ALL the 'jazz' about Manchester Airport's new runway still riles me, especially when one considers Lancashire's lack of a proper international airport.

Every time I pass Samlesbury, I think that, but for the war, it would have been our airport, just as Blackpool would have its own airport.

When one considers it's half an hour to Blackpool and it's usually twice that to Manchester, you can see why I'm riled!

So forget Manchester and Liverpool airports - let's get our own!

GORDON PADGETT, Bridgewater Court, Bath Street, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.