The Hay Festival of Literature & Arts is an annual literature festival held in Hay-on Wye for ten days from May to June - a kind of Glastonbury for book lovers. Devised by Peter Florence in 1988, the festival was described by Bill Clinton in 2001 as "The Woodstock of the mind". Since its inception, the festival has been held in a variety of venues around Hay until 2005 when it moved to a central location just outside of the town.
Bowlesy and three delightful ladies of his acquaintance (Kate, Gillian and Tina) spent a delicious week at the Hay Festival 2009. Kate had done us proud by renting us the truly charming cottage, Cwm Sirhowy (pronounced "gorgeous") in Clyro just outside Hay-on-Wye; it was heaven. Time was spent at the festival going to talks, sitting in the garden reading, eating, drinking and playing Rummikub and Canasta in front of the fire late into the night.
(our beautiful cottage for the week and the view from our garden)
We went to see and hear some true greats; Clive James; Fay Presto; Tony Curtis; Denis Norden and the wonderful Irma Kurtz. The highlight for me was Mr Tony Curtis, a legend in a white stetson, he was very entertaining and I was persuaded ( get it, Persuaders) to buy his autobiography afterwards. I couldn't resist telling Mr Curtis that it was when, at the age of seven, I watched him in The Persuaders that I realised I was gay. He just stared blankly at me and said "Ow" or "How" or "Ahrgh" or something like that, I couldn't quite catch it, but, the moment passed.
And, on Wednesday... it rained.
And out came the wellies. 
Some made up words,
and after a week of culture, a fag and a drink.
See you all next year!
