An Ulster Unionist, Mr Jim Nicholson, was the highlight of the day for two elderly women shopping for bargains in Bangor market. "Can you make any excitement for us?" giggled one.
"Can you bring down the price of the television licence for pensioners?" asked the other in a more sober tone.
"I work hard, I work hard," said Mr Nicholson, and then he was gone, leaving them gripping their wicker baskets in delight.
The UUP candidate for the European elections was warmly received in the Co Down town, stamping ground of the anti-agreement unionist, Mr Robert McCartney. On the main street, however, some people brushed past, declining to take literature. "Thank you sir", said Mr Nicholson to one man who had a change of heart and backtracked to take a pamphlet.
Mr Nicholson was relaxed as he worked his way round the town, accompanied by a UUP Assembly member, Mr Alan McFarland, and he seemed happy with his reception from locals.
"Bob McCartney said only one in 10 people would recognise me if I walked down Royal Avenue in Belfast, but everyone seems to know me in Bangor," he bantered.
A man was resentful of the direction of the peace process. "You're worse than Sinn Fein. You should be ashamed of yourself. Imagine David Trimble over there sitting down with the Pope," he said.
Mr Nicholson smiled, nodded and turned on his heel.
However, a more pleasant reaction from people was the order of the day. "You might be able to persuade me this morning," said one woman, smiling as she accepted the leaflet. A couple from Ballygowan told Mr Nicholson how they were "struggling on".
With no tabloid journalists in sight, Mr Nicholson spoke with the media by his election bus. He said there was no doubt that the entry of Mr McCartney into the race made the task of retaining his seat more difficult. "Once you shred the unionist vote, the more you split that vote, the more you dilute that vote then the more difficult it becomes."
He refused to comment in detail on the opposition to his candidature voiced by his deputy party leader, Mr John Taylor, who has refused to say he will give Mr Nicholson his first-preference vote.
"Some party members are not very happy about what has been said by Mr Taylor," he said.