At Hay Festival

Last Friday I found a long brown envelope addressed to me in the kitchen. Hmm, I thought, it's a handwritten address, so it can't be anything nasty like a tax demand or bill.

NAH: What's that?

Me (after frantically ripping the envelope open): Um, it's a complimentary ticket to see Dan Pearson at the Hay Festival on Sunday.

NAH: Who's he and how did you get that?

Me: He's a hot shot garden designer and I entered a Wiggly Wigglers' e-mail competition, ages ago, thinking in the unlikely event I won I could go whilst you're working on your steam engine at Midsomer Norton. I'd totally forgotten I'd entered, so what a nice surprise!

NAH: Slight problem. Your car's just failed it's MOT and the garage can't get the part needed until we're on holiday. Your car's not safe to drive long distances.

Me (absolutely gutted): Oh.

NAH: Well, I could go to Midsomer Norton on Monday and we go to Hay on Wye for our day out together on Sunday instead.

So that's what we did :D

Comments

  1. HappyMouffetard28 May 2009 at 09:56

    What a lovely NAH you have! And what a lovely surprise.

    ReplyDelete
  2. emmat28 May 2009 at 10:48

    Don't you think that Dan Pearson is just the best speaker? I think the man is a genius, but he is really good at talking about gardening too. I would definitely join a cult if he was in charge (as I think i have said before!)

    ReplyDelete
  3. our friend Ben28 May 2009 at 14:13

    What fun!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anna28 May 2009 at 16:57

    Must have been an enjoyable experience - wish that we could see more of Dan on the box these days. The only minus is that his voice is so soothing, that I used to nod off and miss vital snippets :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Claire Potter28 May 2009 at 17:39

    what a great surprise! I always worry when I get post I'm not expecting...stupid really. I hope you had a good time - one I day I will see Dan speak - I can see how he would be a wonderful speaker.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Flighty28 May 2009 at 17:54

    Lucky you! xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. VP29 May 2009 at 08:01

    HM - yes he is and it was :)

    Emmat - it was wonderful. He spoke about the places which inspire him and I was glad to see he included one of my favourite walks of all time on the Gower. I liked the was he called tracks, 'lines of desire' and he had an interesting take on moss in the garden - feature it because can have up to 40 species within it.

    OFB - it was!

    Anna - I was so excited to be there, I had no problem keeping awake!

    Claire - funny, I love getting post, who knows what exciting possibilities it may contain. It's an obsession I've had since I graduated and went after 100 jobs before I got one (we were in a recession at the time). Every day contained a hope that the post would bring that wanted job and my final escape from home.

    Flighty - yes I am, very lucky!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Juliet29 May 2009 at 22:53

    How lovely :-D

    R is obsessed with getting post and is completely unable to let it lie on the doormat, even if he is in the middle of doing something else when it arrives.

    I'm not, and the postman is always trying to give me our post when I'm sitting in the door of the garage, up to my elbows in compost - I keep having to tell him to put it through the letterbox, please, my hands are dirty.

    ReplyDelete
  9. VP30 May 2009 at 08:32

    Juliet - I'm glad I'm not the only post obsessive!

    ReplyDelete

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