VALENTINE'S Day! How important and exciting it seemed years ago when I was 15, and then a bit older when I fancied someone.

Would he send me a card? Should I send him one? Then, we actually thought it was love.

Love, such a little word but covering so much. There's young love, fragile and fleeting; mother love, one of the most powerful all-consuming, all-forgiving, and never ending.

Married love, the sort of love that endures tut tuts and compromises and children's love for parents, which changes as the years go by, from being a cared for' love, to a caring for' love.

There's the love of one's country, a love so strong people give their lives for it, and the love of God, a phrase we use not always in the most correct of ways.

Then there's the love of animals, the garden, books and travel, and who of us would deny that men love their cars, not to mention their devotion to football, cricket, rugby and such.

Yes, it's a word we use lightly and often, without really thinking. Perhaps if we took it a little more seriously, then others would too.

Friendship is another of those words we use casually.

My husband used to say you were very lucky if you have more than two friends.

Yes, we have plenty of mates, acquaintances, hangers on, but friends? They are a very different kettle of fish.

With real friends, time, age and distance make no difference.

I am feeling a little melancholy. I've just been let down in a rather unpleasant way by someone I thought of as a close friend and I can tell you it's not nice.

But, as my mum used to say, It's all learning and part of life's rich pattern.' But when you have trusted someone utterly and completely, it's difficult not to feel hurt.

On Thursday, the Prince's Trust dinner, held at Blackburn Rovers, raised over £11,000. Astounding!

In the auction I bought' a day with the Lancashire Fire Brigade. It should be good. I've always had a yearning to ride a fire engine. Do you think they will let me ring the bell? Come to think of it, do they still have a bell?

On Wednesday I had lunch at the Three Fishes at Mitton with the ladies of the Rouge Chapeau' club. Heaven knows what other customers thought of 20 women sporting red hats. I do hope they didn't think we were a branch of some obscure political party like New Labour.' Only joking Jack, honest.

On Sunday at Thwaites Empire Theatre, the St George's Day lot organised a great Knight to Remember.' The women were swooning at the beautiful voice of James Loynes surely a lad due for stardom. Our own Jim Bowen was ably assisted by Norman Prince and both were on cracking form.

The jokes came thick and fast. I kept thinking must remember that one,' but, needless to say, by the time I got home only one or two remained.

Like the man that thought he was the world's greatest lover, until he found out his wife had asthma. Well it made me laugh. Till next week.