LAST week saw a gathering of about 120 people in Blackburn who shared something that seemed to have gone missing over the years in a lot of towns and cities.

The word that linked them was neighbourliness – a quality that began to disappear during the 70s and early 80s when it was ‘everyone for his or herself’.

Great emphasis was placed on self-reliance by the Thatcher government but like so many political creeds, it meant different things to different people.

The idea that you had a responsibility to look after your nearest and dearest might seem fair enough, but not if it was taken to the extreme so the philosophy became ‘grab everything you can, whatever it takes – if others get trampled in the process, that’s just too bad.’ The rot had set in during the 60s when high-rise building in cities put people into boxes where they lived in isolation, often without ever meeting or chatting to their neighbours.

Increased mobility meant breadwinners had to follow the work and families broke up, leaving elderly pensioners living many miles from children and grandchildren.

Infirmity in old age forced the elderly to move into care homes in huge numbers because it was no longer practical for younger generations to meet their needs.

Also, in the past couple of years, the financial cutbacks forced on local authorities have taken away some of the community facilities and services that had come to be thought of as vital. Again, the elderly and people with disabilities felt the pressure more than most because of their extra vulnerability.

Although rural areas have been hit as well as urban sprawls, particularly with cuts in public transport services and post office closures, they have largely retained the sense of togetherness you find in almost all villages.

It was the towns and large estates where that spirit seemed to have evaporated as people looked only at their own needs and trying to fulfil them.

But last week’s gathering showed that here in East Lancashire there are lots of folk, from children to 90-year-olds, who have retained a community spirit.

Clearing snow, running errands, organising meetings, tidying gardens, taking the bins out or just ringing to see that everything’s OK with those living close to them – those are some of the qualities which resulted in around 60 people being nominated as ‘Good Neighbours’ by their fellow citizens.

Let’s hope their example inspires a revival in neighbourliness so a lot more people look out for others.

I’m sure it will enrich the lives of all of us.