Airy slaps buffet my face. Continuously. Their persistence is infuriating.

My legs get weaker and weaker.

But I will be home in an hour.

Thinking about my resignation speech was a relief. It passed the time.

When Henry asked me to join the council, I thought “this is my chance to learn about a community, to get to know more people”.

Maureen chooses her friends cautiously. I wanted to know about the other lives. A  village is, in its own way,  is a microcosm of a place and time.

As chairman, I just did was waiting to be done. If you read this in years ahead, what we did will typify a certain moment in the life and history of an English village.

There were no buses through the village any more. Most of the subsidies were withdrawn in the years following the 2008 financial crisis. I learned about Community Car Schemes and found people to staff one and drivers to volunteer.

Most villages have a defibrillator mounted in an accessible place. We got a grant and raised money in the community. You may still see it if you come this way, mounted on the wall of the school.

The old telephone box was given to the village. I persuaded the firm in the Old Station Yard site to paint it and move it to a new position on the recreation ground. Now people can borrow books or take away fruit and vegetables left there by other villagers. There are some toys for children.

Years ago there were allotments in this village. They went out of fashion and the land went into private ownership.  Now people want them again. I think we may have found a suitable plot.

One member got a grant to start a Walking Group. Another chaired a sub-committee to ensure the village could respond effectively to the dualling of the bypass. 

We started a newsletter and a Facebook group page. The Facebook page in particular was very popular.

But people will turn against the chair if you are not seen to be wholeheartedly committed to their cause.

You get trapped into lies. That’s too strong. Ambiguities. You say: “I did everything I could.” You mean: “I traded your interest with others, but tried to keep your goodwill.”

I did my best. I made some new friends – and some enemies.

I was ready to go.