Leaving Westminster for the summer and driving home last week was for me, a special moment. The weather had finally turned for the better and driving through our lovely towns and villages was a blessing. Bury St Edmunds truly is the jewel in the crown of Suffolk and returning from the capital, after an eventful few weeks in Parliament, I am reminded of just how peaceful and restorative country living is.
That said, it is the ‘can do’ attitude to ‘get up and get on’, which I so admire in the people I meet across the constituency. Particularly through the summer season, that local village spirit inspires an outstanding flurry of fetes and events from Fornham to Gislingham. Whatever the weather, there is always a team borrowing tables, moving chairs or trying to master a PA system. At Beyton, teas were served out of a caravan; an excellent idea which kept crowds lively for the afternoon’s events, whilst Rougham fete had a table tennis table, which certainly kept one of my daughters occupied for the afternoon.
For me, a favourite part of any fete, which I have always organised at my own local fetes for some fifteen years, has been the tea tent. The chance to share a laugh or a story, as I did with the Gislingham WI this year, is a rare treat. Whilst the enticement to the tea tent is, for my husband at least, more about the cakes; there is nothing I value more than to speak with and get to know residents, not just as constituents but as neighbours and fellow villagers. Going to Westminster to represent your views is an honour and I do not presume an afternoon scratches the surface in meeting and learning about everyone.
This is why returning home the work does not stop, for this summer I will touring my Bury St Edmunds constituency. Over the course of a week from the 8th August, I will be making my way from Bury St Edmunds to Stowmarket and Needham Market, passing through almost every village and locality.
It is a privilege as a Member of Parliament to talk to constituents and not only hear about what is important, but to try to help. With issues like rural broadband and infrastructure, more than ever, it is important that our smallest of areas are represented. That is why I will be making myself available to you, stopping off at village halls and local post offices; taking questions and representing your views. So come on down and speak with me, your Member of Parliament.
In the spirit of our village ‘can do’ attitude, I welcome sitting and talking with everyone; this time on a set of pop-up travel chairs and a borrowed table or two. For this though, I think I’ll give the PA system a miss!
Published in the Bury Free Press