MPs' visits to sorting offices in the run up to Christmas are now part of the tradition.

When mail was dealt with by the General Post Office and the Post Master General was a Government appointment, then MPs went to thank public servants for their work.

Post privatisation, there are fewer public sector workers, telephones were separated off and then privatised in the 1980s.

Royal Mail, however, escaped. Maggie Thatcher saw that as a step too dangerous.

Labour has not gone there yet, but the Post Office is now very much 'a business' and the Government very much 'hands off' in the day-to-day running, although Mandelson is forever in the shadows.

I visited Dawlish and Teignmouth sorting offices on Friday and Newton Abbot the following Monday morning to talk to the posties and thank them for their public service.

Our postmen and women go more than the final mile and provide a service TNT and others will never compete with, for they will never deliver to rural areas, they rely on the Royal Mail to do that for them. This rural service may be at risk.

THE climate change debate has generated an awful lot of heat over the last few days. Emails claiming research showing global warming were 'rigged' has given a fillip to the climate change sceptics.

The core problem appears to be the researchers were just simply lousy computer programmers and so had to take short cuts to get the program to work.

It does not mean the research is wrong, merely it cannot be trusted.

It is not, however, the only research and most other studies indicate that global warming is at least partly made by mankind.

The simplistic idea that it doesn't matter, 'we will just get a little better weather', doesn't work, you only have to look out of your window to see that.

December Saturdays are always fun as everyone appears to be getting ready for Christmas! My Saturday included three fairs, two shows and a Parksie and a fir tree!

Newton Abbot's Bearnes School had its fair over the lunchtime, with special visits from Santa and the Grinch!

In Teignmouth, the RNLI, Families for Children and other charities gathered for a fair in the Methodist Church Hall while further up the hill in the Richard Newton Hall a wide range of other charities 'Tombolared' and raffled and found other ways of raising funds for their causes.

In between this I visited the Teignmouth Art Society's winter show at the Carlton Theatre and over the water at the Victory Hall in Shaldon, a new group of artists, Teign Artists held their first exhibition. All excellent work.

And finally there in Teignmouth Triangle was the Deputy Mayor Ian Parkes singing for the Rotary Club and their tree of light. And all this is just a fraction of the events on the day!

A firm date in my diary is always Stokeinteignhead's Victorian Christmas Fayre. This year was even bigger and better than last year, with stalls now in the grounds as well as the hall.

The smell of roasting chestnuts greeted us as we arrived which I resisted but only because my eyes had then lit on the spit roasted hog!

Well, it was my breakfast. Again I cannot praise this event too highly. Jars of green tomato chutney for £1 were a real bargain and a family favourite and therefore a must buy.

As were several jars of marmalade and… we'll leave it there.

A good place to stock up for Christmas, buy presents, from wooden bowls to jewellery or simply just enjoy. All this for local causes, too good to miss.

Work on the restoration of the Stover Canal is progressing steadily but it should get a major boost soon when the Stover Canal Society obtains the leasehold.

This will enable them to apply for major grants to help with the work.

Recently they asked me to join them for a couple of hours to help clear some of the growth blocking the towpath, so after collecting signatures in Newton Abbot for my water justice campaign, I changed into a pair of jeans and drove over to WBB East Gold Works where I was met and taken up the towpath to join the team.

It was good fun and they are making great progress.

If you want to help call George Whitehead on 01626 775498.

Earlier the same day I had popped into the new Scouts Hall in the Wolborough Street Car Park with Cllr Gordon Hook to see the Credit Union team.

They apparently have 253 members in Teignbridge which is great progress.

The Credit Union movement is a non-profit making bank run by volunteers.

It provides small loans and is an easy way to save.

It is of particular benefit to people on low incomes and you are certain of a real person to talk to, well worth looking into.

The Transition Town movement is growing fast as groups of people join together to effect change, not by campaigning for new loans but by leading by example and helping people to be more self sufficient and less polluting.

I met the Newton Abbot group twice in the last couple of weeks, firstly in my office when they came to see me and secondly in Courtenay Street when they had a stall in the shadow of the Clock Tower. A great idea we should all support.

The Newton Abbot group can be contacted on 01626 337642 and the Teignmouth group on 01626 870964.