[West Ender]

Just like you, I wasn't in the Green Room that day so I didn't hear the dreadful word first hand. From what I have, subsequently, read Carole Thatcher, who I neither like nor dislike, didn't call a black person a golliwog, she said he had hair like a golliwog.

One of the first "craft" things I did at school was to make a golliwog out of coloured felt. The hair was twisted black wool that stood out round the head. We didn't consider we were making images of black people, we were making toys.

I am so sick of the ridiculous political correctness that sweeps into everything these days. Hardly anyone dares to make the most innocently intended remark in case it offends someone. You can swear as much as you like, use every obscenity you can think of and it hardly causes a ripple but say the word Golliwog and you're out.