This is the third part of my review of 2012, this time we look back at
those jubilympic summer months...
June:
June saw another step forward
in my campaign for local banking, when I met FSA chief Hector Sants. The June
Bank holiday saw a fantastic County Show in Corbridge where I took the role of
judge in three sections. June was also the month of the wonderful Prudhoe Street
Party - it was great fun and Rev Charles Hope and his team did amazing work to
pull it off. I was also named the first MP of the week by Petrol Promise for my
campaign against fuel duty and the big oil companies. We got the fantastic news
of the go ahead for the new Haltwhistle Hospital and saw the Olympic Torch
travel through Northumberland. I also became the first Conservative MP to come
out against Regional Pay. June also saw us take forward in our campaign
for Air Ambulances to recover the VAT when I secured a debate
on the issue. June came to a wet end with the #ToonFlood. I got stuck in
Newcastle and literally had to start the long walk out of town as the place was
gridlocked.
July:
July saw the news that our campaign
to keep Kielder Forest and the rest of the UK's woodlands in public hands was a
success. It was also the month that saw my local constituent Doreen Soulsby have
success in changing the law on sex crimes after we visited the Director of
Public Prosecutions. We had another wonderful armed forces day in Hexham. The
doyen of North East Journalism Adrian Pearson wrote that my approach just might
help the Conservatives make progress in the region. July also saw Milk Prices on
the agenda, as I launched my campaign for a Fair Deal for Tynedale's farmers
and called for a boycott of Supermarkets ripping off dairy
farmers. We pulled off a sensational victory in West Hexham winning the seat
from the Lib Dems and setting up Colin Cessford to hopefully win the County seat this coming May. July finished with the
Queen jumping out of a helicopter for the best Olympics ceremony ever
seen.
August:
My main memory of August is being very wet and
very tired. I spent the first two weeks of August covering the ground between
Sheffield and the North East on my charity Walk of the Pennine Way. 275 miles
later, after stop offs in Slaggyford, Haltwhistle, Halton Lea Gate, Wark, Haydon
Bridge, and Byrness I finished the walk on the 24th August. I was Knackered but
we were able to raise thousands of pounds for the Great North Air Ambulance. I
finished August toasting the success of my apprentice, Jade, after she became
one of the first ever to complete an apprenticeship with an MP, and gave her a
job in my office. We also packed in a dinner at the Valley with Northern Rail
and a meeting with the TVRUG concerning rail transport in Northumberland with
Robert Forsyth and other local enbthusiasts. The Valley were on great form
throughout the year and came to London to come fourth in the annual Tiffin Cup -
a contest for all the curry / asian restaurants in the UK. Its a unique
restaurant on so many levels.
