I WENT to Granada TV Studios on Friday, doing a ‘piece to camera’, as it is known in the business.

I would love to say I knew what it was all about, but I’m not too sure.

I said what they asked me to say — only because it was also my opinion, I hasten to add — but I did get a nice spray tan for my troubles, as they were also doing a feature on health and beauty, and then I came home.

It’s funny how being slightly tanned makes you feel just that little bit better.

But on getting home, disaster! I couldn’t find my mobile phone. How is it we feel we cannot manage without being in constant communication?

So there was a frantic search, but no joy and then a knock at the door. It was the taxi driver standing there phone in hand. Relief, hug, kiss and tip, all is well.

Now! Why do ‘you’ people have dogs, was a remark made to me by an obviously dog-hating friend?? of mine.

He listed what he thought were dog disadvantages — they are dirty, demanding, expensive, trying, time consuming and what is more, he snorted, they’re ‘a damned nuisance’ ‘And who are these people that think that dogs are all those things’ I asked him, in my best school marm voice.

‘Everyone, except nuts like you’ he said, so I am just hoping that there are a lot more ‘nuts’ like me, than there are of his sort.

We have a struggling health service, with people here desperately needing help, and yet our Government is giving Nigeria huge sums of money to assist in their space programme.

Now if that’s not barmy, I don’t know what is.

I firmly believe if there is money to spare, then here in this country is where it should be spent. Being caring and compassionate to all is great and good, but only when we have taken care of our own.

Sadly, our once-famous Blackburn market has now gone. People used to come from out of town, stream off the Boulevard and across Church Street to shop in our wonderful outdoor market. It’s a great loss.