Last weekend I spent a few days helping Elwyn Watkins and the team in the Oldham East & Saddleworth by-election.

It was exciting to be helping out at a by-election again – and the OES team are really fired up! Arriving at Greenfield Station on Saturday I could see loads of Elwyn posters lining the road – it seems they are everywhere!

Over the few days I was there I helped out in the HQ printing, folding and bundling literature. I was up for 24 hours straight on the first day – as I helped out with the overnight printing. I also got the chance to go out on the doorsteps and talk to some local voters. I really enjoy talking to people and finding out what they think. Lots of people are far more chatty than you would imagine – you always worry that people might slam the door in your face when they see you are canvassing for an election – but people were happy to talk.

It was strange seeing the difference between what I had read in the newspapers and what people were actually saying on the ground. Some of the polls said we are falling behind (with the Tories in a distant third) – but I found it’s much closer between us and Labour than the news has been saying. The Tories are definitely in third though!

Several voters who are normally Conservative voters told me that they were backing Elwyn as he’s a local man. They are fed up with Labour tricks to win, and want someone who will actually fight for them. It was really heartening to hear that – as I could see what an effort Elwyn and the team have made.

Some of the Labour voters were the same. Although many had made up their minds already, a good number of them told me they were confused about what to do. They normally support Labour, but they felt that Elwyn was best to represent them too. It’s going to be a close fight!

The Lib Dem voters were obviously annoyed that Labour has dragged the name of Oldham East & Saddleworth through the mud – and will be glad to elect a Lib Dem MP so this whole saga can be put behind them.

Elwyn made a short speech one evening after the campaign team meeting – talking about how we are putting up a good fight and thanking people for coming and helping. He thanked the people like me who have come from around the country to lend a hand – but he saved the biggest thanks for his local campaign team who have been working in the community since well before the General Election.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens – I have put a whole pound on a Lib Dem victory – that’s double what I normally bet! I think it’s going to be a tight race – but I think that Elwyn and the team deserve to win after all the work they have put in.

I have also just finished Tony Blair’s ‘A Journey‘, accompanied by Adam Boulton’s review of Blair’s time in office: ‘Tony’s Ten Years‘. I wanted to understand his rise to power, and the reforms that he was trying to accomplish before Iraq overshadowed his tenure. I wasn’t too political before 2005, so these books did add to my knowledge. I’m following it up by reading Michael Barber’s ‘Instruction to Deliver‘  - a review of getting things done in Tony Blair’s Government.

Time permitting, I hope to get through Paddy Ashdown’s ‘Swords and Plowshares‘ and Mark Oaten’s ‘Coalition‘ before the holiday is out.

I have been reading some of these on the Kindle app on my Mac and Phone. I am considering getting a full Kindle, but I’m not sure if the benefit is worth the price thanks to the apps I already have. I also joined the Mitchell Library, which I now live quite near to. Hopefully it will save me a lot of money in the new year!

I have been out walking in Kirkcudbright and taking some photos. The winter light was excellent for taking shots of the old boats along the river. You can find the new pictures on my Flickr photostream.

The public transport to Bishopbriggs was off this morning due to the snow, so rather than my morning commute I took a short walk by the Clyde instead. It looked amazing in the morning sun, so I took a quick video.

I spent last week down in London with Mairead, as she is is recovering from an operation to remove the tumors. It’s incredibly frustrating to want to help someone so much, but to not have the power to fix things there and then. Time has been pretty strange for the past few months. Sometimes things go very quickly, sometimes painfully slowly. Mairead is very brave – she really is an amazing, wonderful and strong person. I hope that the recovery goes quickly, and as well as it can.

I’m down in London for most of this week visiting Mairead who is in hospital. Next weekend I am running 10k for Cancer Research – you can still sponsor me and the team.

Over the next few weeks I’m putting together a few tech-related things which I have been working on over the past month or two… so watch this space.

2:00:44 – 4407th

Phew! I really, really hurt. This is the first half marathon that I have ever done. Good experience though – next time I’ll break 2 hours!

One of the first known film of a golf match features William Fernie. It was shot in 1898, and has now turned up on YouTube: