Democracy’s Finest

The weather may have been less than clement, the turnout around a quarter of the 500 or so tickets booked, but we came away from the ConkerTU Local with one overriding impression: you’d go a long way to find a finer bunch of prospective parliamentary candidates than we have in South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire!

Heather Wheeler (SDerbys Con) inspired us with her account of digital arrangements for new housing development; Paul Reynolds (NWLeics LibDem) had an incisive knowledge of and commitment to doorstep lending; Andrew Bridgen (NWLeics Con) and Ross Wilmott (NWLeics Lab) played the perfect impromptu panto in support of local volunteering and Michael Edwards (SDerbys Lab) and Alexis Diouf (SDerbys LibDem) were charmingly attentive, articulate and supportive of our suggestions to improve digital services in the Forest.

Thanks must also go to the great many local councillors who supported the event, not to mention Alison Adkin of The Forest Communities Pressure Group, David Baldaro of Community Hosts and Gerry O’Brien the Head Ranger at Conkers, for providing fine presentations.

The West Street Music Project which organised the formidable youth gig in the amphitheatre also came away with a massive petition to support future funding applications. And the Conkers Waterside cafe did a roaring trade in jacket potatoes with the young ones!

Aquila TV very kindly recorded a veritable tome of media, so whilst BT failed to install an upgrade after notifying us too late that their line would not support it, we shall no doubt have plenty to share with you over the next few days.