READER'S LETTER: Happy and I knew it? I don't think so!

I CRINGED so much (but also laughed) when I read the Editor's Perspective in the Rotherham Advertiser dated February 15, for that seemingly confident, but rather untalented, 11 year old girl at the Blackpool talent show sounded very much like me.

Except I would have been seven and it would have been slightly earlier, in 1970, that my Aunty Lil, who was a failed thespian, shoved me totally under-prepared onto a stage, instructing me to tell the audience that I was going to sing “Oh We Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside”, but only if they all sang along too.

I look confident but was holding onto the microphone stand feeling absolutely terrified. I faltered over my words, and there were titters from different parts of the room but, perhaps to cover up my own absolutely awful voice, the entire room had soon joined in with the song. My Aunty Lil was very pleased.

The host handed out prizes to everyone and, of course, they “ran out” when they got to me and I blubbed like a baby, being too young to realise it was a put up job. I was not consoled when they then “found” me the best/most expensive prize (which was actually just a hard plastic basket containing a soft toy poodle).

Never again did I take to the stage and forever have had an aversion to talent (“talent”) shows, but thanks for the memory.

Marian Rook, Broom Valley, Rotherham