Val

What a lovely day it’s been. The drive across Northumberland by the Roman Wall to the Lake District was quiet. The M6 wasn’t but the drive to Keswick was stunning - the snowy tops of Blencathra gleamed invitingly and Bass Lake glinted in the sunshine.

It’s the Words by the Water literary festival in Keswick. Joan and I went to a very amusing talk by the endearing Scottish crime writer Val McDermid then to the political satirist John Crace from the Guardian. He didn’t have anything remotely cheery to say about our present situation. You have to laugh.