IT'S amazing isn't it? You wait all year round for one and then three turn up at once.

With the local elections weeks away I think we're in for a rough ride.

Already the canvassers are making the evenings unbearable.

Like door-to-door salesmen there is no escaping them and getting rid of them is almost impossible.

How do you tell someone just to go away?

I think most of us are just too polite to say it and would rather stand on our doorsteps listening patiently to the election spiel.

Maybe the phone will ring and I will get the chance to use my favourite line, "I would love to talk but I'm afraid I have to go and answer that."

And it's not that I don't want to talk to our local councillors. But when when you only see him or her at election time it just gets really annoying.

Where have you been? A friendly visit every now and then just to say that you were still around speaks volumes. The wards aren't that big.

Once a week every six months could really help everyone.

Then I would know I'm getting value for money.

It is a tough job though, going house to house speaking to people about policies and issues.

I should know, my dad used to make me do it when I was thirteen.

I was trained to say some lines and sent out to reel those votes in.

"So then, can we count on your vote this time?" seemed like a good opening line. "No!" and the door got slammed in my face.

"I am just handing out these leaflets," I said to another.

"Why don't you go and hand them out somewhere else then!".

I thought I'd surprise one particular resident. "Any questions about our policies?"

"Yeah, why don't you just go away?" he said before closing the door. Seconds later he peered through the window to see if I was gone.

The fact of the matter is we are our own worst enemies.

Blame the political parties if you must but I get the feeling some people couldn't care less what policies a party has to offer.

The very same people will then moan and groan about this and that, whilst at the same time not even bothering to ever cast their vote.

You have the vote, then use it.

But then don't moan afterwards that your bins don't get collected and the speedbumps are doing your back in.

I just found out that there is going to be a requirement for horse owners to get 'horse passports'.

I don't have a horse or a donkey.

But I can tell you now, when I speak to a political party representative next time, I'll be asking him or her about it.