More Hay Highlights

 1. The weather

It’s not often that the weather is kind to the Hay Festival but this year we could truly say we made Hay while the sun shone. It was great to see the crowds picnicking on the grass instead of running for cover. Sunglasses and sandals were the order of the day instead of umbrellas and wellies, bliss.

2. Michael Palin – Travelling to Work

Michael Palin talked about his series of diaries covering the years 1969-1998. Amongst the revelations were how Monty Python’s Flying Circus got its name, it just sounded funny and how he came to be a BBC travel presenter par excellence. Palin was very flattered when the BBC told him how much they wanted him to front their new programme, a modern day Around the World in Eighty Days, only to discover that he wasn’t their first choice, second or even third, the likes of Alan Whicker having already turned down the job.  

3. Roger McGough and LiTTLe MACHiNe

LiTTLe MACHiNe are a group of three musicians who perform famous poems set to music. They kicked off the session and then Liverpool poet, Roger McGough joined them to recite his funny and thought provoking poems with occasional backing music from the group. The performance ended with a rousing audience sing along of the old Scaffold favourite “Lily the Pink”, goodness only knows what anyone passing the tent thought was going on!

James Runcie book signing at Hay

4. James Runcie – The Grantchester Novels

This was my most surprising Hay highlight. In a fabulous session historical novelist, S J Parris talked to James Runcie about his Grantchester crime series of books. 

More of this in the next post when we celebrate National Crime Reading Month.