Cheryl went first, after the main course; you can tell she has been a politician for fifteen years. She was polished, articulate, concise, and got all the main points over – my points, she was supposed to be introducing me!! 

Jack - Cheryl's lovely former Sir Humphrey husband  - (they met when he was head of some department or other and she was a junior minister) whispered in my ear, "once she starts, she can’t stop you know." he gave her one of those looks, which was so sweet, because Cheryl went all gooey-eyed and girly and said “my husband is telling me I have to sit down now.” He hadn’t. They obviously just have a secret ‘shut up now Cheryl’ look, one you could only give if you were really close to someone, and get away with it.

Then it was my turn. We were outside in a garden sat under a collection of gazebos. Under each gazebo four people were situated at four strategic corners in order that when a gust, a big gust, of wind came someone shouted “grab the legs” which they all did, before the gazebos took off like oversized kites.

Only fundraising die hard Conservatives would sit in a garden in force 10, freezing cold, eat salad and summer pudding, and listen to two politicians speaking, one after the other whilst mounting a ‘save the gazebo operation’ at the same time. Bless em, they were all fantastic.