Undoubtedly the highlight of this week has been my visit to the 20th Andover Guides at Charlton ahead of Parliament Week activities coming up later in the Autumn. It came just after the excellent news that Foxies Future has been chosen as the preferred purchaser of Foxlease in the New Forest. The Guides were both interested and interesting and I was thrilled to have earned another badge for my blanket!
Like so many uniformed youth organisations, including the Girls Brigade who I also did a video for this week, the Guides instil a real sense of community in their members and I am very much looking forward to them coming to Parliament on a visit.
Another organisation I met recently, instilling a sense of community and purpose, were the volunteers at the Romsey Signal Box. It was great to have a look round again, it being some years since my last visit, and to see how it has changed. I have always loved the original Strong's Brewery sign there, which was discovered by the Luzborough years ago. I well recall the posters, proudly stating "You're in Strong Country" from my childhood, and the volunteers are in search of someone who can refurbish the sign back to its original condition.
Transport issues have been high on my agenda this week and I have visited Heliwork at Thruxton and RS Electric who make electric powered ribs on the Abbey Park industrial estate. There is real potential for the Central South region to become a hub of low carbon transport and it would be great to see that become a reality.
This weekend I will be representing Mr Speaker at the 25th Anniversary celebrations of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood. It will mean a pretty quick trip to Edinburgh to get back in time to Walk the Test Way on Sunday, so here's hoping for some decent weather for the Rotary volunteers who make it all possible.