Given my recent experience of having a man the Government claims is a terrorist threat come to my surgery to ask for my help, it was perhaps obvious that – speaking today at the London Liberal Democrats’ conference – I picked terrorism as the main topic of my speech:

The alternative to Labour’s approach also means recognising that simply saying “terrorists are evil, their acts are inexcusable” doesn’t help understand where their support comes from – and without that understanding, the sources of its support cannot be tacked.

You can read the speech in full on my website.

Next up in my diary was a visit to Maxitech – a local social enterprise firm who had won an award for the best training for staff.

They are an excellent example of what you can do if you have the ambition and perseverance.

They take old electronic equipment and either refurbish it or use the still usable bits for others. Reconditioned and working – they sell very cheaply to companies that need equipment but can’t afford the sort of equipment they want AND they give free computers to the elderly. That’s real inclusion.

They seem to have got it right – they are expanding and now employ 40 people, they do good work and they are solvent and make a small profit. They are recycling and reusing. Go Maxitech!

Followed by pitching up at the Alzheimer Society’s Haringey lobby / protest against the Government’s (NICE) refusal to give the new dementia drug (cost £2.50 per day) to those who would benefit. They hand over a petition and I will present that to Patricia Hewitt in due course. I have already written countless letters on this issue. Sometimes it is impossible to understand this Government. Aside from the humane benefits – this would save them money, as the longer someone can manage the more care savings the Government would make.

Followed by a two-hour journey to Surrey Heath to address the local Lib Dems and inspire them to greater efforts in their May elections!

Surgery followed by visits to both Bounds Green Infant and Junior schools – in both cases to ‘launch’ their new libraries. They have both saved for new books, and done up the room with lovely displays and got the children involved.

When I arrived at the Infant School, I was immediately surrounded by pirates and princesses – and feeling somewhat like a sore thumb, one of the teachers gave me her Bo Beep hat and apron so I could join in the fun.

I cut the ribbon and read books with the children. Books were a great friend during my childhood – and my window on a world far beyond the confines of my home and my parents’ relatively small world. So this was a real pleasure. The Junior School library followed pretty much the same lines – but with the whole school coming into Assembly for the event and me having removed my cap and pinnie!

After an impossible journey to Parliament (too long a story to go into) I found that the courtyard I needed to get across to get into the central part of the Commons was blocked off and guarded. The police seeing my despair moved the barrier and said ‘run’. So as I made for the far side of the courtyard as best I could in high heels – and glanced to my left through the arch – I saw the horses and state carriage bearing our monarch coming through towards the courtyard. I made it across just in time.

It is a kafuffle of the first order. The men in black who order our lives in the Commons and who know all the unwritten rules were at their smartest. The program for the day gave the timings of all events to the minute. Members of the Commons are meant to be in their seats waiting for Black Rod and under instructions not to hang around in Members’ lobby as that is cheating cos you can get in behind the procession as the Commons is summoned to the Lords.

Goody two shoes me – did hang out in the lobby – ‘cos last year by the time I got to the Lords to see Her Majesty deliver her speech – all I could see was the top of her Crown – about one centimetre to be precise. This year – vast improvement – all of her above the waist.

Whatever your view on the monarchy – and I in my older years accept that the order is unlikely to change (although I still plan to campaign to change the laws of accession – but somehow that never seems to be the most important thing to spend time on) – you cannot help but be fascinated by the pageant. I don’t know what it means or why there is some sort of comfort in traditions – but I guess that is why they have lasted so long. Maybe it just makes it seem like an ordered world under control – whereas the reality is what was in the Queen’s Speech was a mess of desperation.

The Government appears as a hamster on a wheel, with same old, same old tougher, action-man recycled policies that won’t deliver a safe world – same as the last lot didn’t.

Just for a bit of fun, I’ve added a little quiz about Haringey and myself to my website – have a go at www.lynnefeatherstone.org/quiz.htm and see how you do!