Most agreeable surgery and Thai curry by the canal

Just to add a bit of clour to this posting, I have included a couple of photos I took today of flowers in our garden.

I started the morning at 7am with a trip to Andover to view the market's canopies there. This is part of some research I have been asked to do into the subject of awnings and canopies in markets.

It doesn't seem just a few days ago that I was doing up my anorak against the cold in Paris. An old friend and I joke about the word "agreeable". When I see him going off in his sports jacket and flannels to Lords to watch the cricket on a sweltering day, we agree that it is "most agreeable".

Well today is "most agreeable" too.

Due to a freak of rota-swopping, I was on duty on the Town Hall steps this morning for the second week in a row. I was gratified that a couple of people at last got my joke about having "local anaesthetic available" at the surgery - I have now modified it to include John Prescott's mallet being secreted behind the door for the purpose. I knew this was a joke whose time would come.

It was particularly agreeable to be doing the surgery with Conservative Adrian Edwards, who is our deputy mayor this year. Very entertaining as usual.

Items raised at the surgery were:

• Problems of traffic noise and vision caused by West Berkshire Council (I presume) cutting down a couple of trees by Sandleford link.
• Unfinished tarmacking and a dangerous kerb at a bus stop in Glendale Avenue.
• A loose manhole going "bumpf" every time a car goes over it in Greenham Road
• A query about hanging baskets this year - where are they?
• What happened to the bench outside Camp Hopsons in Northbrook Street - will it come back when the refurbishment is complete?

As usual I will follow these up and reply to the residents. Once again the market was full and busy.

After the surgery, my wife and I enjoyed an excellent Thai curry at the canal bar in the Waggon and Horses. This, Adrian Edwards had informed me earlier, is the oldest pub in Newbury. It was our first experience of the Thai cooking at this bar and it was utterly superb. Coupled with the wonderful view from the canalside, it was all....well....most agreeable.

I bumped into a freind there who was celebrating his grand-daughter's graduation. He asked me what I was celebrating with my wife to which I replied: "Being without our daughter for three hours".

A wonderful day all round, to be very thankful for.