2009 in review (part 2): "you're going to find me, out in the country..."

Spring came, and with it my traditional hopeless candidacy in a seat with no tradition of Liberal Democrat support and little likelihood of any in the near future either. However, it wasn't without its rewards. In a contest with my own District Councillor, and the future Labour PPC for Norwich North, we were all beaten by the Green candidate, on a night when little went right for Labour in Suffolk, and the Conservatives managed to lose seats to Liberal Democrats and Greens against the prevailing tide.

However, I was to win an 'election', becoming a Parish Councillor for the idyllic village I now called home, Creeting St Peter. I even started a blog for my village life, where I report on the day to day excitement of that small mid-Suffolk outpost. Exciting things happen there almost every month...

I did fall out with the blogosphere generally, over a little local difficulty called 'MP expenses'. Oh yes, I had a view, somewhat differently informed from many of the rest of you, partly due to being married to the author of 'Because Baronesses are People Too' (may it rest in peace...). There were those who, for reasons best known to themselves, unable to understand that people might have their own perspective, regardless of the interrelationship. There were even those who thought that blogging was rather more important than doing your job, and that speed of response was more important than accuracy or discretion.

I admit that I lost my temper (sorry, Paul...) but the application of a little common sense taught me that, in the end, if people want to behave in a particular way, you are better off letting them get on with it. There are better things to do. So I did them.

There was a lot more travel, as my role as consort to the President took me to Vancouver and allowed me to cover the Convention of the Liberal Party of Canada. But there was glamour too, with trips to the Peak District, to Somerton and Frome, and even to Mundesley.

But then, as if a miracle had occurred, the house in Kingsbury was sold, and I was officially a rural blogger. I also fell victim of a desire to be a local councillor, having studiously eschewed the possibility for twenty-five years. Yes, I wanted to be the District Councillor for Stowupland ward on Mid Suffolk District Council. I even delivered a leaflet, and may do so again in the future, as long as it doesn't upset too many people.

I did lose my temper one last time, with Irfan Ahmed (not entirely a surprise there), who soon after withdrew from the Liberal Democrat blogging arena and then from blogging altogether, after finding a whole new group of people to offend, many of whom seemed willing to make their unhappiness known in person, if you know what I mean.

It was a quiet summer, relatively speaking. The autumn would be anything but...