I’m really excited to be taking part in this as I’m convinced that this type of medium is the future for politicians - great and small!

Just to kick off - a little bit about me and my life - inside and outside of politics.

It helps a lot to live in my Division as I experience at first hand the pluses and minuses of life in a very rural part of Norfolk. I don’t have one of the major market towns but the adjoining large villages of Melton Constable and Briston (where I live) are large and ear-marked for growth in the Local Development framework. Holt and Fakenham aren’t far away but both needs either public transport or my aged little car to get me there.

I live with my daughter and four grandchildren - as of June this year - and suddenly the issue of the bus network and the performance of schools has real relevance for me. I already knew, through discussions with the Parish Councils, about the difficulties that families face in getting their older teenagers to school and college, but there’s nothing quite like real experience. My purse is raided for change most morning - bus fares and lunch money usually - and it’s amazing how much it’s depleted in a week.

I also have real experience at the other end of the age spectrum as my 83 year old mother lives nearby and needs additional support to enable her to continue to live her independent life - of great importance to her!

My particular roles on the Council - apart from representing my electorate - are as Liberal Democrat Spokesman on Adult Social Services and on the Health Scrutiny and Overview Committee. I was also lucky (I think!!) to be elected as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group at County Hall. This last took me to Westminster to make representations to Ministers about the Unitary issues for Norfolk.

Well - my purse is under attack now so I must go - do get in contact - I need to know that somebody out there reads these things!!!

Well - the New Year’s resolutions had to wait a little while! My ambitions to launch into telling the world about the minutiae of my life as a Councillor from the beginning of 2008 were confounded by the most wearisome illness. Along with most of North Norfolk it seems, I have been laid low by a combination of influenza and the winter vomiting bug.

So there is no truth in the rumour that Councillors are immune to slings and arrows - far from it. However, I’m cautiously optimistic today and will try to update you, gentle reader, on what I have managed so far this year.

On the 2nd January, I staggered in to County Hall and had a meeting with staff who are involved in a major up-grade of care provision for the elderly residents of the County. As I felt about 110, the subject was very close to my heart. I also had a meeting with the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Paul Morse who, like me, has been fighting off the ‘flu. Our meeting had an element of the “halt and the lame” about it but we soldiered on and made good preparations for the Health Overview and Scrutiny meeting to be held on the 10th.

I’m afraid I succumbed for a while, and had to cancel several meetings, including some Parish Council meetings for which I have to apologise.

The Health Scrutiny meeting was a full agenda and covered a range of subjects, including bed blocking at the N&N hospital, access to NHS Dentists and mental health services for the elderly population. Papers giving more details on this are available on Norfolk County Council’s website. It’s good to have a forum in which senior managers from the NHS come along to talk to the Council about changes to their service in Norfolk.

Next week is also a full week and I will report to you all about the meetings I get involved in.

Best wishes