Heartbreak over death of Liam, Britain’s kindest kid

Posted by on Jun 30, 2009 in News, Personal | 6 comments The nearby community where my sons went to school is in mourning today following the death of its bravest little lad, Liam Fairhurst aged 14. He passed away quietly at home in Soham  with his family and close friends present after battling cancer. My son James has been reading the tearful messages left on the Liam Fairhurst fan club Facebook site, where he is described as “a true...
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James’ school prom and other news

Posted by on Jun 26, 2009 in Personal | 11 comments From horse carriage to fire engine, and limo to pushbike, these  were some of the eye catching ways in which my son James’ friends arrived for their school prom this evening. One novel set of wheels which drew up was this dingy recycling  bin – and two grinning guys leapt out of it; I’m not surprised the lads didn’t have dates! It’s not a very romantic way...
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Congratulations Allan Brigham

Posted by on Jun 25, 2009 in News, Personal | 10 comments Congratulations to Cambridge’s most illustrious road sweeper Allan Brigham, who is to collect an honorary master’s degree from Cambridge University for his services to the community as a tour guide. I’m hoping to join him on one of his hidden history city tours – “town, not gown” – next Monday evening. Allan, who has a degree in history, is a well known...
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Humiliated MP asks, "Why were my expenses blacked-out?"

Posted by on Jun 21, 2009 in Politics | 8 comments MP Richard Spring has described the publication of blacked-out expenses as a “mockery”. He was shocked to find that his expenses were censored this way, even though he made no requests to have any items removed from publication. The Suffolk MP has told his local paper, the East Anglian Daily Times, that it came as “a massive surprise” to see details of his expenses list...
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The recession and sprucing up on public speaking

Posted by on Jun 21, 2009 in Toastmasters | 2 comments I was at the 10th anniversary dinner of Cambridge Speakers’ Club a few days ago and asked our area governor Graham Frost whether the recession had seen a decline of membership. I wondered if Toastmaster clubs were closing due to lack of support. On the contrary, he told me, the recession was making them more popular. He told me that Toastmasters International, the world’s largest...
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Our Headway Big Lottery grant

Posted by on Jun 17, 2009 in Headway | 8 comments It’s incredibly difficult to succeed in a Lottery grant bid – but we managed it at Headway Cambridgeshire, thanks to our brilliant Chief Executive Andrew Gardner. It has just been announced that we have secured £372,579 from the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities programme for five years, enabling Headway Cambridgeshire to expand its project to support brain injury...
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Our future digital world

Posted by on Jun 16, 2009 in Social Media | 8 comments I called into the Apple Store in Cambridge today where the staff are very excited about the new iPhone which will be launched in the UK on Friday. It has voice control and a compass and I am lusting after one – surely every Rambler like me should have one! And, at long last, it includes a video and improved camera. Unfortunately, the contract on my iPhone runs for another year, in which...
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Sir Alan’s first task should be ….

Posted by on Jun 11, 2009 in Politics | 16 comments Sir Alan Sugar’s first task as the government’s new enterprise tsar should be to help secure jobs for our newly unemployed graduates with large debts around their necks. They are not alone as the former Bank of England policy maker David Blanchflower has warned that 1 million people under 25 will be unemployed by September. The National Union of Students is very concerned how many...
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Have your say on the EP’s agenda

Posted by on Jun 11, 2009 in Uncategorized | 2 comments The European Parliament is seeking views about what you would like your newly elected MEPs to concentrate on. It has published an agenda of some of the issues it will shortly be dealing with, from working hours and food labelling, to immigration and a European advisory body for banks. But it is also inviting comments regarding other issues you feel should be dealt with. The list below shows that...
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My boys

Posted by on Jun 11, 2009 in Personal | 3 comments I would like to say a big thank you to the superb medical staff at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge who treated David’s broken bone in his thumb. He tripped up on some steps in Hull last week at 2.30am after a night out with his uni friends and returned to his Cambridgeshire home plastered – literally. Within days, he had miraculously mastered texting with his left...
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Getting back to normal

