After breakfast we drove down to Ilam to see Nick Hunt at the Dovedale Arts Festival. We arrived rather early and the sight that greeted us wasn't auspicious. The car park was a muddy field, the venue, we were told was a rattly and drafty marquee and the other other attendee was a 'Paddy groupie'. Quite soon we found the proper venue which was far more comfortable barn with adjacent toilets and coffee about to be served.
Nick was 'in conversation' with an interviewer who prompted him for stories. The questioning had an apparent randomness which resulted in good tales but no clear narrative. A theme that came through strongly was that he had made it up as he went along. PLF's books gave a list of villages, many of which are lost or renamed decade later and that was the extent of upfront navigation. The carelessness gave an opportunity to meet, see and wander as time, circumstances and events unfolded; maximising chance meetings and invitations. A lesson there not to plan too much perhaps.
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