So once again I ask myself, “how on earth did the week fly by so quickly?”

One minute I’m in Diss with our fragrant, choir singing Vicky Ford and Andrew Mitchell, the Shadow Secretary for International Development, visiting an Oxfam store as they share their voluntary experiences in Rwanda and kick start our Euro election campaigning, and the next moment I’m at a football match listening to a foul mouthed mother heckling and booing my son James’ team in Soham because she was such a sore loser. And, of course, like many poor losers, she blamed the ref.

It was the worst yelling I have ever heard from a female spectator. Why couldn’t she understand, it’s only a game with a ball!

*As our active political campaigning in the Eastern Region gathers momentum, I’m sure our hard working candidates wished they had clones to reach out to all the constituents throughout the six counties. Making videos is another way of getting the message across.

But as Hazel Blears pointed out when she took a swipe at Gordon:

“YouTube if you want to. But it’s no substitute for knocking on doors or setting up a stall in the town centre.”

My response is that it is not meant to be a substitute.
When was the last time Gordon did some door knocking or manned a stall?  I suspect he wouldn’t dare. Videos are an additional way of describing policies and reaching out to audiences – the people whose door Gordon can’t knock on.

But it wasn’t just a week of politics for me. It included an unexpected trip to the hospital. I ended up spending the wee small hours of Saturday night with my father-in-law Roy at A&E at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. My mother-in-law Vera is very poorly and I offered to sit with her while my husband and Roy went out for a drink.

On the way home, poor Roy who is 82 tripped up, breaking two fingers and cutting his face. He ended up having three stitches on his bruised and swollen nose. We didn’t get home until 5.15am.

It was a busy night at A & E with lots of other wounded revellers (Roy had only had two pints!). One Eastern European told me how he had badly stabbed his hand while attempting to prise open oysters, and I sympathise with him because that is devilishly difficult and best left to the experts. I was with friends last month who bought a dozen oysters and gave up on a couple of them because the shell seemed cemented together – and they were equipped with a proper oyster knife. I found it intriguing to imagine this Lithuanian shelling oysters at midnight, and the reasons why!

It was quite poignant to hear Roy tell the nurses that I was “baby sitting” for Vera. They used to baby sit for my two sons, and now, here I was doing the same for grandma, making sure she was tucked up and had taken her medication.

My sleepless night did not deter me from celebrating May Day yesterday at a remote Fenland location where country music, maypole dancing (for men too!) and a hog roast were much enjoyed. The hosts have even created their own fabulous Fenhenge from bog oak.

*I am now feeling really stuffed having tucked into a wonderful afternoon tea at Peacock’s in Ely. This was a belated birthday treat for my in-laws. Poor Roy, he was bruised, stiched and bandaged, but enjoyed the pink bubbly I ordered with the smoked salmon sandwiches and scones dripping with thick clotted cream and home made jam.

Do watch my video of Peacock’s – it really is a unique tearoom of unrivalled charm and delicious food. As you can see, the lilac wisteria is stunning and the interior decor is like taking a step back in time to an Edwardian front room. By the way, the teacups and saucers are not meant to match, but they are all floral and very dainty. I have still to try to chocolate flavoured tea.

*Finally, I have a house of happy men who watched the Cambridge United match today and are delighted that our local team is now on their way to Wembley.

Football, like politics, is unpredictable and has lots of highs and lows, as well as attracting hecklers and a few fouls for good measure. Let’s hope our Conservative MEPs and candidates can score a stunning victory with their sure-footed passes and manoeuvres on 4th June!