Derwentwater, rain and yellow chairs

A day to be indoors rather than out, but this was no hardship at the Theatre by the Lake - four fascinating talks, lots of reading time in between . . . and of course a bookshop. Perfect!

It was ‘Bookcase Day’ at ‘Words by the Water’, the one where local books published by Bookcase, the wonderful bookshop in Carlisle, are showcased.

We went to three excellent talks in the Studio -

- The incomparable Michael Mullett with a highly entertaining and informative fifth episode of his mighty ‘History of Penrith’.

- Steve Matthews of Bookcase talking about Canon Rawnsley and his significant influence on Keswick and on the founding of The National Trust.

- David Weston told us some surprising things about Thomas Smith, Bishop of Carlisle in the 17th century. He had strong links with Appleby and Cockermouth, the evidence for which still remains today.

And finally this evening in the Main Theatre we listened to Angus Winchester talking about his book, ‘The Language of Landscape: A Journey into Lake District History’. What a splendid talk it was, one of the best I have ever been to. On a journey from Cockermouth to Buttermere, he gave examples of how clues to the evolution, history and culture of an area can be found in such things as place names, field patterns, buildings and layers of stories and memories. This superbly illustrated talk kept a capacity audience fascinated. I can’t wait to read the book, which was of course bought. Three books bought today.

A great day. Lots to read and think about and more avenues to explore.