Probably best not to talk about Brexit too much this week but for those who are interested I have written a blog on my Facebook page in response to the Chequers ‘lock-in deal.’
Much more enjoyable was the opportunity to spend most of Thursday joining local patients, nurses and doctors celebrating the 70th birthday of the NHS first at the Harbour View surgery in Shoreham and then at Worthing Hospital. Much cake was involved and I was delighted to be able to hand out bags of the stuff to older patients in Broadwater Ward and some NHS birthday babies in the best maternity department in the best hospital in England.
In the summer term I usually host several students from local schools for work experience and last week I was joined by 2 such teenagers from Shoreham Academy. They were both politics A level students and really keen on getting stuck into Westminster and constituency matters. One task I gave them was collating all the complaints I have been receiving about the latest meltdown on GTR trains with a view to sending a selection both to the trail boss and the Transport Secretary. When it took them almost 4 hours to get back home from Westminster to Shoreham on their first day they were able to become part of the story themselves.
On Thursday when the whole system crashed and few trains ran into London we cut our losses, stayed in the constituency and recorded some podcasts at first-hand about the appalling state of the train service, which you can see on my Facebook page. As I have said repeatedly lately it must now be the end of the line for GTR and only a matter of weeks before they lose the franchise once and for all and good riddance.
On Friday I started the day at one of my favourite local primary schools Eastbrook which under the brilliant leadership of Julia Sherlock has gone from failing school to oversubscribed school. I was there to collect a collection of drawings as part of the ‘Send my Friend to School’ project to encourage more children to get access to schools in developing countries, which Eastbrook have enthusiastically supported for several years. I stayed on for a brilliant assembly in front of some very proud parents ending up with all the pupils producing drawings on themselves and describing what they wanted to do when they grow up. There was a surprising surge of aspiring ballerinas, vets and pizza chefs.
After a highly satisfying Saturday afternoon largely spent in front of the football what better way to celebrate than a balmy evening at Highdown Gardens enjoying this season’s production of The Taming of the Shrew in the open air with the ever brilliant Rainbow Shakespeare company? Well done again to Nick Young and the cast.
I am delighted to confirm that the discussion evening on the Israel/Palestine situation will take place on Friday July 27th at 7.30pm at Shoreham Methodist Church in Brunswick Road. All welcome, refreshments from 7pm. Let me know if you are interested in attending.