he slid the pennies across the stall all covered with talcum powder so that the coppers would glide about easily, and the utter dismay I felt as he picked up my very last precious penny without so much as a backward glance.

I WAS in the butcher's the other day, I love butcher's. Mind you I love shopping, butcher's especially.

Now there's a Farmers special one at Huntley's on the A59 near the Trafalgar Hotel. I go in there and when I'm looking at the various cuts of meat I imagine the luscious meals I'm going to make, Lancashire Hotpot with the middle neck chops, beautiful stew with the lean skirt.

Hell! Now I'm really starting to sound like my Mother.

I was in there the other day and the woman in front of me was rummaging in her handbag as I thought to pay by cheque, so I said to her: "Here would you like a pen?" She said: "Oh thank you very much." Then she put it in her handbag and proceeded to give the man cash. Well I suppose it was one of those days.

Till next week.