IT’S not too difficult for a visitor to paint a less-than-flattering portrait of Accrington and many of East Lancashire’s other towns.

The statistics for average income, unemployment, health problems and quality of housing all confirm that we are poorer than many other areas of the UK.

Frankly, many people’s clothing will reflect that poverty, as will the ‘cheap shops’.

Author Stuart Maconie has chosen to highlight these features along with the ‘pallid’ and presumably jobless youths he noticed loitering on benches in Hyndburn in his book ‘Hope and Glory’ which retraces the history of the celebrated and heroic Accrington Pals of the First World War.

To be fair, he does also mention some good points like the Haworth Art Gallery and Peel Park.

Present-day Accrington does have a lot more to be proud of, too, and one quality in particular. That is the warmth, friendship and community consciousness of its people.

The quality of their lives may be lacking in many material respects but for humanity and friendship, the people of East Lancashire are streets ahead of their southern counterparts.

In short, the spirit of the Accrington Pals is still alive and well.