Condaleezza Rice might want a doctor's sick note...

[AlexB]

As in a 'thank you' for her guided tour around her own home town of Birmingham, Alabama, out Foreign Secretary has arranged similar around his own home town - Blackburn.

We have some fine towns and cities, with beautiful architecture, arts districts, cultural centres, places of historical significance... but Blackburn is not one of them!

Here's the highlights of Blackburn, from the city council's website:

Largest undercover market in the North West
Blackburn Cathedral - home to antiquities of "international significance"
Ewood Park - home of Blackburn Rovers FC
King George's Hall theatre
Tommy Ball's Shoe Emporium - one of the country's biggest shoe outlets

I bet she can hardly wait!

[flounder]

Birmingham's no great shakes either. Your Foreign Secretary (is it still Jack Straw?) might just be returning the favor.

[flere-imsaho]

I've been to both. Blackburn > Birmingham, but I wouldn't want to go to either again, frankly.

[CamEdwards]

She does like shoes..