It's fantastic to be back here at the 2nd Pride of Stratford Awards Last year's event was an amazing success and its great to see so many of last year's winners and nominees back here again. As the MP for such a wonderful area it's often difficult not to return to Westminster on a Monday morning with a heart full of pride. Whilst some of my colleagues, who shall have to remain nameless, are grumbling into their morning tea about their weekend in the constituency I find it hard not to boast about the wonderful businesses I visited, the fantastic charity I learnt about, or the amazing work of our students here in Stratford. If pride is one of the original sins then I am afraid that tonight I am, like many politicians before me, a very big sinner. Even before Shakespeare became the town's most famous son Stratfordians have always been rightly proud of their town. What is extraordinary about this town is the resonance it has in Beijing, Moscow, Delhi or Rio. When I travel with other Members of Parliament my colleagues may have to spend 5 minutes describing their constituency, all I have to say is I am the member for Shakespeare. And whilst it was the great Bard's birth, in a house on Henley Street, that has led to a child nearly anywhere in the world being able to point out Stratford on a map; today it is the great entrepreneurs of this town, many of them here tonight, that are taking the Stratford name out to the world and bringing the world back to Stratford. I don't think it would be presumptuous of me to suggest that last year's awards kicked off a year of pride not just in Stratford but in the whole of Britain. It was after all a year in which the Queen's Diamond jubilee saw people take to the streets in celebration of her Majesty's 60 years on the throne... ...a year in which the olympics, from its opening ceremony that celebrated so much of what we have to be proud of, through to the games itself, brought Britain together in a ground swell of pride... ...and a year in which the Paralympics, that when held in Greece sold just 80,000 tickets, and when held in Beijing sold 150,000, sold out here in Britain. Those 2.7 million tickets sold faster than Usain could bolt, telling you everything you need to know about the great British public and the pride it holds for its athletes. Stratford of course had its own olympic success. Two of our post boxes were painted gold one in Stratford for James Roe and one in Alcester for Nick Skelton. Two local heroes that we should be rightly proud of. What Touch FM have done with these awards is truly fantastic and it was my greatest pleasure to be asked to present the entire Touch FM team with an Arqiva Commercial radio award in July last year. It was a glittering London ceremony but one that I have to say was not as glittering as this one. I'm also happy to be able to report back to you that the Government itself is a supporter. When I raised last year's awards in the Chamber of the House of Commons, the Leader of the House no less, suggested that, and I quote "I am sure it is something that could be replicated throughout the country." I have obviously passed Touch FM's details to the relevant authorities and told them that Steve is very much awaiting their call.... It's a fantastic set of business and individuals who are up for awards tonight, but regardless of who wins, I am sure you'll agree that the nominees alone show just how much we have to be proud of. Thank you and enjoy the evening.