Dolly Parton, everyone's favourite country music star, has been flathunting in my home town, Rotherham, south Yorkshire. The news has excited the steel and former-mining town. Dolly told Radio 4 she "totally related to" the place during her visits to set up her reading programme, Imagination Library – a scheme providing disadvantaged children with books. We may have given Jamie Oliver short shrift when he tried to make our children eat their greens, but Dolly, you can come back any time.
So as a local lass, let me be the first to say "alreight Dolly", and provide some tips to living in Rotherham.
It's not unusual for stars to buy property belonging to famous friends and, fortunately for Dolly, local comedian and actor Paul Shane (from the hit 1980s sitcom Hi-De-Hi), is selling his house in Thrybergh village.
If she misses her fellow country musicians back in Nashville, Dolly could do worse than collaborating with local pop maestros, Jive Bunny.
To keep up her manicure regime, Eye Candy Nails in Bramley have an extensive range of falsies. And, finally, I would recommend a shopping trip to ParkGate Retail World, which always ends in a pasty from Greggs.
