It's certainly been a cold start to the new decade but what has struck me is that for all those who will find any excuse to get an extra day off work, plenty more deserve medals for their determination - and their kindness.  Many people have checked on neighbours, even helping them to clear the pavements outside their homes.  Many more have discovered the joy of sharing taxis from railway stations and car sharing to get to work.  But I think the thousands of people who work in essential services deserve most praise for keeping the country going.  Despite the disruption in most parts of the UK, here in London trains, buses and taxis are still running, mail and newspapers are being delivered, shops still have food, GP surgeries and hospitals remain open, and most businesses remain open. Yes, most services are disrupted or reduced, but the general mood is "Keep calm and carry on" - which is how it should be.

However, once this long cold spell is over, I hope the authorities from Greenwich Council upwards will review their procedures.  Too many residents have felt cut off, not only in higher areas such as Shooters Hill but even close to the High Street in Eltham where I live.  The lack of gritting on pavements in high use areas has been appalling and many roads remain dangerous.  Do we have sufficient stocks of grit and salt, should householders be better prepared to muck in?  It never hurts to admit things can be done better and to learn from experience.

With local campaigner Mo Burgess, I met the Chair of the Friends of Shrewsbury Park this morning.  She and her gorgeous dog, Pogue, took us on a wonderful 45 minute walk through the ancient woodland, meadows and open parkland, pointing out the many natural attributes - and the stunning views.

I'm a huge fan of the Friends of the Parks groups.  They do a tremendous job and help to make Greenwich one of the greenest and most attractive boroughs anywhere in London.  If you have yet to visit this outstanding site, minutes from the hustle and bustle of Eltham, get your walking shoes on!  All I ask is that you take any litter home with you or put it in the many bins provided.  And be a responsible dog owner.

I had the pleasure of visiting Woodlands Farm this afternoon, and meeting some of the people who help keep this working farm open as one of the most popular local attractions.  After various threats from development, the 200 year old farm was saved in 1997 when it became a charitable trust.  Now, the 89 acres, including ancient woodland, balances agriculture and conservation with being an educational community project.

I was accompanied by Maureen Burgess, one of the Shooters Hill Conservative team and a local resident.  We enjoyed our tour, saw a very energetic group of youngsters competing in an orienteering exercise, and patted the pot bellied pigs!  But most importantly, I put my name down for a half lamb for the freezer...the farm relies on selling produce to fund its work, as it relies entirely on raising its own funds and constantly applying for grants.

If you haven't yet visited, please go.  You'll receive a warm welcome, see a lot of animals and wildlife, and possibly learn something.  And worth remembering, they keep bees so the honey will soon be available - I am told they expect it to be in jars towards the end of August!  I plan to return with my godchildren. 

It has been another busy week in Eltham and I am spending today (apart from the 5 minutes it'll take for me to write this short blog entry) working from home. Last night we were out in Shooters Hill calling on residents, many of whom were very concerned about a spate of burglaries.  Many said they can't remember the last time they saw police on patrol.  My team and I enjoyed a very decent curry at Cafe Eltham last night - a fitting end to a long day.

Earlier in the week I visited two schools (see previous blog) and signed hundreds of letters to people who'd been in touch about immigration - so I was pleased to see David Cameron repeating his pledge to cut immigration in today's Daily Mail. Today we're waiting to see how the people of Norwich have voted - a defeat for Labour in such a 'safe' constituency would be terrible news for the government.

I held the latest in my series of neighbourhood evenings last night in Shooters Hill. As always at these events, there was a good range of challenging topics from immigration to government plans to further restrict weapons used for war re-enactment events.  There were also serious concerns about the way Greenwich is pioneering new methods of budgeting for education, and deeply disturbing examples of people who are no longer in work being forbidden from claiming any sort of benefit.  However, the mood was positive and it was encouraging to see that even on a warm Summer evening, people are still willing to come and enjoy a glass of wine with their local Conservative Action Team.

I have been out and about in various parts of the constituency in recent days -

Kidbrooke, Sutcliffe Park, Shooters Hill and Middle Park included.  I

have been struck by some of the sights, from the house which recently saw its tenants evicted, to the horrendous weeds bursting through the pavement to the rubbish piled high in one street I visited with my team.

Sometimes politicians get so hung up on the 'big issues' they overlook the obvious small things which, if sorted, would improve people's lives enormously.