THERE are scarcely any people in this world who are universally liked.

But in this, like so many other things, the Queen Mother broke all the rules.

She was truly loved by all.

To one generation she was the woman who literally stood alongside them and gave morale-boosting support during the darkest days of the Second World War.

Although she is best remembered for her trips into the blitz-ravaged streets of London the then Queen also made quiet, unpublicised trips, like her 1941 visit to Blackburn's Royal Ordnance Factory. And those munitions workers who met her remembered the event forever.

To another generation she was the astonishingly energetic member of the Royal family who brightened the lives of millions by her presence at their workplace, opening shows and buildings or just visiting a charity or project.

And after decades of service to the people of Britain and the Commonwealth she refused to opt for a well earned rest and continued on a gruelling schedule that earned her real admiration around the world as we see from today's tributes.

Little wonder that she became affectionately known as the nation's grandmother - a uniting force in troubled times.

Although it is more than half a century since she last visited East Lancashire and other members of her family have not always been the best ambassadors for royalty, the Queen Mother retained a special place in the hearts of everyone.

Today there can be few whose thoughts are not with her daughter, the Queen, who is having to bear the loss of a mother and a sister just four months into what was to have been a year of joyous Jubilee festivities.

And as we celebrate a life that was truly gracious we will indeed miss that lively, twinkling smile. For, to many, that smile will be the everlasting memory of a lady who left an indelible mark on the 20th century.