The busiest and best campaigning day - we loved it!

Today must have been the busiest and best campaigning day yet - superb weather, superb places and superb responses. We (the family team) loved it and we thank all who have been so kind to us, both today and on previous days since way back when our canvassing started - and when Winter was at its coldest.

Due to time limitations and the proliferation of pictures from today's work, I am providing less of the former and rather more of the latter for my readers. Besides, I was told many years ago that pictures speak louder than words.

We all had a hectic time in Ely, concentrating yet again on Market Street and High Street, principally because both streets were crowded with residents and visitors to our City and also because those residents - and the visitors - were more than willing to talk intelligently about the election.

Our first chat was with our friends from 'Help For Heroes.' I know that I look a little ungainly in my new 'Guilty Of Independent Thought' T-Shirt (kindly sent for the campaign by my son in the U.S.A.), but I was actually reaching into my pocket for some cash to give. I was ashamed to find none, for I had the 'wrong' trousers on, but grandson James came to the rescue of the family's reputation. Thanks, James!

This blog, as originally published last evening (Saturday), included at this point a picture of myself at Ely and in laughing and jokey form with a lady of Ely whom I know well and often meet. Another lady, whom I don't know personally, was also present. The first lady of Ely is the wife of a well-known local Conservative who is also (as I said on my blog) a leading Conservative member of East Cambridgeshire District Council. In actual fact, the lady of Ely whom I know well and often meet, kissed me in the street. I did not publish a picture of the lady of Ely kissing me in the street, though I suppose that a number of people in the street at the same time will have witnessed what happened and might have been mildly amused. This morning (Sunday), I received a telephone call from the lady of Ely whom I know well and often meet. She said that she objected to the picture of her and I and the other lady appearing on my blog. Further, she objected to any mention of her Conservative husband and his membership of East Cambridgeshire District Council. Consequently, I have removed the picture (which was just one of about 80 taken by my wife, Sue, on the public streets and in the public places of Ely yesterday) and any mention of the lady's Conservative husband. The lady of Ely alleged that we were being 'underhand' by taking (and subsequently publishing on my blog) pictures of people with me on the public streets and in the public places of Ely yesterday. Nobody else has complained to me about what my team did in Ely yesterday. We enjoyed ourselves and it will be evident from the remaining pictures taken (and published) of people with me on the public streets and in the public places of Ely that others enjoyed us being there. I look upon all election campaigns as extremely important but also enjoyable.

Is it conceivable that some Conservatives take themselves and their party a little too seriously?

Here I am again, in discussion with Mrs Hilary Van de Watering, of Ely, with whom I have exchanged arguments in the letters columns of the Ely-based newspapers.

And here are James and I debating with some more people. Two things to note. First, ain't my grandson a big fella? We have an agreement that if I run into serious disagreement, he will thump the other party. The other thing that I didn't know about until I downloaded these pictures was the interest being shown by the gentleman on the left. People are genuinely interested and are anxious to hear what a true independent has to say.

One of the most pleasurable meetings of the day was with a retired police officer, Mr John Hutchinson, of Bottisham. John is a marvellous man and was a marvellous policeman. If he and I were not friends, I would know that I was in the wrong. I am proud of the fact that he and I are good friends.

Next I ran into Mr Terry Jackson, who works for Pecks of Ely. Terry regularly collects and returns my ride-on mower as and when it needs a thorough service. I recommend Pecks and it must be clear that Terry is a supporter.

Finally, for the Ely pictures at any rate, here I am again with lots of other shoppers and one of my very best friends, Mr Bryan Fuller, of Wicken. Bryan, a fellow farmer, is as fundamentally opposed as I am to what the National Trust is attempting to achieve through its misguided so-called 'Wicken Vision.'

Later today, I called on the people of Carlton and re-visited Six Mile Bottom, Brinkley, West Wickham, Horseheath and Linton. The latter is a busy place, but the first-named must be as different from Ely as it is possible to be. Carlton is in the hills: Ely is a hill surrounded by Fens. Carlton has a very small population: Ely has grown rapidly. Carlton is almost unbelievably quiet: Ely is - well, on a Saturday - bustlingly busy.

There is just one picture from Carlton: a view over the countryside nearby. Ain't it just superb?