The day was wonderfully varied and I was out and about throughout my constituency and indeed beyond its boundaries, as my first appointment was at Redhill's East Surrey Hospital.

Readers may remember that I recently met the chief executive so we could discuss Horsham patients' often shocking experiences at the hospital.

On Friday, I had been invited back to have a tour of the facilities – something I jumped at – I wanted to see the hospital in action.

I think it's crucial that I'm up-to-date with developments at the hospital even though it's not actually in my patch – afterall, over half its patients are from West Sussex!

There's a programme of refurbishments underway but letters describing a lack of hygiene and care continue to arrive in my office.

I made it clear that although any improvements are welcome, a focus on basic care and attention is what's really needed.

By lunchtime I was inspecting an egg producing farm in one of the most rural areas of my constituency.

We'll all have our own opinions on battery farming but irrespective of that, the industry – which employs a lot of people – is in a state of chaos following a directive from the EU to ban certain cages by 2012.

The farm visit helped me understand the complexities of the situation and I'll be sharing my experience with our agricultural team.

Next stop was the Horsham's Holbrook Club. Readers will be more than aware that the site has been bought by Horsham Football Club with a view to it accommodating a new stadium.

The plans have proved enormously controversial and my mailbag reflects the views of local residents and club supporters. It may surprise you to know that as your MP I don't actually have any influence over planning issues.

That said, I think it's important to be fully aware of the nature of the site, its locality and the actual plans – my visit certainly helped with that.

As is fairly usual, my constituency day concluded with an advice surgery in my Horsham office.

Although people's queries can often be dealt with most speedily over the phone or by post, sometimes a one-to-one chat is the most appropriate means of making progress.

On Friday, I saw people with problems or complaints on a local and national basis and others who just wanted to share their views on various issues.

Finally, I drove to Eastbourne to speak at a fund-raising dinner organised by fellow MP, Nigel Waterson. They were an enthusiastic bunch and it was a pleasure to support a local colleague – all in all a cheerful end to an enjoyably busy day.