To make sure this column gets to print in time for release on a Thursday, I have to send it in by Wednesday of that week – which means that I have to write it the day before the Chancellor delivers his Autumn Statement but you will be reading it after you know what the Chancellor has announced.

Last week was another busy week in the constituency, with many local events remembering the incredible contribution and sacrifices made by those who have served in our Armed Forces and by those who continue to serve.

On Thursday, along with representatives from Kingswinford Royal British Legion, local councillors and others, I attended an incredibly thought-provoking Remembrance assembly put together by students and staff at Summerhill School. And on Friday I joined students and staff at The Wordsley School where special focus was given to the role of women in war – in the Special Operations Executive, in auxiliary services (like the ATS, the WAAF and the WRNS) and in industries across the UK – a vital contribution which has only recently begun to receive the attention and respect that it deserves.

Importantly, it’s not just our secondary schools that marked Remembrance – our local primary schools did too. Children from Brierley Hill Primary and Withymoor Primary joined us at Brierley Hill’s recently restored war memorial to mark the minutes silence at 11am on Armistice Day.

There was another remarkable turnout for the Remembrance Sunday parade in Kingswinford. It was particularly heartening to see the number of young people from across the area – many in Cub, Brownie, Scout, Guide, school or cadet uniforms and others just with their family or friends – wearing their poppies with pride and marching alongside veterans.

I was pleased to once again put in a shift selling poppies at Morrisons in Kingswinford as part of the local RBL Poppy Appeal. Credit really does have to go to Bob Townsend and others from Kingswinford Royal British Legion for their relentless work leading our local Appeal – and particularly for their work and partnership with schools.

As well as supporting these local Remembrance events, I also had some other really useful meetings – including with the team at Merry Hill’s Metro Bank and Mr Moreton who is the new Headteacher at Kingswinford Academy.

At a time when many high street banks are choosing to close branches and push customers towards online services, it is refreshing to see a bank so determined to offer in-branch services to those who want and need them. Also good to hear about the flexible support they are offering their small business customers as many of them juggle the cashflow pressures which can be forced on a business by rising costs and fluctuating supply chains.

Finally, it was great to join Cllr Kerry Lewis and others at the Old Cat in Wordsley for a Christmas fundraiser to help support the work of the Friends of Wordsley Park group. It was brilliant to see such great support from the local community – recognising that the work of community volunteers can be such a driver of change and improvement in the places we love and care about.