The gloriously sunny and warm weather must be helping the candidates in North Devon as we launch into the second week of campaigning.
I know North Devon's Conservative candidate, Philip Milton, has been campaigning in the spring sunshine around Barnstaple today (I spotted him strolling along Rolle Street this morning sporting his trademark fedora and Conservative party scarf) and Lib Dem candidate Nick Harvey will be on the streets of Ifracombe tomorrow with Paddy Ashdown. I am not aware if Mr Harvey will be wearing a hat; if not, he should apply sunscreen.
The cliche runs that a sunny day "gets the vote out" on polling day, which I have always thought is a damning indictment of political apathy: imagine not voting because you couldn't be bothered to put your raincoat on.
As I've already mentioned I will be trying to interview all of the candidates over the next fortnight. So far the interviews have been revealing and, I hope, will provide some helpful information for electors. Some key quotes and debate from the interviews will appear over the next few weeks in news stories. The full interviews will be available by polling day. The results are already making me question my voting intentions, so they might well you too.
I hope the interviews will also make people question where the differences are among the parties and candidates and ask their own tough questions of the would-be MPs. But once you start getting behind the meaningless slogans, you should find candidates with a passion for politics and public service.
And then you get onto the stickier ground of claim and counter-claim.
Debates hosted by Petroc (formerly North Devon College) and the Plough in Torrington should help in that regard.
The North Devon Journal is also doing its bit by quizzing all the candidates at length about policy and views and allowing any reader to send in a letter or comment on stories on our website at www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk
The signposts have started appearing in gardens and the banners in windows; so far in Barnstaple I've seen them in gardens (both big houses with neat gardens) for UKIP and Nick Harvey. I also saw a van with Rodney Cann stickers all over it.
Also, watch out for a cheeky photograph in Thursday's Journal involving one of the main North Devon candidates.
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