SCOTTISH National Party MSP Christine Grahame represents the residents of Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale in the Scottish Parliament. Here, she writes exclusively for the Border Telegraph...

Well letters were duly posted to all the streets in Gala, Walkerburn and Innerleithen I would journey to with Bruv driver Tony for my Easter Street Surgeries.

Plans had been laid and those letters made it clear for the timing of my arrival everyone should look out for the blue Volkswagen. Ah but the best laid plans etc.

On day one, Penicuik, I had just stepped into the caravanette when I complained to Bruv Tony that I felt a bit unsafe. Now this was more than usual because Tony can drive like a demented demon at times.

First stop was Penicuik Tesco when low and behold we beheld a flat tyre. My concerns vindicated we plumped for Kwikfit next door and the chaps there were ace adding that the other front wheel was cracked. The van thus not all that it was cracked up to be, was exchanged PDQ. Thus it came to pass that Gala (day two) we were pootering around in a White Volkswagen and, as my late mother used to say, I wish I had a £1 for everyone who asked me where the blue van was.

However, the proverbial biscuit was taken by the man who enquired about the missing “purple” van. Whit?

Now some folk, getting up close and personal at last with their MSP took the chance to give me all their complaints. So, regrettably, but in the interests of those waiting to clamber aboard my mobile office, I made it a rule of three gripes no more.

Never to be defeated however one constituent put his third complaint into two parts. Ah well.

If I had a £1 for....Any way there we were having completed Wood Street as the last street of the day in our Gala Street Surgeries and Bruv Tony decided, ironically as it turned out, to exit to the A7 via Clovenfords to avoid the rash of diversions in town.

No sooner had we turned up and out of Clovenfords than we met a diversion sign. And so it came to pass that we found ourselves on the wee road that runs parallel to the A7 which we could admire to our right across the fields.

With little space to pass oncoming vehicles we hoped nothing big and bulky on wheels would come our way. Silly people, we met tractors (of course) big lorries and the odd majestic 4x4.

There were of course ditches to the left of us but somehow we all managed to squeak by.

I think it was then I pronounced that I had never been on that road before but to assuage a grumpy brother added that it was good to see the constituency from another angle.

Now the question is, will Tony have recovered his composure by the summer when we tour villages?