AFTER a few days break with the family I am back on the road again with my 18th (can it really have been that many?) annual summer tour of the constituency.

This really is one of my favourite activities of the year. We go out to as many villages and hamlets around the constituency as we can fit into the time available to simply meet with people. Our aim is to get to the places I do not get to visit during my regular constituency surgeries. This year we have even crammed several more stops in compared to last year.

There are a couple of things that I love about the tour. Of course I get to drive around what is undoubtedly the most beautiful part of our country. Some of the views I see as I drive around make me want to pull over to the side of the road and just stare in amazement. However, most of the time I am running a few minutes late and so sadly don’t have the time to stop and enjoy things as much as I would like.

But the thing I like most about this summer tour is simply meeting people to hear their views about stuff. The idea is that you come along just for a chat. Of course if you have issues you would like my help with we will duly note them down and get to work on them as soon as we are back at the office. But what I really want to know about is how you are feeling generally, what are you thinking about the things that matter to you.

Clearly I don’t want to get too personal, unless you want to, so I like to keep the discussion to those areas where as an MP I can do some good, like healthcare, education, housing, transport, those type of things. But I also like to hear about how you feel the country is doing. What you think are the problems with living in this part of the world and what are the good things about living here. Anything that you think is worth talking to me about. I’m interested in it all. It really helps me to do a better job in helping get better services for us and pressing the government to take action on issues.

So far we have done the villages in the north of the constituency and some of the more middle bit around Coniston and Hawkshead. Next Tuesday (August 29) we get to the Cartmel peninsula stopping off in Flookburgh, Allithwaite, Cartmel and Cark as well as Grange. If you want to come along for a chat please do, I really would love to see you and hear what you have to say. You can find the details on my website www.timfarron.co.uk.

And if I turn up a few minutes late please forgive me, it’s almost certainly due to having stopped to look at a rather fine view on the way over to meet you.