Well, what an interesting couple of weeks that has been, with our new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak installed, perhaps our economy will have a chance to stabilise and in due course normality will reign. I’m sure we can all wish that for our government, no matter what political persuasion we have, with winter now upon us and Christmas on the horizon, we need businesses and our lives to run smoothly again.

Meanwhile in our towns, and parishes up and down the country, leaders of councils and councillors are still looking after their constituents at grassroots level, while this week at the annual Pride of Andover Awards, local heroes who went over and beyond were recognised in a glitzy ceremony at The Lights.

Over the last fortnight while the news was 24/7 about what was happening at Westminster, I busied myself visiting the town's supermarkets, and departmental stores, then checked out the continental, convenience, and discount stores, as well as the independent sole traders and charity shops, in fact, I can reliably say that I was more than pleasantly surprised at what was on offer right here in Andover.

Between the businesses in the town and those in the Chantry Centre, plus our out-of-town business parks, right up to hundred-acre corner, I genuinely think we are incredibly well looked after, with almost all our needs catered for.

Having recently spent hours walking up and round the aisles, photographing and cataloguing the vast array of items for sale, I realised how we can now purchase almost anything here in our town, and whilst on the subject, I found that management and staff feel it’s their mission to make every client and customer feel valued and appreciated, which is another reason why shopping locally is simply a pleasure. By staying local whenever possible, it helps those that have invested in our town to keep their doors open or to put it another way: 'use it or lose it’  

Finally friends, I’m neither a politician nor a councillor but I do what I can here trusting that those in government will do their best to.