BLACKBURN'S got things that suit me to a T' Tommy Ball's, Thwaites Brewery, the Telegraph and T'Rovers, so Jack Straw has got a great deal to show his guest Condoleezza Rice.

I read that a good curry will be offered as a local dish.

I would have thought a visit to Huntley's Farm Restaurant, where the food is mostly local produce, including the meat, and allow her to sample the Sir Loin of Beef, which was knighted (no, not for giving a loan) for its excellent quality at Hoghton Tower.

Can you get more local than that?

Where have all the leaders gone? We've heads of state, ministers, a Prime Minister even, but are they leaders?

They issue rules, laws and targets. They glibly talk about solutions and promise things will be looked into' while we wait for things to happen, to get better, to improve. But do they?

To me, a leader is not one who just gives orders, but is that strong someone who makes you want to follow; someone who inspires you and who you believe in and at the moment the space is vacant.

I had a great Mothers Day! But for me it's Mothering Sunday. As kids we would run home from Sunday School with a bunch of flowers we had picked (buttercups must have blossomed earlier then) and in return were given a piece of Simnel cake.

I hated it, too spicy, but it's always a special day.

Ah! And then there's the Budget; remember Budget days when they actually meant something?

But, like now, it was the ordinary working bloke who felt it first.

As a little girl when cigarettes went up a halfpenny, my dad sent me with the exact money to the shop too late!

They'd been increased, so back for more. My dad went bananas and suddenly all shopkeepers were thieves and vagabonds.' Later at the Jubilee cigarettes went up a whole sixpence.

Now that caused me a bit of a problem for I, thinking they'd go up and being a bit clever, bought in quite a few (to put it mildly).

But this proved awkward, for Wills Woodbines decided to do away with their little green paper sleeves of five. Remember them?

I only got them because the vault lads smoked them and I daren't put them up, as it was obvious I'd bought a lot. Mutiny would have ensued, so a fortune-making idea went up in smoke!

On Monday I was at The Calf's Head at Worston with lovely lady farmers.

There's no doubt good food, good company and good wine gives you a good feeling.

Then I entertained and was entertained at the St Anne's Rotary Club's charter dinner at the FernLea Hotel, at Lytham St Annes and no, it's not ever to be confused with Blackpool, you understand.

A little like when we used to go there on holiday, Aunt Margaret would never admit to Blackpool. Oh dear no!

It had to be Cleveleys, where she said: "You got a much better sort of person."

Not like us lot who stayed near Central Station.

Till next week.