We’ve seen some pretty momentous events in our City over the past decade.

When I feel worn out I sometimes think back to what it must have been like for one of my predecessors as MP for this great City of ours.

Like me, Edward Massey became the City’s MP in his twenties. But back in the year 1643 he had the Siege of Gloucester to contend with. It was backs to the walls stuff for Gloucester when a few hundred brave men and women held out for the Parliamentary cause against thousands of Royalists who threatened to break Gloucester’s defences.

Presiding as your local MP for most of the past decade, I can recall some pretty big events too. In the noughties I’ve often felt inspired by Massey and events in the 1640’s, especially when we’ve had our backs to the wall.

When we saw an arrest under anti-terrorism legislation in 2003, the level of disbelief that this could happen here threatened to tear our community apart. But it didn’t, our cultures and faiths came through it, maybe a little bruised but we stuck together.

The floods of 2007 were a mighty test. At the time it made me think of Edward Massey too. If we got through that, surely the spirit of Gloucester stemming back hundreds of years could prevail in the midst of natural disaster.

After the floods came the water shortages. Any one of these events could have shaped a decade in some communities. We faced down all of these threats, thanks to a lot of hard work and some great people. And great community spirit.

I’ll never forget whilst out on ‘bowser patrols’, seeing people collecting water for neighbours or people they just didn’t know at all, but thought may be alone, elderly or vulnerable.

Although both of my sons were born in the City which is now my home, it has only been my home for a decade. Perhaps there is something in the old theory that you truly appreciate somewhere more if you’ve come from elsewhere. In 2010 I’ll celebrate a decade of living here. In that decade, as well as working for the City I’ve been educated by it. The single most important lesson is this; it’s a special place and if you work with it, you can be part of a community that comes together. We prevail - especially when we have our back to the wall.

Happy New Year, and farewell to the noughties.

Parmjit Dhanda MP

Member of Parliament for Gloucester