Planet Hay

It's been a wonderful day!

Last week, I had a look at my spinning equipment - and found that the antique wool carders I use have finally given up the ghost. One of them has split right across the back. You use them to comb the raw wool so that the fibres are all in the same direction, to make the wool easier to spin. When I go into schools, kids love doing this - but they do tend to be a bit rough! I'm going to be a Viking again next week, so there wasn't time to look around for another antique pair. I got a modern Ashford pair instead (very good company for all sorts of spinning and weaving supplies, based in New Zealand - fortunately there are shops over here that stock their stuff).

So, this lunch time, I got home from work to give Islay her usual trot round the market, to find a note from the postman saying the parcel was at the Post Office. Yippee!
Outside the Post Office, I ran into Huw Parsons, who has been writing a book about Hay - and the copies have just arrived from the printers! He was going round town giving out the complementary copies to all the people who have helped him - including me, so I got mine signed there and then!
I then spent all afternoon showing it round. It's made my day!

There's lots of good stuff there - and Huw really is a very good photographer! He's talked to all sorts of people around Hay, like Jean Miller the artist, Jayne the Loudest Librarian in the West, and Roger Morris who keeps pigs and makes cider. He spent some time with Gifford's Circus when they came last May, and went up to the Steam Rally. The Festival is there, of course, and some of the bookshops, but also Golesworthy's and the Thursday Market. Father Richard and Jimmy the Curate get a mention (and a photo), and so do the couple who run the local bakery.
And Anita Evans did some serious research for pieces on the old workhouse and the Second World War graves in the cemetery.
And there's more, of course, but you'll have to read the book for that.
The launch party is at the Globe on May 16th.