PUDDING NORTON, SAINSBURY'S AND MAGGIE

I've just got back from Pudding Norton Parish Council. What a truly lovely bunch of people. The meeting took place at Fakenham Race Course, which was different! Earlier in the day I went to have a tour of Sainsbury's in North Walsham, where I was shown round by the very enthusiastic Mike Green. They've redeveloped the store in recent weeks and it really is the best Sainsbury's I have ever been in. The difference is that the staff all talk to you in a really friendly way. In London all you get is a grunt. And that's if you're lucky!

On Tuesday I attended the dinner at the Savoy to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Margaret Thatcher's first election victory. She inspired me to get involved in politics and it was great to see her in such good form. She made an impromptu 5 minute speech which was vintage Maggie. The best laugh of the evening was when they showed a video about how awful life was in the 1970s. Up came a caption "Britain was the sick man of Europe" quickly followed by a picture of Ted Heath. Not a dry seat in the house.

Tomorrow I'm visiting a primary school, going to Blakeney to get a briefing on yet another local healthcare closure, then it's a Council Group meeting.