For the seventh year running I packed my suitcase this weekend and headed to the Conservative Party Conference, this year held in Birmingham. This was also the location for the first conference I ever attended, although back then I was a worker in the then Shadow Chancellor’s team, helping with the analysis on the costs and benefits of a proposed council tax freeze. This became government policy after the election and has meant that here in Wiltshire we are paying council tax this year at 2010/11 levels – a saving worth almost £400 over the past five years to the average local household.

I spent much of that 2008 conference glued to a bank of computers in a makeshift conference office and, as I headed off to do my fifth speech of this conference on transport matters, I felt a bit nostalgic for those times as they were a lot simpler.

Now, although it is a huge privilege to get up on the stage and speak to the hundreds of people who come to the big events, or equally, have a conversation with just a few real transport buffs who want to talk about very specific policy matters, the stakes seem a lot higher, with every word scrutinised and reported, and all of it delivered through a dreadful autumn cold brought home by number two daughter, which gave me a vaguely Brummie accentt.

Still, as I am passionate about the fact that we are finally making the long overdue investments in Britain’s roads and railways, and it is great to see what an economically energising effect these developments are already having in places like Birmingham, it was not too hard to be very enthusiastic about my policy portfolio, and the huge doses of Day Nurse and permanently installed Soother also helped.

Before heading off to the Midlands I caught up on lots of local meetings and was able to visit one of our most successful and nationally well-known local businesses, the stone suppliers, Artisans of Devizes where I heard about the strong demand for their beautiful products and new ventures like candlemaking.

I then spent last Saturday morning visiting Upavon Stores to present Mike and Cheryl Parr with their well-deserved Best local village shop award and then headed to Marlborough to congratulate Sue Rumbold of the Cat’s Whiskers for winning the Marlborough award.

It was so lovely to see so many supportive customers at both places and to hear that business is thriving.