There’s nothing better than having to use Saturday recovering from a Friday!

School dragged on as it always does on the last day before half term – teachers even happier than the pupils when the bell goes! After school I went to the Assembly House in Norwich – very nice indeed. The rooms are so light and airy, and the ceilings so high that conversation needs to be loud just to communicate across the table. Had tea and scones there (how sophisticated) celebrating a friends 50th birthday. I didn’t realise the variety of events that it puts on – I hope that the prospect of a new concert hall doesn’t take anything away from it. I once went to a lecture there on the future of the police service and was most impressed by the whole place.

The evening was just as good – a couple of games of bowling at Number Ten, in Bowthorpe. Even my socialising is in the ward these days! Even more amazing is that Louise, my wife, who is normally the worst bowler on the planet (top score: 44) found herself in the possession of a “magic ball” and won the first game and even scored 96 on the second. Am afraid that we may have had one too many to drink because I can distinctly remember listening to some very cheesy music that night…

Saturday morning means more canvassing – trying to get our “Post Box” petition finished. Then onto Norwich for a bit of shopping and a protest against the LibDems awful plans for our Market. It was actually me who discovered that it was possible for the so-called “fourth option” (of refurbishment of the existing market as opposed to redesign) to be put to City Hall. The LibDems said they offered us three choices (of various hideous designs), but the truth is that you can vote for the fourth option but you have to actually write, phone or e-mail separately. Very cunning of them – the Lib Dems have made it so hard for people to vote for the fourth that they think people just won’t bother. LibDem Cllr Brian Watkins says “no change in not an option”. His colleague Cllr Hereward Cooke (always on the look out for a positive headline) says that the people will get what they want on the market. Will the LibDems actually listen? Everybody from the market traders and the thousands to have signed the petition to both the Conservative and Labour opposition want the fourth option – so don’t bank on the LibDems taking any notice…