The Mystery of Words

Today, we joined the intelligentsia at the Ways With Words Festival of Words and Ideas at Dartington. There was a relaxed bookish atmosphere and we sat here in the outside reading area, trying to look nonchalant and embodying the mystery of words. We read our free copy of the Daily Telegraph, looked round the book stalls, and went to a talk by Helen Dunmore. I did a rough survey - men were outnumbered by 10 to 1. Dartington is a unique place I am discovering, and very near Totnes, also magical, so magical in fact it is twinned with Narnia. In the book tent a bookseller from Yealmpton, flooded last weekend, had a notice saying his town was twinned with Venice. For the anniversary which is just around the corner Mrs M bought me a special second hand book. I won't say what it is - but it embodies the mystery of words.