Last weekend was jam-packed with community events in the constituency. In the space of 48 hours I managed to attend two village fetes, start a 10k race and fun run, judge the parade floats at a festival and pick the best young handler in a dog show.
I got soaked twice but amazingly not because of the weather. Somehow I managed to end up in the stocks in both Great Ayton and Bedale – which I know some of you might say is the best place for me!
Before I became MP, I don’t recall anybody mentioning that the job description included the ability to unflinchingly endure multiple direct hits with a wet sponge...
The fun started at Scruton on Saturday morning where I opened the village fete which was raising money for the playing fields association and the lovely St Radegund’s Church.
I particularly enjoyed meeting Alan Harpley with his two thirds-scale replica Spitfire, the classic car and vintage display organised by Graham Bourne and it was lovely to meet so many villagers.
The cake stall was unmissable – the beautifully moist lemon drizzle cake I purchased didn’t last long in the Sunak household later that day.
I couldn’t stay as long as I would have liked as I had to get across the constituency to visit Great Ayton’s fete, another vibrant community event where the whole village appeared to have turned out.
The highlights here were the Bone family’s lovingly-restored steam engine roller (I was able to sound the whistle!), the splendid chickens at the Marwood CE Primary School stall and enthusiastic ladies of the Great Ayton branch of Yorkshire Cancer Research. I also got my first soaking of the weekend courtesy of the Great Ayton Scouts stocks.
I spent Sunday in Bedale for the town’s first 10k race and 5k fun run event and then the annual festival held in the grounds of Bedale Hall.
The runs, which were raising money for Herriott Hospice Homecare, were held on the town’s almost complete bypass. Not only can the runners say they took part in the very first Bedale 10k, they can also say they were the first “traffic” on the new road.
It was also a special honour for me to sound the air horn to get both the 10k and fun runs underway and also to meet many of the hospice volunteers and supporters who helped run the event. Thanks to the road building contractors Wills Bros for opening the road especially for the event.
Then it was on to the Bedale Festival to judge the parade floats – congratulations to Bedale Brownies for their Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory theme and Aiskew Under Fives pre-school for their representation of James and the Giant Peach – and the young handler section in the dog show. I found that particularly tricky.
As well as a second soaking of the weekend in the Bedale scouts stocks – the scout movement clearly has it in for me – I also managed an excellent Cockburns Butchers sausage bun and to visit many of the varied stalls. A great day and the sun finally came out too.
Alongside all the fun many constituents approached me to talk about the hot topic – the EU referendum. Whatever your position please make sure you vote next Thursday.