While some of us have started to put the heating on in the mornings and evenings and pop into Neath Market for faggots and peas for a treat, one of Neath's most famous and most photogenic couples has been taking a well earned break from all those council duties they attend to and have spent a few days in Brussels.

Alan and Jan Lockyer have been making us all envious with their posts from the Belgian capital the last few days. Photos of them posing outside the European Parliament have been posted, and they have been excitedly informing us they have attended the Socialists and Democrats group meeting at the European Parliament building. I bet that was a barrel of laughs. Was Derek on form?

But the highlight of the trip (so far anyway) has to be this:


Yes, they had dinner with the New Zealand Ambassador - at his or her home nonetheless - and met Pema Choden, Ambassador of Bhutan to boot. Don't tell me you've never heard of Pema? Nor Bhutan? New Zealand? FFS - you need to get out more! Well I'm sure when Alan and Jan return from their holiday, if you just pop along to a Labour ward meeting they'll be happy to educate you. If you look carefully at the Twitter images you'll see this wasn't any chance affair, like "we met in a bar, got on famously and were invited round for the evening". No way - there were expensive looking placenames as well, as you can see. Looks very organised and arranged indeed to me. Wasn't official, was it??

Incidentally, two out of the three people who have "liked" this post of Jan's were Mike Harvey and Saifur Rahaman, both NPT Councillors. You'll be hearing a lot more about Mike and his wife Debbie over the coming months, as potential "first couple" rivals to the Lockyers. Must be something in the Neath water that inspires so many couples to go into politics together down this way. Lockyers, Bebells, Millers and now Harveys. Good job none of them are Muslims with six wives or there'd be hardly any other council seats for any bugger to sit on!

Anyway, I hope the Lockyers don't spend all their time mixing with the political classes whom I find to be too out of touch with the common man. Far better to get into those famous Belgian bars where you can meet real people who eat faggots and peas (or moules mariniere out there). Even better get blathered on their beers which are quite extraordinary. Their cakes and chocolates are to die for as well.

Not my idea of a Belgian holiday but each to their own. (I assume it WAS a holiday!)

Let's hope they ordered a full Welsh Brexit for their last meal.

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UPDATE 20.10.16

Well it looks as though the Lockyers just can't break away from the excitement of that European Parliament and this time Derek's part of the story as well. This cannot be a holiday but has to be some sort of official trip, surely? Who would go to Brussels and spend their time in the Parliament building? Those drinkies after look nice though.

Jan also managed to get a photo with JC - Jeremy Corbyn, but shame it's blurred. Maybe Alan's hands were shaking too much. What an amazing holiday (?) this is turning out to be.