Blog

I’m proud to say I’m Premier Inn’s new poster boy! I’m featured in the Evening Standard. A few years ago I discovered the County Hall Premier Inn; a very short walk over Westminster Bridge and a very comfortable night’s sleep – with no horrors!

Again we are faced with bad press over MPs expenses. I try to keep my expenses as reasonable as possible. It is impossible for me to travel to London on a daily basis, so I do have to stay overnight, in fact the train journey at peak rate would cost more than a night’s stay in my favourite hotel chain.

I agree with Lenny Henry, you do get a really good night’s sleep and the hotels are excellent value. Perhaps Lenny would like a supporting actor to appear in his ads?

Saturday marked a very special celebration for me in Stonehouse. All Pets celebrated their 20th Birthday. Angela Watson, the owner of the shop invited me to celebrate with them. I popped in to the shop at 9.00 on Saturday morning.
For a long time I have been a customer of All Pets and the shop always reminds me of exactly what a local shop should be all about – friendliness, helpfulness, good value and professionalism. All Pets has hundreds of loyal customers; many of them living in Stonehouse but also people go out of their way to visit the shop – knowing its excellent reputation. As a family we have been customers for probably nearly 17 years – buying from them hay, straw, gertie guinea pig food and also food for our cats.

Ang and her staff are always welcoming when you visit the shop and have worked hard in raising funds for charities. I remember a few years ago they raised money for a Guide Dog and as part of their birthday celebrations they held a raffle for the ‘Rapid Response Team’.

I want to wish All Pets many more years of successful trading – a wonderful shop in a wonderful town!

For the second year I have decorated a tree for the ‘Festival of Christmas Trees’ at St Laurence Church. Whilst I was decorating my tree on Friday night I was chatting to the organisers at St Laurence Church and was fascinated to discover that this year they have 74 trees – that’s 74 organisations that want to take part in this wonderful festival. Each year the number grows; and this incredible feat represents some of the wonderful things that go on in Stroud.

I do hope that as many people as possible can pop in and see the beautiful trees. They are on display for a week – from Monday to Thursday you can pop in between 10.30 and 4.30 pm. On Friday they are open from 10.00 until 8.30pm so if you are going to the Goodwill Evening it would be a great time to visit the Church, on Saturday viewing times are between 10.00 and 5.00pm and on Sunday from 1.30pm until 4.00pm when there is a special ‘Festival Songs of Praise’.

We are so lucky to live in such a thriving community; St Laurence Church plays a full and active role in that community. Visiting the Church and looking at the beautiful trees is a wonderful way to start celebrating the season of joy and goodwill to all men.

Tomorrow (Friday 20^th November) marks the annual Children In Need fund raising day. I shall be attending a fund raising breakfast at the Malt House in Berkeley Stroud.

Children In Need work hard to change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK in the hope that they will get a chance to fulfil their potential. I think it vital that organisations working with children who may have experienced mental, physical or sensory disabilities have the opportunity to apply for grants for projects that they run.

Last year they raised a massive £38 million, which provided support for thousands of young people in the UK aged 18 and under.

I am sure tomorrow all around the constituency we will witness lots of brilliant fun as people raise money for Children in Need.

 Photo by British Red Cross

I have written before about Will Aid; which takes place each November. If you make your Will with one of the participating solicitors you can donate to one of the charities involved in Will Aid instead of paying the solicitors.
In 2008 the Will Aid campaign collected more than £920,000 in addition to this many people also left promises in their will for the charities.

The recipient charities include Actionaid, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Help the Aged, NSPCC, Save the Children UK, SCIAF, Sightsavers International, and Trocaire.
 
If you haven’t yet made a will then why not look at the Will Aid website www.willaid.org.uk and find out the participating solicitors in our area.