Hexham Mart tomorrow: looking forward to the Northern Farmers Conference with Liz Truss, DEFRA Secretary of State

9.30 tomorrow I will be at the Hexham Mart for the Farmers Conference. Really pleased that Liz Truss, the Norfolk MP and DEFRA secretary of State is coming to speak and take part in a Q&A as part of her visit to the North East trip to Hexham and many other parts of Northumberland. For my part I am not speaking but watching, listening and learning and catching up with many of the locals who I know will be going.

The Norfolk MP will head the line-up of nine farmers and industry experts speaking at the conference under the theme of Which Way Forward?

Conference Chairman Andrew Robinson has said: “We are delighted to welcome the new secretary of state to our conference and very much looking forward to hearing her plans for supporting and developing the farming industry following the latest round of CAP negotiations.”
Also confirmed for the conference are: award-winning farmer Richard Price of Lowther Park Farms, leading share farming exponent John Henderson, dairy farmer and Nuffield Scholar Joe Delves, award-winning poultry farmer Richard Tulip and HSBC head of agriculture Allan Wilkinson.
Now in its fifth year, the Northern Farming Conference aims to give forward thinking farmers the chance to consider how best to progress their business.
The conference details are here: http://www.northernfarmingconference.org.uk/
Not too late to come along tomorrow!

  

Haltwhistle Academy will go ahead 1st September!

Wonderful news that Haltwhistle Academy has got the go ahead from Liz Truss, Education Minister, after huge effort from Mike Routledge, and all his governors. I am a huge supporter of the Haltwhistle Middle and First Schools. It is well led with outstanding teachers, parents and governors. I genuinely believe that the team of teachers, governors and pupils will take the school from strength to strength - particularly as they now will run their own show, without interference from the Local Authority. The obstacles put in the way of this school taking itself out of Local Authority control defied belief, but I am just very pleased that this school now has control of its own destiny.  

Visiting the House of Commons - a Hexham Middle School student report

In the spring we had a visit by Elizabeth Nixon, and some of her classmates, from Hexham Middle along with their inspirational maths teacher, Cath Parker. I asked Elizabeth to jot down her impressions on the day. She called it: My Thoughts on my visit to Parliament

I have reproduced it in its entirety - it encapsulates a walk around the Commons, a meeting with the Education Minister, Liz Truss, MP, and her impressions of parliament: as always I would encourage all constituents, parents, and schools to try and make a trip. This is your parliament! I am merely a temporary custodian of this job. But not a day goes past when the hair on the back of my neck does not go up as I walk these rooms and stand both in the chamber of the Commons and the cavernous Westminster Hall, built in 1097 by William II (Rufus), the son of William the Conqueror, and where King Charles I was sentenced to death for treason.
Parliament is a special place: come and visit. But don't listen to me - listen to Elizabeth:

"It was the 24 April 2013 and I and two other classmates, my Maths Teacher, Mrs Parker, and Mrs Muir, met at Newcastle Central Station under the big clock to board the train to London Kings Cross.

I was absolutely terrified but very excited to be coming to Parliament to meet Guy Opperman, my local MP for Hexham, and Liz Truss, MP, the Under Secretary for Education.

On arriving at Kings Cross we got in a black London cab and made our way to Portcullis House. Unfortunately, we were late in arriving and we had hoped to sit in on Prime Minister Questions, which was I so looking forward to doing, One day I really hope I can someday still do.

We met Mr Opperman’s caseworker, Philip. We were shown Mr Opperman’s office so we could leave our bags, then we taken to Westminster Hall and through to the House of Commons.

I sat and watched in front of screen some of that days debates. When I left Philip gave us historical facts about the history of the House of Commons, which I really found very interesting.

Then we were rushed out of the House of Commons to meet Guy Opperman to go see Liz Truss to talk about why we were there in the first place. I felt that Liz Truss was very interested in what we had to say and she did seem to listen to everything we said, It was then I felt that what I’d written had actually made a difference and that what goes on in Parliament is actually influenced by what we say, even when we’re children, and that our MP’s are there to help us.

Philip then took us all to Parliament Square where we had our pictures taken and we even went up onto the roof top of Parliament, which was extremely interesting.

When it was time to leave, I wanted to stay. I hope one day, if not as a child then as an adult, that I can come back one day, maybe even as a MP! "

Elizabeth Nixon
Age 12