Stpehen Fry – what can I say? What a way to end a fantastic journey of thought, discussion and experience. Mr Fry is probably the most honest person that I have heard over the festival. He spoke openly about his teenage prison experience (in a prison where I once taught English) and when criticising popular [...]
Does James Bond exist?
Christopher Andrew, the in-house historian for the MI5, author of ‘The Defence of the Realm: ...
An Ampersand Not A Whimper
So – to the last eventof this whole great first year of the second decade of the twenty-first century thrash!
Stephen Fry, the man whose whole career is based on pointing out the consequences of the inconsequential, rabbited on deliciously to Peter Florence.
He started a digital deviation which along the way posed a great question. ‘Why [...]
Results of the CT Scan
The CT in this case is Conspiracy Theorists – and the scan was conducted by Dave Aaronovich to a generally sceptical audience. He’s conspired to write a book examining most of the best theories around - Kennedy, Diana, Obama’s birthplace – and debunked them all. I’m sure he won’t mind if I paraphrase from genuine, incontestible [...]
David Remnick – Urbane in Trainers
Depth is the first impression one has of David Remnick. Having left a plane cabin only hours before, he sat on stage with John Harris of the Guardian dressed somewhat eclectically. We would not have noticed if he hadn’t pointed it out. Remnick is a serious and committed journalist and writer and, to be frank, [...]
CT Scan
David Aaronvitch was once a blood and thunder left-wing student activist (I know, I was the butt of his invective on Manchester Uni’s Student Union council 35 years ago). Now he’s a right wing columnist. Has that been just a hardening of the radical arteries or could it be a conspiracy by newspaper barons?
Must rush. Got [...]
Bursting Into Song
All the posh punters were devoting their afternoon to Tom Stoppard so I stopped off for a spot of Rennaisance female incarceration. Nothing too strenuous, just the pleasant energy of Sarah Dunant and Helena Kennedy discussing the way that women sent to convents by their families in 16th century Italy (to avoid paying ruinous dowries) [...]
Schumann Bicentenary Lunchtime Concerts
Thursday 3 June – Shai Wosner – St Mary’s Church – 1pm
Celebrating the upcoming bicentenary of Robert Schumann, St Mary’s Church has offered a series of lunchtime concerts celebrating his work. Today Israeli pianist Shai Wosner gave a vitality to the great composers work in a recital that comprised the four Nachtstücke and the grand [...]
Glorious Cleggies?
I couldn’t quite bring myself to sit supine for the new DPM (there’s a very rude interpretation of those letters which it would be unfair on the festival to spell out!) Nicholas Clegg OW MP. Firstly there was likely to be more of the ‘why I love being with Cameron’ stuff that Simon Hogart – [...]
A Liberal Dose of Hogart
Parliamentary sketch writer and political humourist Simon Hogart was brave last night to offer a ‘psycho-pathology of the Liberal Democrats’ in a constituency which had the distinction in the election of increasing it’s Lib Dem MP’s majority – Roger Williams is Leader of the Welsh Lib Dems at Westminster and the place is much better [...]
Hobsbawm Birthday Week
This week will see Eric Hobsbawm reaching his 93rd birthday, though you would never think it from listening to him. His many appearances over the years at Hay have made us almost nonchalant about watching him take to the microphone but what a fabulous privilege it is. Even if he was not just about (I’m [...]
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