Independent MP for Disgustedville??

Our man, described elsewhere as a Conservative with a social conscience, is in favour of remaining in the EU, and got sacked first from his cabinet job, and yesterday from the Tory whip as a consequence of voting in line with his convictions.  Certain alienated old Labour voters of my acquaintance regard him as a likeable, clever and responsible politician, and could happily vote for him as an independent.  I’ve also heard it said that there are fewer of his kind in circulation these days.  Not that I could comment, of course.

We’re sort of gearing up for a Macmillan coffee morning, and, having raised a few quid last year by selling flower seeds from the garden, I’ve been packing little envelopes of seeds today, and designing outer packets for them.  Much manual labour, with corresponding complaint from the elderly manual joints.  

Meanwhile, out in the weedpatch, the runner beans are fruiting away like mad, the new sowing of dwarf French ditto are coming along nicely, and this year’s penstemons grown from seed are giving us some lively new colours.  The rudbeckias are going over (hence the last paragraph), but a good chop back may give us another flush.  Heaving the odd handful of muck on the soil beneath the roses in the spring has kept the black spot at bay up to a point, so we’re starting to get a new flush of blooms.

It’s a comfort to have some modest local successes in these distressing times.