My secret weapon on the Mill Hill campaign trail

I have a secret weapon in the Mill Hill council elections. I have a whole campaign team who have been beavering away since 1947. Sounds strange? That is the year my family moved to Mill Hill, No 5 Wise Lane to be precise. We lived in Wise lane until 1960, when we moved to our current home in Millway (I bought the house from my mum in 1987, following the death of my Dad). My Dad opened his car crash repair business in Mill Hill, MacMetals in Bunns Lane around the same time.

My brother Laurie added to the family business team in 1977 when he opened Bunns Lane Welding. I've lost count of the number of people who have told me "I knew your Dad, he used to mend my car" or "I know your Brother, he fixed my table lamp". One useful thing about having an unusual name such as Tichborne is that people remember it. They can't spell it, but they can remember it (see extract from the Mill Hill Times circa 1966). Having five elder siblings is also a great assett. One old lady reminded me of when my sister was Carnival Queen in 1966, commemorated by the picture left when my Eldest sister Cath and England footballer Billy Wright performed the FA CUP draw for a  Cancer charity. Another question I get asked is "Is your sister Valerie still a nurse". Well I'm pleased to say she is. She lives in Florida and works for a Hospice performing home visits for the terminally ill.

Another resident taught art at Finchley Grammar School when my brother Frank attended. "How is Frank?" he asked. Frank is fine, although he was stuck in Germany under a volcanic cloud last week when the question was asked. My sister Caroline was also remembered by one old lady. "Your Sister Caroline was in the same class at St Vincents as my son Martin, do you remember him?" I most certainly did. I used to tease Caroline about him for years. She reminded me of Carolines greatest moment of fame "Do you remember when she was in the commercial for Pal dogmeat". I most certainly remembered that as well. I also teased Caroline for many years that she was only the Co-star and the real star was a Dalmation.

Until I hit the campaign trail, I hadn't realised how many people still remembered my Dad, even though he passed away 23 years ago.  It seems that half of the people who lived in one street actually worked for him. They all said the same thing "Great games of cards at tea break time". There was a three card brag game three times a day. Many more folk were customers. Perhaps the nicest comment of all was an old boy who said "Please don't tell anyone, but I've always voted Conservative and I've been a member of the party for 55 years. Your Father was so kind to me that I'll break the habit of a lifetime and vote for you personally".

Finally there are those people who remembered by Mum. I guess that having six children meant she chatted to lots of other Mums at the school gates. As my parents were active in the local church as well, all sorts of tales of the PTA, St Josephs College Garden Fete committee and other charitable events have been mentioned.

Now I'm not complacent and I don't think the fact the family have lived here for 60 years should entitle me to any special favours at the polls. I hope that anyone voting for me will be doing so on the basis that they think I'll do a good job. I hope that if anyone votes for me in the election, they also vote for Kim and Jeremy, as I can personally vouch for their commitment and hard work.

I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank my dearly departed Mum and Dad and my thankfully still very much alive brothers, sisters, aunties, uncles and all for their years of work for the local community, which has made the job of canvassing much more pleasant than it would otherwise have been. It is a real pleasure when you knock on someones door and they tell you something nice about someone you love. Mind you it drives the other canvassers mad when I stand jawing on the doorstep for half an hour.