Posted by on Jun 9, 2009 in Personal | 9 comments There is no such thing as a routine day in my house. After the whirl of the last few weeks working with Conservative candidates on the Euro election, I was looking forward to catching my breath again. However, I shall be spending the next two days with David at Addenbrooke’s Hospital where he has to have surgery on a broken bone in his hand caused by a fall at 2.30 am after a night out with...
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A terrific night for Conservatives

Posted by on Jun 8, 2009 in Euro election | 8 comments It was a terrific night for Conservative Euro candidates in the Eastern Region – as well as the United Kingdom – as voters gave Labour the bashing they were expecting. The result in our region remained unchanged with 3 Conservative, 2 UKIP, 1 Liberal Democrat and 1 Labour being re-elected. Our MEPs Geoffrey Van Orden and Robert Sturdy have been joined by newly elected Vicky Ford,...
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Labour fourth after Loony Party

Posted by on Jun 5, 2009 in Politics | 8 comments I think I have now heard it all. The election result just published for St Ives in Huntingdonshire has Labour coming a humiliating fourth after the Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidate Lord Toby Jug. Lord Jug clearly impressed the electorate in ways which the two Labour candidates couldn’t. The two council seats were won by Conservatives in a sweeping victory, with Lib Dems...
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Vicky’s Election Day

Posted by on Jun 4, 2009 in Euro election | 8 comments By the time I caught up with our inspirational candidate Vicky Ford this morning, she had already visited two villages near her home to encourage as many voters as possible to get to the polls. Among the people she met was an elderly lady in her village who was very distressed about a mobility problem which made her a prisoner in her own home – and Vicky straight away picked up her phone to...
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The eve of the election

Posted by on Jun 3, 2009 in Euro election | 7 comments I was feeling half elated and half deflated at news of Gordon Brown’s Cabinet meltdown; my delight was measured by concern that it would alienate voters even more on the eve of the Euro and council elections. The mass resignations were surely a cunning plan on the part of Blears, Smith et al, knowing it would heap maximum humiliation on Brown. In a way, he is the Conservative’s best...
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Counting the minutes to E-Day

Posted by on Jun 3, 2009 in Euro election, updates | 3 comments Here is a video I made of the Shadow Minister for Europe Mark Francois talking about The Sun’s support for the Conservative Party for the first time in 12 years for tomorrow’s Euro Election. In the past, this kind of endorsement has been priceless for political parties, and we are hoping for the same tomorrow. Mark met up with our MEPs Geoffrey Van Orden and Robert Sturdy in Ipswich...
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Simon Heffer needs to go to charm classes

Posted by on Jun 2, 2009 in Euro election | 8 comments Please do read our Euro candidate Vicky  Ford’s very amusing post and find out why  Simon Heffer needs to go to charm classes. What a grump. Would you want to vote for him if he stands as an Independent candidate? Now our Vicky, a mum of three who got up at 5.30am to meet commuters at Chelmsford, after spending yesterday campaigning with her highly motivated team in Ipswich...
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Susan’s dream has inspired so many

Posted by on Jun 2, 2009 in News | 10 comments This is my get well letter to Susan Boyle: Dear Susan, you have achieved far more than you could possibly realise. I regard you as an iconic figurehead who has inspired plump and frumpy women in middle age to believe that their dreams can also come true. You have proved that you don’t have to be a botoxed size zero to win votes. You have a wonderful personality and terrific talent –...
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Meeting the folks of Brussels Way

Posted by on Jun 2, 2009 in Euro election | 2 comments As you can imagine, trying to get the local media interested in writing about the Euro elections has been as easy as persuading Gordon Brown to audition for Britain’s Got Talent. But now and again journalists come up trumps with their creativity on this very dry – if not scandalous – subject. I was particularly impressed by the cracking idea and research carried out by BBC...
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