This week, HARRY GRAYSON picks his home town, Rishton

HARRY managed a lottery which raised vital funds for Pendleside Hospice, a feat which he is currently repeating for East Lancashire Hospice in Blackburn. He says: "After travelling and seeing most of Lancashire over the years I have many fond memories.

"These are not just of scenic and beautiful places but also the depressed areas with poor living and working conditions. This never deterred the "gradeley folk" of my treasured Lancashire.

I was born and brought up in Rishton, a very small town with the main industry being cotton mills, where the majority of villagers toiled.

Both my father Bob and my mother Sadie were no exception, struggling hard to bring up a family of four. I can still hear the clatter of the looms and see the weavers in their "pinnies" lip-reading all the village gossip over 200 decibels of noise in the background.

During the holidays I borrowed a hand cart from the mill and carried suitcases up to Rishton station for a shilling. I remember touting for business as close to the station as possible in order to earn as much as I could for my holiday spending money.

Our village holds a magic for all Rishtonians and we are proud of it.