PICTURE the scene: Wife in kitchen preparing supper. Husband enters kitchen with Stourbridge News in hand laughing his head off.

Husband to wife Did you know that' (pause for more laughter) you are "jealous" of Lynda Waltho?' Husband exits kitchen still laughing.

Jealous of Lynda Waltho? You MUST be joking, Mr Manning. Jealous of what, exactly? I do, however, concede that I probably can't compete with being likened to a "diamond" (Mr Barnes 8th May) or a "rose" (Mr Manning 15th May). But, on the whole, I manage to rub-along quite nicely, thank you. Before long Mrs Waltho will be compared "to a summer's day" (apologies to Shakespeare).

All of this because I had the temerity to defend Margot James from nasty remarks in a recent letter and where, as a footnote, said that Mrs Waltho originally came from London!

She may have lived here for 25 years, but that doesn''t account for the previous 23, does it? At least I can say that I am a genuine "local girl" (albeit long in the tooth) - born, educated and worked in Stourbridge and lived all my life in Wollaston until I married.

I can understand that Mr Manning is grateful for the help he received, it's part of an MP's job after all. It is, quite simply, what they get paid for, all of them.

Also MPs want your vote, it's in their interest and Mrs Waltho is in a tricky position with a slim majority of 407 reduced from 3,812.

I do agree on one point though, Mrs Waltho does seem to be getting a disproportionate number of letters from unhappy constituents. She's probably reaping the criticism which should be directed at her masters in Government. At this rate, her filing cabinet must be filling up alarmingly!

Actually, Mr Manning has told me something I didn't know - that MPs charge for interviews. What a scandal, and well-done Lynda Waltho for donating hers to charity.

I don't particularly want to enter into a petty bun-fight with Labour supporters. I'll save my strength for the run-up to the General Election when real Labour attack-dogs' will be let loose on Margot James and her supporters just as they are now being used to spread vicious untruths and smears about Edward Timpson, the Tory candidate in the Crewe-Nantwich by-election after the sad death of the excellent Gwynneth Dunwoody.

Lighten up Mr Manning, take off those rose-tinted spectacles, develop a broad back and a sense of humour just like Lynda Waltho and Margot James have had to do - criticism goes with the job.

Life's too short and there will be lots of letters from both sides being batted backwards and forwards in the coming two years, hopefully with a modicum of humour attached to them.

Anyway, I'm now going to take a walk around my garden to smell the roses, have a rummage through my jewellery box for some diamonds and practise a (rictus) smile in front of a mirror - it could all work!

Anthea Hall, (aka The Green-Eyed Monster)

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