With this rotten summer weather continuing, I at least had a couple of fine days in Hay on Wye, before the rain set in there as well, gearing up for a damp Jubilee.
This was my first visit to Hay, beginning with the very first event of the whole Festival, with 400 school children. The next day I was part of the outreach programme, in a beautiful church. Lastly the Festival proper, with a public event on the Starlight Stage.
Throughout I told upside down stories and had the warmest of welcomes. What a lovely part of the world: mountains, waterfalls, Castles, bookshops, cakes and bunting. How could you not fall in love with the place?
I had the good fortune to share my billeted digs with Nell Leyshon, the playwrite in residence. She was celebrating the publication of her novel, The Colour of Milk (superb; read it all in one go – simply could not put it down) and we had a fantastic evening talking, talking, talking…
My thanks to everyone who organised, supported and set things up. Oh and thanks too for the parting shot: A crate of champagne. Quite how I crossed London with it, I’m not sure. But I could hardly leave it behind. Quite apart from the 6 bottles inside, it’s a rather nice wooden box.
Oh and I even got a nice review:
http://www.herefordtimes.com/
So cheers! and thanks for a truly memorable debut!
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