When I grow up I want to be...

Like I was when I was a little girl.

Not in some depressing "If I could turn back time" kinda way (though I do a mean rendition of Cher's version on karaoke/singstar!), but in the sense of "that's who we truly are and let's try and tap into it a bit more" way.

I shall explain...

Two of my very good friends and mentors Nicky Pattinson (www.hiyaitsnicky.com) and Dawn Breslin (www.dawnbreslin.com) use this concept in their work, but in slightly different ways.

Understanding who we truly are and what we are supposed to be and do, often involves a bit of soul-searching to get back to who we were when were little. More will hopefully become clear soon...

Tonight saw the launch of The Charming Armley Cake Calendar, which was the culmination of much sweat and tears over the past few months - on the part of many people, not least one of my closest friends Emma Bearman (www.cultivateltd.co.uk)

It suddenly became all so very worthwhile when we realised that the cake competiton day and one night's worth of calendar sales has brought in well over a thousand quid for the wonderful Armley Helping Hands. This alone buys one portable nebuliser that will enable people who are normally housebound to be able to ride out on one of their buses for a day or evening out - even if it's just for bingo!

If you know even a little bit about Armley, you'll know that there is a fantastic industrial heritage here, but that also brought about many other issues, not least asbestosis in many of our older residents.

So when I say that the calendar has done so much for community spirit I hope you begin to understand the sense of pride and purpose me and my fellow Charlie Cake's Angels feel about this project.

Visit www.thearmleytouristboard.com for more info about where to buy a calendar - info will be up at the end of the week, in the meantime you can buy at Armley Helping Hands, here estate agents and then Pudsey Asdas from November 17th. We're also hoping to get on the telly with it this week too, I shall of course let you know if we do!

Coming back around to be a little girl, I always knew that I loved to entertain, tell stories and talk. And I'm just so grateful that I get to do that for a living now - but it's more a way of life really.

I have the photos to prove it too. My favourite is a picture of me, deep in conversation with my nursery school leader about how impossible it would be to both drive the bus and conduct the rest of my playmates in singing 'The Wheels on the Bus'. This is closely followed by another pic which sees me opting for the conducting, rather than the driving role.

Of course I can't really remember this, but Pat Roberts could - as well as being my nursery teacher she was also a very good friend of my Mum's and this is just one of the many stories she told. Another involved me shoving bits of tissue paper up my snout, which is something of a Walker family tradition now. My Dad did it with dolly mixtures that had to be sucked out by a soldier and my sister did it with black peppercorns. I shan't even go there with what that said about my future habits...!

I've asked my good friend Cathie Reuben's permission to tell this other story, so thanks Cathie. Cathie works as the corporate co-ordinator for Jo Malone and is a blummin' lovely girl to boot!

She recently spent a few days at Disneyland Paris with her husband, in-laws and gorgeous little girl Milly. On the last night, at the Cinderella Ball, the Reuben family sat there enjoying watching Prince Charming and Cinderella sweep the floor. After a few dances, Milly (who was also dressed head-to-toe as Cinderella) got up and wandered over, bold as brass and soft as snow, to Prince Charming and said "Excuse me, will you dance with me now please". Milly is three years old, and her Mum promptly lost it at this wonderfully innocent, yet ever so confident, move.

After their dance - twirling and swirling - Prince Charming bowed and Milly curtseyed. On returning to her Mum, she said "Mummy, that was the best thing ever" and her Mum lost it again.

Being true to your inner child isn't about naiveity, disregard or selfishness. It's about knowing what makes you tick and what you truly love doing. It's what you used to do before the word 'should' enterered your vocabulary.

I love standing up and talking - as I did when welcoming and thanking everyone this evening. I love sitting down and talking too. I love telling stories. I love making people laugh and smile. I love writing. I love singing. I love dancing.

When I was 11 years old I left the comfort of junior school and moved on to a 'comprehensive' education, which never quite suited me really. Before I did my wonderful teacher (and again family friend, can you tell I was raised by two teachers?!) Peter Faulkner wrote (in green pen - he never marked work in red either, because he wrote to guide and help, not criticise) "Clancy is a natural-born story-teller and I have no doubt that one day I will walk into a WH Smith's and pick up a book by Clancy Walker".

It took a long time after that for me to have that kind of belief in me, but I'm almost there again I hope. I'll keep you posted!

What did you want to be when you grew up? Have you grown up? I hope not, but I equally hope you are doing what you want to truly do. Even for just a little bit of the day. That can make all the difference I find...

Clancy xxxx