It started with two photocalls on Sunday – of Lees Yard in Hebden Bridge where we’ve now got funding to move the market, and Calder Valley in Bloom in the Memorial Gardens in Mytholmroyd, to promote the idea of the Valley particicpating in the new RHS Britain in Bloom category for areas that have been flooded.

Then a Reg44 visit to a Children’s Home in Halifax, one of my duties as a Councillor which uses my professional experience in child care social work, followed by an Employment Committee to appoint a new Head of Highways.

I went to 2 Business meetings: in Hebden Bridge, where I reminded local business people to apply for grants if they’ve been flooded and the main item was about using websites; then a Calderdale Council meeting with business representatives where topics included talking about preparing youngsters for work and apprenticeships, and a report back on Exporting from UKTI. A Sustainable Transport meeting in Hebden Bridge continues to promote more use of public transport, implementation of 20mph schemes, making getting about safer for pedestrians etc.

Flood Commission meeting was in Sowerby Bridge where we heard from some local people about how they’d been affected: most telling was the cricket club that had been overwhelmed by water coming over a wall erected to keep water out. Then we had a discussion about how flooding has affected the local economy. Later on in the week, I went to a Treesponsibility meeting talking about upscaling their work to extend the amount of treeplanting they can do to “slow the flow”.

Health and Welbeing: planning the next meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board which I chair. The Clinical Commissioning Group is getting ready to start consulting on their plans for changing the hospital service, and provide more services “closer to home”. I’m particular interested in the development of Vanguard in the Upper Valley, and the development of Todmorden Healtjh Centre. Queries have been raised with me about mental health services (especially the future of art therapy) which I’ve asked them about and they seem to be taking seriously..

The week ended with attending a public meeting of the local Community Land Trust who are developing plans to build affordable housing (to rent, hopefully) on Bridge Lanes in Hebden Bridge which used to have “up and over” houses, demolished 50 years ago but potentially a usable site.