Eid Mubarak to our Muslim residents celebrating Eid al-Adha this week. I hope that you are able to enjoy it with friends and family, perhaps by socially distancing outside in this wonderful weather!
Now Parliament is in recess, I have been taking the opportunity to visit a number of local towns and villages to meet residents and small businesses. It was also great to have lunches in two brilliant pubs: the Golden Lion in Southwick, where I met managers Jane and Greg and chef Sonny, who are all doing fantastic and innovative work to keep the pub going through hard times; and The Fox in Bramdean, where owners Pete and Mandy have been providing a vital service to the local community by offering take-aways during lockdown. I also dropped in the Thomas Lord and West Meon Hut in West Meon to see how they have been doing.
I have done a fair amount of shopping at our local businesses, including the Meonstoke village shop and post office, which kept trading throughout lockdown, and Keydell Nurseries Garden Centre in Horndean, where I bought some things for the garden. In West Meon, I again went to the village shop, which was kept open by volunteers during lockdown. I would really encourage everyone to visit their local shops and pubs if they can do safely – they need our help to stay in business.
One business that particularly stood out was Buckingham’s Artisan Butchers in West Meon. Owner Damon has recently relocated to the village and against all the odds opened his shop during the pandemic. It has an amazing range of produce – I bought some delicious-looking lamb which I am having for supper this evening. I will certainly be going back and wish Damon all the best for the future.
Another highlight was visiting Butser Ancient Farm near Clanfield. This amazing place recreates ancient buildings from the Stone Age, Iron Age, Roman Britain and the Anglo-Saxon period using authentic materials and techniques. It is a great place for children – or, indeed, adults – to learn about England’s fascinating history and the way of life of those who lived here before the Norman conquest.
I also met (virtually) with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) and heard about plans to expand the number of electric vehicle charging points in rural areas like ours. This will be crucial for increasing the number of electric cars on our roads, something we will need if we are to combat climate change. I was encouraged to hear that our local electricity networks should be able to cope with the increased demand.
I had an in-person meeting with Chief Inspector Jon Turton, who leads the Winchester division in Hampshire Constabulary. We discussed the challenges the police are facing and the welcome news that there will be 150 new police officers in the county. We also spoke about a range of topics including tackling hare coursing, antisocial behaviour, organised crime, speeding and noise on country roads and rural crime. He and his team work incredibly hard and I am hugely grateful for their efforts. I look forward to meeting again soon.
I am not going to be continuing my weekly update through August, hence this being a slightly longer round up than usual. I will still be meeting people and corresponding with constituents, but it will hopefully be a little quieter and I plan to focus on research and maybe even get a little rest! I will start them again when Parliament returns in September.
I hope that the weather stays good and that you all have a fantastic August. Please remember to keep social distancing and take other precautions to stop coronavirus, including wearing masks in shops. I know they can be uncomfortable, but the renewed restrictions in the north of England show how quickly the situation can regress – the last thing we want is a local lockdown covering the Meon Valley. Let us all make sure we do everything possible to keep the recovery going.
