There's a letter from one Patrick Keylock, a fervent supporter of the King of Hay. He was there, he says, when Richard declared independence, and criticises the members of the Revolution (including me) for jumping on Richard's 'gravy train' and "now they feel the need to raise their profile for their own gain they have the nerve to insult Hay's most recognisable figure whilst all three would have difficulty being noticed in their own mirror." (!)
It's quite amusing that he thinks we're doing it for personal gain. I don't expect to gain a single penny from it - but if it raises the profile of Hay nationally (and internationally) then I'll be more secure in my job, and that's really the point of it all - raising the profile of Hay, rather than any individual.
He also says that, in the early days of Richard's reign, "we even had our own ice cream and passports, but you would need to be local to remember that."
And that is precisely the point - we need more than the locals remembering that. We need to tell the world.
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7 comments:
as one of the gang of three I would like to claim my qualification as a local -as in my youth I owned a "Balls to Walls- eat Hay National Icecream" T shirt
The Witchfinder General
what is local??
I think Patrick missed the point of the excercise.
By the way "Anonymous", to me "local" means born and bred in the locality.
I'd agree with that, compman.
I'm not local in that sense, but I have lived here for longer than I've lived anywhere else in my life.
I think Patrick Keylock raises a very good point in his letter in the B&R. We have a lot to thank Richard Booth for and without him several of you might not even be here or be working in book shops in Hay.
Long live the King!
I think Patrick Keylock raises soime very good points in his letter last week in the B&R. We have a lot to thank Richard Booth for and it's right to say that if it wasn't for him a lot of you / us wouldn't even be here or have jobs in Hay bookshops.
Long live the King!
Absolutely, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Richard Booth. I first came to Hay to work for him, and when I'd got here, I didn't want to leave.
No-one is belittling what Richard has done for Hay in the past, but the unhappy truth is that he's not getting any younger, and in the past ten years or so Hay hasn't had the high profile it used to have in the past. We've been relying on our past glories, and sooner or later, the film crews will stop coming unless something new and exciting happens.
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