My Friday started by meeting with Alison Skeat, founder of the remarkable Dirty Hands Project, based in a disused yard next to Plaistow Station  This project focuses on growing food organically in Newham and teaching residents young and old how to do so.  It has been running for two years now and has struck a real chord locally.

Later in the morning I met with an entrepreneur who wants to set up a taxi service using electric vehicles in time for the Olympics; and Ian Tomkins of West Ham United about their plans for the Olympic stadium.

In the early afternoon I met with students in the UEL Finance and Investment Society at the university's docklands campus. In a question and answer session, we discussed the state of the economy and what should be done about it.  Later I dropped in to Newham Dockside to present ‘union learner’ awards to staff who had successfully undergone training through their trade union.

Later I spoke at the Parents in Partnership Conference at the Tunmarsh Centre, Plaistow, for parents whose children have disabilities.  They have a very tough role and I can only admire what they manage to achieve.  They were - rightly - worried about some of the benefit changes being proposed by the Government.  I wound down my day by attending a celebration in East Ham Town Hall commemorating the independence of Bangladesh.  The evening was a most enjoyable affair.