"I write to you all from my home in West Oxfordshire, having left Westminster for the summer. For those that do not know, Parliament sits on dates that are very similar to school holidays, and so the House rose in July and will sit again in September. But the last thing I will have been doing is sitting idle, playing golf or taking six weeks off – recess provides an excellent opportunity to visit as many events, charities, businesses and meeting as I can, and I have made full use of it.
"One such event was the fantastic Charlbury Beer Festival which I visited with my young family in tow. I greatly enjoyed the strong sense of community spirit shown through the wide array of activities, including the Aunt Sally Open Singles World Championship. I did have a go, but sadly I did not discover a burgeoning talent and will leave it to the experts! I also sampled the excellent local real ales on offer, using my kitted glass holder from the WI – what more does a festival need?
"When visiting events such as this around the constituency, I am always impressed by the sterling effort and hard work put in by the organisers to make these events a success. Village fetes and festivals are a great opportunity for communities to come together and celebrate what makes their village special, as well as raise money for good causes.
"However, as we are heading into autumn, I shall be going back to Westminster and all the activity that that entails. Whenever I am speaking in Parliament, I am always conscious that I am there representing you all. That is why I have spoken on issues ranging from British nationals held abroad to broadband in rural areas, and met with many of you in surgeries, at Town Councils or on your doorsteps when I have visited Charlbury. I therefore try to keep you as updated as I can about matters both locally and in Westminster through my regular newsletter – which you can sign up to at www.robertcourts.co.uk. Indeed, do please contact me at robert@robertcourts.co.uk to let me know about any issues you wish to discuss – and I’m always keen to hear from you!"