First Hustings Meeting

Thursday 4th August 2011
I drove to the Coffee Hall Community Centre, on Garraways, Coffee Hall for the first Hustings meeting starting at 7:00pm.
There was a low turnout of party members, tables were set out in groups with a long table at the top with a Labour Party banner behind.
All candidates were in attendance and Camilla ensured there were a couple of candidates on each table to chat to party members.
As I do not live in the Milton Keynes South Constituency I was told that leaflets, phone calls and knocks on the door to party members has already taken place and at least two candidates have set up there own campaign websites.
Camilla had to be forceful to get the candidates to move to each table as they were so engrossed in conversation.
The candidates after a while were called up to see Camilla in a corner of the room to draw lots and sat at the top table in front of a numbered sticker on the table according to the number they had got.
Each candidate had three minutes to make a speech, one of the candidates lent his Blackberry which was passed down the line and the candidate about to talk had to press the green button to start the timer there were a couple of times when the technology did not work, and had to be passed back to the candidate for him to get it working again.
Most of the candidates stuck to their times but a couple had to be told by Camilla that there time was up.
Camilla thanked all the candidates and Kevin Dan and Ann for all their help and advice and to me for all my hard work.
I chatted afterwards to some of the candidates and one in particular amazed me when they come up to me with their leaflet and asked if I had a vote, I replied no as I live in the Milton Keynes North Constituency and then said I would not be needing the leaflet then which was fair enough but to cap it all asked what my name was and yet I was on the interview panel and had been sending them emails and letters!  
I then left and got home weary at 9:00pm.