TELEPHONIST Barbara Henry only decided to enter a talent contest the day before -- but her superb voice stole the show and she walked off with the trophy.

Barbara started singing lessons four years ago and her light classical renditions of Don't Be Cross by Carl Zeller and Plaisir D'Amour were picked as the best by five independent judges at the Silver Stars Talent Contest in Bacup Leisure Hall.

But she only decided to enter on Friday and at that stage did not have a pianist to accompany her routines! Barbara, 61, of Cowm Street, Shawforth, said: "Arnold Papworth plays the organ at Hallfold Church and he was entering in his own right in the competition and so I asked if he could accompany me.

"We had hardly any time to rehearse but he played beautifully. He will now be going with me to Southport for the final in June."

Barbara is a grandmother of two and when she left home for the contest her husband Brian said: "Go out and win."

The telephonist at Birch Hill Hospital said: "I just entered to make up numbers I was absolutely gobsmacked. I was act nine out of 11 and I thought there was no way I had won."

Organiser of the contest Coun Jimmy Eaton said: "They tried this contest at the Astoria a few years ago and it wasn't very successful so there wasn't going to be one in Rossendale. There were events in neighbouring towns and so I offered to organise it."