Visit to BSG Property Services Limited

Yesterday, I went to BSG Property Services in Tempsford, to see the new photovoltaic installation at their business premises. The twenty two solar panels are producing enough power to reduce bills and provide a substantial payment from the power they are feeding into the National Grid.

Apparently, the business which has done a huge amount of building and maintenance work locally and in the region, aims to provide this power source to numerous homes in the area. I think this is a great new venture and I congratulate Jeff Robins on his company’s initiative. It is good to see well-established businesses such as BSG offering this service. Given that the solar panels produce a return over a twenty five year period with a set rate of “feed in tariff” it is important to know that the contractor you are with is likely to last the course.

Visit to Royston Pharmacy

It was good to visit Lloyd’s in Royston to learn about the services now being provided in pharmacies. The team there made me very welcome and it was good to have my blood pressure taken. It was exactly what it should be, which was reassuring.

There is no doubt that health screening is a good way of maintaining and improving public health and that pharmacies have a big role to play in this. Their customers know and trust them and it takes some burden off GPs. It was also fascinating to learn of all the training needed to become a dispenser and some of the difficulties in maintaining adequate supplies of medicines.

This was a very interesting look behind the scenes at pharmacies.

The Future for Forests

Those of us who enjoy rambling, cycling and horseriding know just how very important our forests are – particularly public access to them. I was personally quite shocked to learn that the last Government sold 25,000 acres of woodland without protections for the public.

The recent consultation on forests has been very controversial and I am glad that David Cameron has stepped in to stop the process. However, this does still leave the question of how best to protect our heritage forests. Some of our best forests are owned by the National Trust and other woodland trusts, and it may be better for the future if such independent bodies look after our forest heritage, rather than leaving it all in the hands of the Forestry Commission. At least with a trust, you know that Government cannot interfere with our rights

Apprenticeships Week -Visit to Palazzo Restaurant

On Friday I visited Palazzo restaurant in Royston, to support National Apprenticeships Week. Palazzo has a good record of taking apprentices and the Manager, Laura Hadley-Charter, has herself undertaken an apprenticeship. I was able to meet Apprentice Chef Stephen Cook and talk to him about his apprenticeship, which he is enjoying, before he cooked a delicious three course Italian meal. He has certainly come a long way over the last few months and he is my tip as a future “Master Chef”. Stephen is soon to move into Royston which will make life easier for him and I certainly wish him well for the future.

The photograph shows Stephen Cook, me, Cathryn Henry from the National Apprenticeships Service and Laura Hadley-Charter.