Sixteen years ago, in the spring of 2007, I was a newly selected parliamentary candidate to stand as MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire. It still feels like yesterday.

Sir, Thank you for your outstanding campaign to improve the quality of our water. Here in Herefordshire, it has taken more than two years to assemble the cross-border, all-catchment group of agencies, local councils, Welsh Water and other parties needed to address the problem of phosphates in the River Wye.

Under normal circumstances, the news last week that Herefordshire is to receive £19.9 million from the Government's Levelling Up Fund would have sent me into a jig of unrestrained rejoicing.