What a great week! Beautiful weather and fantastic village halls in Gilling West (standing room only at one point) and West Tanfield. Although not quite the top and bottom of the constituency, they are around 30 miles apart by road which gives you a sense of the constituency size! International Aid, Defence spending, Europe, disability benefits, zero hours contracts, and immigration all topical this week.
Kitsons, the family butchers in Northallerton were kind to make a special edition Conservative election pie. Pork, Shepherd's Purse Blue Monday cheese, Yorkshire chutney and a lattice top. Absolutely delicious and perfect for a long election night! William and I were happy to help the Kitsons launch the pie and let's hope it sells well.
Continuing on the food theme, it was good see Joan, who runs the community tea room in Scorton. She was very kind to stay open for our group of intrepid volunteers who all enjoyed her delicious cakes. Although it was a little wet and cold, I enjoyed a good time with my family at the Wensleydale Festival - children enjoyed the band and face-painting whilst I tucked into a delicious lamb burger from Lindsey McIntyre's Burger Queen down from Bainbridge.
Saturday street stall in Northallerton was busy and the full Conservative Council team were out in force as well. Thank you to all the well-wishers who came to speak to us. The app says we walked something like 18 miles a day this week canvassing! Thousands of doors knocked, hundreds of positive conversations, wonderful team effort.
Bank Holiday weekend took us to Richmond so my children could parachute their teddies down the clock tower (somewhat successfully although our dubious home-made parachute was quickly scrapped for one of the professional ones on offer at St Mary's Church!). Was amazing to see and hear the church bells in action up close in the top of the tower. Wow. From there to Constable Burton to see the fantastic tulip display. Lovely to have the sun finally out on Monday so we could properly appreciate the garden.