With the kind permission of George Buchanan, the owner of Hodsock Priory I am pleased to be able to give advance notice that my 2008 Veterans Day Event will take place on Friday 27 June at Hodsock Priory.

As the historic family home of the Buchanan family, Hodsock Priory is one of the country’s most beautiful historic buildings and of course home to the famous snowdrops, which thousands are about to visit. With a superb team of gardening staff, the venue is of course at its most spectacular this February, but remains extraordinary throughout the year. Weddings are now regularly held there and I cannot think of a better celebratory venue.

All veterans are of course welcome, but we do need to issue invitation tickets. Please apply to my office (01909 506200) and mannj@parliament.uk. This year I feel it appropriate to also include the Bevin Boys to mark the awarding of the special Bevin Boy commemorative badge. Also the land girls have not been properly recognised. Are there any land girls out there?

More details will be announced at a later date, but pleased start applying for tickets and get this date marked in your diary. The event is ticket only.

From veterans to whales- though both have had some issues with the Japanese over the years. I have sponsored  a whale, whose movements are being tracked by an international organisation. Recently  Japan has begun to hunt whales again, allegedly for scientific reasons, though nobody believes this. After pressure they have just agreed to stop until the International Whaling conference in June. After then who knows.

Until you see a whale at sea they can appear remote and irrelevant, but I have seen no more thrilling site than a whale diving in the oceans.  But there is a greater and more important reason.

If we destroy the animals and nature around us we destroy the earth. There are those who have written to this paper saying that an MP should not be concerned about such matters. I fundamentally disagree. To stand by and let tigers, whales, leopards and other great species be hunted to extinction is inexcusable for politicians. I am therefore going to increase my efforts to protect the world’s endangered species. What we do now is our legacy for our grandchildren. On this issue we should let the little kids vote for us.