I had better get on and retrieve my "wish list" spreadsheet schedule of Hay Festival events from the old PC, finalise it and make my bookings and volunteer for stewarding shifts because...
...those lovely people at BBC Mid Wales emailed me last week and asked if I was going again this year and if I'd like to blog for them again. I replied with a "yes" of course and I really appreciated the return invitation.
It was fun last year and by doing some stewarding it will add another dimension this year. I didn't write about it at the time, but I had my first experience of stewarding last December at the mini winter festival. Will they have me back? Well, at the end of the day I was being encouraged to do so, although I didn't get off to an auspicious start on arrival. I had my relatively new mobile phone on silent, but as I arrived in the hall, I thought it best to turn it off. I had forgotten that on switching off it blared out some tinny sounding thing. Peter Florence, Festival Director was on stage interviewing and he looked up in my direction as I raced back out of the hall, damage already well and truly delivered. Thus I hope I have not been marked up as a black sheep to be avoided at all costs in the future. And I hope they'll have me back. I promise to be quiet.
My paper copy of the 2009 programme arrived a couple of days ago. The lay-out of the site appears very similar to last year but with one more venue this year. There is a new "project partner", Oxfam and the site says "Please help us by bringing any loved books you can spare to donate to the Oxfam bookshelf. Full details of how you can help, and what you can win, can be found at hayfestival.com/oxfam."
The Hay Festival may have grown successfully and come under criticism from some for losing its soul, but in my visits over the last few years I have still experienced a willingness and enthusiasm among individuals to connect. Whether it's in cafes having a cuppa while waiting for the next booked event, at tables shared with strangers, or on the shuttle buses, people like to talk about the events they've attended.
Some final words of warning for your protection and delectation:
- You have to have a lot of charm to get away with queue-jumping at Hay. My observations indicate that women are more likely to do this and it is also the women who can be the more aggrieved, assertive and sometimes aggressive in response. Suggestion to the ladies: just sidle in with everyone else and forget the one-up(wo)manship.
- Men are more likely to get into a fracas on the issue of parking vehicles. Suggestion to the ladies: ask him to drop you off before parking so that you can buy tickets/join the queue/get a decent seat/nip to the loo. A parking fracas can be ugly. Suggestion to the men: enter one of the official car parks, pay the fee and follow the instructions. Simple innit?
- When it comes to seating, it's worth copying scene of crime bods' and pathologists' use of Vicks on their noses. Take some really strong mints with you for sucking during an event. You might find yourself sitting next to someone with halitosis and the seats are so close you won't be able to avoid their unfortunate emanating vapours. The mint will ease the pain and allow you to concentrate on the stage activities.
- Layers of clothing are firmly recommended for all and not just the peri-menopausal. You'd be surprised how much temperatures can change in a day. And if you've been soaked and you're then sitting in a tent for an hour, you will get very cold, I can assure you.
- Forget the wellies, brolly, and effective waterproof at your peril. The rain in Spain can fall mainly in the Hay area, during festival week. If you do forget them, you'll be like Gordon Brown arriving with a camera to shoot his next YouTube pronouncement.
- But also bring sunglasses, sunblock and summer clothing, just in case. God has also been known to be more than kind. It's why they continue to have deckchairs on the site.
- Forget any idea of sticking with your weight-loss diet: food in the area is simply too tempting and delicious. People talk about a will of steel, but that's inadequate here. You'd need a will of diamond - the hardest known substance. However, this year's food outlets include The Welsh Venison Centre which offers "the healthy venison option and will be open every day with a varied menu". And on Monday 25 May starting at 9am (through to 1pm), there is a trip to the Venison Centre where "...Some of the deer will be calving, and there'll be a chance to see and handle some of the lambs."
Last words go to Devon-based yurt-enthusiast-bibliophiles (you know who you are): Yurts can be found in the surrounding area. I've even provided a link for ease of booking, see...
Have fun all and see you there I hope!
Those Welsh yurts look far too luxurious for us tough Devon people but that Venison centre looks very tempting.
Posted by: Norm | 03 May 2009 at 16:46