At a Parliamentary debate on disabled access at railway stations, I raised the case of Chippenham station, which has now been waiting more than four years for a promised new footbridge and lift.

The improvements, which will make travelling much easier for elderly and disabled people and those with pushchairs, have recently been held up in the local planning process.

I was pleased to hear the Minister say that he had asked Network Rail to try to accelerate construction once approval is granted.

I also pressed the Rural Affairs Minister to make sure Wiltshire benefits from government funding to extend superfast broadband to the hardest-to-reach parts of the country, even though delays to State aid approval for the Great Western Broadband programme mean surveys are only now underway.

On Friday, I met owners of small businesses at the Glove Factory in Holt, where we discussed how business incubation can build a stronger economy even in the villages of Wiltshire.

I went on to DL Windows’ new showroom on the Malmesbury Road in Chipp-enham, and was delighted to learn that they are taking on two apprentices – something I am encouraging all employers to do when I meet them locally.

I later joined a mindfulness class at The Corsham School. It was wonderful to see children learning techniques that can help them find calm and be more attentive, as well as maintain their mental health and wellbeing later in life.

The maturity of this group of 13 and 14 year olds was particularly striking.

Over the weekend, I was privileged to open the Bless Melksham event organised by the Melksham Family of Churches, which started with a call to prayer in the Market Place.

It was followed on Sunday by a civic service for the newly-elected Melksham Town Council.

I watched civil war break out in Monkton Park on Saturday for a re-enactment of the Battle of Chippenham of 1643, only on this occasion the Parliamentarians were victorious.

On Sunday afternoon I had to return to London for the Westminster Hour on BBC Radio 4, but fortunately I was just able to catch the climax of Andy Murray’s Wimbledon final en route with an enthusiastic crowd gathered at Reading services.

After a relatively light surgery at Melksham Town Hall on Friday, my next ones are at The Pound Arts Centre in Corsham on Friday, July 12 between 4.30pm and 6pm, and at Bradford on Avon library on Friday, July 19 between 2pm and 3.30pm.