But he must admit that he is in full agreement with their views on all-women shortlists for parliamentary constituencies.

It says: "The New Party does not tolerate discrimination in any form. Women-only shortlists are discrimination. They ignore qualifications, experience and achievements and offer positions based solely on gender."

Quite so.

Mr Pendle can almost hear the screeching and caterwauling from feminists that would come about if some party decided, in a moment of madcap madness, that it was going to force some constituencies to adopt men-only shortlists for election candidates.

And he only wonders why no one has had the guts to stand up to the zealots who have forced this women-only legislation through their parties' policy-making groups.

As Mr Vass says, the idea is "yet another doomed example of career politicians interfering with, and trying to socially engineer, people's behaviour through discrimination."

Mr Pendle believes that constituencies should be allowed to choose their candidates irrespective of whether they are male or female.

In other words, they must pick the person they believe best meets their requirements. Ruling out half the population of contesting certain seats is not the right way to go about it.

AS the 20th anniversary of the demise of Colne Dynamoes Football Club looms large on the horizon, Mr Pendle was taken back more than 60 years the other week by a telephone call from his old friend Bill Purcell, who raised the subject of a proposed team for Colne and Nelson which was discussed in the years immediately after the Second World War.

Bill, who went on to become one of the Dynamoes' most ardent supporters, says that he recalls it was mentioned that the new club should be called Colson United – an obvious acronym from the two towns and, it must be said, the one which sounds the best.

But then, he said, the next week the story went round that Nelson Football Club had objected to the proposed name because Colne's part came first – and the matter was never raised again.

Can any readers enlighten Mr Pendle – and Bill – on this interesting story? Both of us would be delighted to hear from anyone who can.

A HEART-WARMING story from Mr Pendle... A local man forgot to put his parking disc in the windscreen when parked behind Colne Library last week.

As he returned, the dreaded warden came over and, fearing the worst, he thought this was going to make his pint of milk a very expensive buy.

To his surprise he was greeted with "Excuse me sir, do you need a disc for your car? It saves paying a fine, doesn't it?"

Christmas has come early!