This week I have had the pleasure of meeting a number of constituents in and around Westminster, including at an event on early diagnosis of cardiac issues, at the Royal College of Radiologists Conference and other local visitors who have simply been in Parliament for tours. Although tickets for PMQs are always in high demand and short supply, sometimes that is not the most enlightening session of the week. Frequently there is space in the public gallery for other oral question sessions, or debates on legislation on days other than Wednesday.
On Tuesday we had the Post Office back in Parliament to shed more light on their plans for the directly managed branches. There are many issues in politics which see parties unite across the House, and this issue is one of them. Florence Eshalomi is the Labour Chair of the Local Government and Communities Select Committee and has done sterling work on this issue, ably supported by her Vice Chair on this hastily convened group my Conservative colleague Andrew Snowden. Sometimes it is crucial to speak with one voice and we certainly do so on this.
On Friday I am meeting Southern Water again, and rather than the list of issues getting shorter it just gets longer. They have let people down on both water supply and drainage issues, most recently in Appleshaw where there is now a road closure in place which will last until April. They have offered a public meeting in the village, which I intend to keep them to, but I have a nasty suspicion finding a date will prove tricky.
I am very much looking forward to a forthcoming trip to Shipton Bellinger Primary School, to talk to their school eco club. That comes on top of a mammoth letter writing campaign from Nather Wallop Primary School, which has seen pretty much all their Year 5 and 6 pupils write to me, beautiful handwritten letters. I can well remember the calligraphy lessons at Romsey Abbey School I struggled through back in the 1980s and now seldom pick up an ink pen to write, which is such a shame. There is little more beautiful than individual handwriting, but I suspect it might be a dying arm. Sadly every child will have received something printed in return, I wish I had the time to write things out neatly and by hand, but life is not working like that at the moment.