JUDITH ADDISON had been invited by the Revd Colin Penfold, Vicar of Great Harwood, in Blackburn diocese, to preach at St Bartholomew's and St John's while he was away on an exchange trip. So when Cllr Addison, a Reader at St Paul's, Oswaldtwistle, arrived at St Bartholomew's, the congregation were surprised to see her wearing her mayoral chain over her Reader's scarf.

She says that she had wanted to make the point that she saw no distinction between the two positions in which she had been called to serve. "At my mayor-making service earlier this year, I chose the hymn 'Brother, sister, let me serve you', which sums up my attitude."

She says that people are sometimes surprised that she does not compartmentalise her work, and that "sometimes I will even find myself dealing with residents' issues over coffee after the Sunday-morning service."