In the first day of her 'A Day in the Life of…' programme, Yvonne spent the Day in the life of a publican. A business woman with two children, she left her normal role recruiting within the Financial and IT sectors to work behind the bar at The Radnor Arms. Nunton.

Yvonne said "I'm afraid I had a touch of nerves" She went on to say "I know how important beer is to people, not too much froth, right temperature, glass with or with out a handle. I didn't get much sleep the night before, I had a nightmare that I couldn't turn the beer tap off and the beer was running everywhere.

My nerves weren't settled when the landlady told me that can actually happen!!"

Arriving at 10 am for a full days work Yvonne pulled her first pint not in front of CAMRA (the Campaign for real Ale), but actually in front of the camera, and as luck would have it, it didn't fill the pub —only the glass.

After an exhausting day waiting on tables, working behind the bar and generally helping out. Yvonne's verdict was she wouldn't give up her day job and the landlady Kathie's comments on Yvonne's performance was "Good with customers, not so good with the beer". On a serious note Yvonne gained enormous insight into the workings and pressures confronting a rural pub which she hoped would help her in her campaign to fight to save traditional pubs and to encourage a 50% business rate for rural pubs alongside post offices.

Post Script: At the end of November '00, Yvonne was delighted to announce a major Lib-Dem success in ensuring the survival of Rural Pubs by persuading the Government to reduce Business Rate by 50%.

Yvonne Emmerson-Peirce, Liberal Democrat candidate and Mother of two teenagers, has praised local teachers for coping with their increasing workload.

"I recently spent 'a day in the life of a Teacher' at a local Primary School, I know first-hand how hard our Teachers work and the dedication required for the job. Our schools simply don't have sufficient resources, " she says. "The Conservatives failed to invest adequately in education". "After so many years of underfunding people expected better from Labour, but little has changed", says Yvonne.

Despite promises from Labour :

• Class sizes have risen in both primary and secondary schools.

• The number of forms and the amount of red tape that teachers have to deal with has increased.

• Student's tuition fees have been introduced and funding for Universities will be cut.

Tony Blair's government is spending less on education as a proportion of the nation's wealth than John Major managed to do when he was in power.

Education is the most important investment we can make. Yvonne Emmerson-Peirce has managed a recruitment company and understands the difficulties employers face in finding suitable trainees. " Education is the most important investment we can make for the future of our children and our nation" says Yvonne. "I am proud that the Liberal Democrats have refused to budge from the high priority they have given to education. We believe it is vital to have a well-educated population and if necessary would be prepared to put income tax up by one penny, to fund this" she said.

The Conservatives and now Labour have not given the commitment to education required to lower the rising class sizes, and give more investment to books, equipment and computers.

"Parents know that our schools need extra resources and teachers," said Yvonne. "Education is an essential investment in all our futures"