Getting ready for Nick Clegg in Chelmsford on Thursday

It's been hard work preparing for the visit of Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg to Chelmsford this Thursday. Preparations have been going on for some weeks, as ideas for places to visit have bounced back and forth. I'm taking him to Tanglewood nursery school, as a great example of the difference that quality pre-school education can make. I am deeply proud of the fantastic work they do there - having seen it first as a councillor, later as a parent and now as an ongoing supporter at their events (with my wife as a governor). It's the kind of setting in which the Lib Dems would invest as part of the pupil premium to help the schools that need it most.

Nick is very keen to meet and hear from local people in an open and unscripted question time session, and so we have a public meeting at 6.30pm - see details and map. My colleague Chris and I have written loads of letters and emails encouraging people to attend the meeting, as well as arranging media contact and everything else.

All we need now is the banking crisis to worsen and Nick has to cancel!

UPDATE: photos on Facebook.