A HUGE thank you to everyone who has already signed my online petition or the paper version about the future of Romsey Post Office. I was outside the Post Office last weekend talking to customers, and indeed the staff who I popped in to say hello to. The really shocking thing was the total lack of notice from Post Office to the staff, who found out about the proposals at the same time as the rest of us when the press release was issued.

This week in Westminster we had the mass lobby by farmers, and although I did not attend the very political photo, I did meet with local farmers who had travelled up to see me. Of course, as I explained, there was no need to lobby me, I already know how challenging it is to maintain family farming traditions and convince the next generation to choose a hard and sometimes dangerous profession. 

There has been a great deal of farming-related activity in Parliament this week, with the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution coming to talk about the work they do to support farmers, and Sainsbury's also holding an event on Wednesday. I am a firm believer in the mantra no farming no food, and to turn our backs on the very people who grow our food, protect our environment and care for our landscape would be a massive mistake.

The Winter Carnival and lantern parade last week were lovely and this weekend we can look forward to the Christmas Lights switch on in Romsey. I love the way the Town looks at Christmas, but it doesn't happen by accident, and there is a great deal of work goes in to all the events in the lead up to Christmas. I hope it is not too much hampered this year by early snow, which we certainly had in Westminster on Tuesday, but as you can imagine, it deterred no farmers!

Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, Member of Parliament for Romsey and Southampton North and Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons