A GRAND old lady, who I had the privilege of knowing for most of my life, passed away recently.

It was a sad passing, and, as we sat in silence in the chapel at Overdale, listening to the preacher telling us about the life and times of our friend, my mind drifted to another story, one that our friend herself had told us, about a trip she had taken to visit her son and his family in Canada.

On a coach trip to see the Niagara Falls, our friend, who was sitting in a seat nearest the aisle, leant across the lady sitting in the window seat to get a better view.

"Oh! don't mind me love," she told her neighbour -- who she didn't know from Adam -- "I'm only tooting." "Well," she told us, "you could have heard a pin drop. People started sniggering and looking at me as if I had said something terrible."

It was only later, when her son explained, that she suddenly understood the reaction of the people on the coach.

"In Canada," he told her, "tooting doesn't mean being nosey, as it does in Bolton. It means 'breaking wind'."

I hope this doesn't upset the family in Canada when they read it on the www, but it is such a great story, it wouldn't be fair not to share it.

Brian Derbyshire

Ribchester Grove

Bolton