Lancashire nostalgia in 2005: Common touch from Sir Tom; Freddie fever; and cheesy dreams

Sir Tom brings book joy to footy fan in Brighton

He may be a knight of the realm, but Sir Tom Finney certainly still has the common touch.

Preston’s footballing great made a fan’s wish come true when he sent out a signed copy of his autobiography through the post.

Dave Sallis was disappointed when he could not find a copy in the Preston North End shop, so he wrote to Sir Tom to ask where he could buy one.

Within days, the postman dropped off a special delivery – the sporting legend had bought, signed, then sent off a copy...even though delighted Dave supports Brighton, not PNE!

Sir Tom said: “He is a football fan and I always make the effort if they are fans.”

But Dave cannot believe the generosity of the football legend.

He said: “I was absolutely delirious and humbled. He is a legend, but he is so down to earth.

“He phoned up my wife to say a copy was in the post and she told him how disappointed I would be that I didn’t speak to him myself.

“He passed on his private phone number to her and said I could give him a ring!

“Can you imagine one of the Premiership footballers doing that today?”

The year of “Freddie Fever”

Cricketing hero Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff has had an amazing year, leaping from Lancashire lad to national hero in just 12 months.

“Freddie Fever” really took off in July when Flintoff wowed cricket fans around the world during England’s Ashes triumph in Australia.

Scoring 402 runs and taking 24 wickets in an incredible series of five tests, the 28-year-old firmly established himself as England’s greatest all-rounder since Ian Botham.

In recognition of the extraordinary skills he demonstrated during the Ashes, Flintoff received the International Cricket Council Player of the Year Award in October – the Garfield Sobers Trophy. This is the most prestigious individual award in world cricket and Flintoff won it jointly with South African Jacques Kallis.

Freddie was then chosen by the England cricket team to collect the Spirit of Cricket Award which was presented to the Ashes winners.

He was also named in both Test and One Day teams of the year.

In November the star was named FHM magazine’s Man of the Year. He was described as the “clear winner” of his category, having received the majority of the 5,000 reader votes.

This month, Flintoff was presented with the ultimate accolade – BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

In possibly the most surreal moment of his incredible year, Flintoff was also offered a make-over from Italian fashion goddess Donatella Versace.

Next month Flintoff will follow in the footsteps of Preston North End legend Sir Tom Finney and Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park when he becomes a Freeman of Preston.

The title means that Ribbleton-born Andrew will have the right to drive a flock of sheep through the city and grab a lift home in a police car!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week we looked at pictures from 2004

When you dream, dream of cheese... Lancashire crumbly

Don’t have nightmares! Eating delicious Lancashire cheese before bed could hold the key to career success, according to the findings of a new study.

Two thirds of people who ate the cheese each night in a week-long study went on to dream about work, which means Lancastrians could have a flash of business inspiration in their sleep.

The in-depth Cheese and Dreams study, carried out by the British Cheese Board, is thought to be the first of its kind and reveals eating cheese before bed not only aids a good night’s sleep – but different cheeses cause different types of dreams.

They say if you’re thinking about changing career, or suspect there could be a slightly more ideal job out there, you should snack on a lump of crumbly Lancashire before bed and you might get some guidance.

Commenting on the study, Neil Stanley, PhD director of Sleep Research at the University of Surrey, said: “It seems that selecting the type of cheese you eat before bedtime may help determine the very nature of often colourful and vivid cheese-induced dreams.”

Nigel White, of the British Cheese Board, said: “Our results show that eating different types of cheese can make your dreams more interesting so sleep could now become a whole new adventure.”