Have gone into Parliament to talk to about 100 school children, about one-third of whom are from Highgate school in my constituency. They are to have a debate on obesity and food in school and I run them through the debating formalities that we observe in the Commons. They seem somewhat over-awed by the room we are in – which is one of the very grandest Committee Rooms on one of the corridors of power. I spend about half and hour explaining the niceties of terms of address – from Honourable Member (the normal) to Right Honourable Member to Honourable and Learned (if a member of the bar etc) to Honourable, Learned and Brave Member (if from the armed forces). That makes them smile…

Rush back to the constituency for a genuinely happy and heart-warming event. Last year, during the election or just before, Campsbourne Play Centre sent out an SOS to me to help them. With a Labour Council and at that point a Labour MP – residents only came to me as a last resort. Generally they try and work with Labour first – worried that it will upset the ruling party if they are seen to consort with me or ask for help. But desperate times meant that they called me in. The play equipment had been found wanting in health and safety terms a year or so before. No replacements were forthcoming. They had been promised and promised but nothing. So parents were removing their children; there was nothing to play with outside and the charges were rising and rising. Falling numbers could jeopardise the future of the whole play centre. Well – I know how to act. So I went. The parents came to meet me. We took photos. We got publicity. I wrote letters. I lobbied.

And today I went back to cut the ribbon and formally launch the new equipment. And it was gorgeous. The play centre had invited all the parents. There was a lovely buffet lunch and the new play furniture and the sandpit garden – which a loving parent had planted around with the most wonderful flowerbeds – was sparkling in the glorious sunshine. All events should be like this and all campaigns should have such happy endings.

Today also my column appears in Asian Voice – titled What does a white middle-aged woman know anyway?