AS THEY say, it is being so cheerful that keeps us going.

Last Thursday we attended the Golden Wedding of some friends' at Pilling on the Fylde.

Now at one time many villages had their own brass band, of whom they were very proud.

Pilling was no exception and another friend told me about a happening that took place some 60 years or more ago.

Pilling Band was invited to march and play at Fleetwood and this is what happened.

Resplendent in their dark green uniforms on a fine August day, the band was marching along the promenade playing Blaze Away with great gusto.

Now the one who carried the big bass drum was a very small chap who could not see over the top of his drum and he was marching in the rear giving the big drum all he'd got.

About half way along the promenade, the band turned off to the left, but the little chap who could not see over the top of his drum went proudly marching straight on - still playing with great enthusiasm.

Seeing what had happened, two men ran after him and said: 'Eh, the rest of the band turned off back yonder,' to which the little chap replied: 'It's aw reet, I know t' tune.' I don't know about you, but I thought that was a lovely story and isn't that true country humour at its best?

Looking back to last time, I don't know quite where I am with Lord Haskins, who has since said that he either didn't make the remarks attributed to him or that he was misquoted.

So do I now take it that he does not wish to see the demise of the family farm and he will do all he can to prevent those who farm them from being squeezed out in the name of ever cheaper food? I hope he will realise that these people are the backbone of the countryside.

You pays your money and you takes your choice.

This infernal in-word globalisation which isn't in my dictionary, is a very mixed blessing as you have some of the big boys sourcing food from the far-flung corners of the earth simply for its cheapness, never mind if it was produced with slave labour or to the same high standards called for in the United Kingdom, the thing is it has to be cheap.

I don't know if Lord Haskins did suggest we take a leaf out of the French farmers' book or not, but while our Government scours the world for cheap meat, do you suppose the French government does the same? They would not dare; French farmers would never stand for it.

They would soon have slow-moving farm tractors going round every traffic island in the region of Paris.

We would be most happy to accept the same prices as the French farmer, and don't forget the CAP was designed with France's agriculture in mind.

It cannot be that Lord Haskins would have me go and blockade the ports and the channel tunnel.

I am getting past all that kind of thing, but the French would do it at the drop of a hat if they didn't agree with the imports.

Something else has me puzzled.

As the Supremo has an 800-acre arable farm in East Yorkshire, do I call him Lord Haskins or Barley Baron? (only kidding sir if you should read this).

Thought for the day: A noisy farmer went to see his neighbour who, although a quiet chap, was very mechanically minded.

The noisy fellow said: 'They reckon thou knows about tractors and engines, thou might do, thou might not, I don't know.

Our tractor keeps boiling, what's up wi it?' To which his quiet neighbour replied quick as a flash 'It's getting too hot.'

As I said, its being so cheerful that keeps us going.