Local Events at Hay Festival

 Booking opens to the public on Friday 15th March at noon - tickets are already available to the Friends of the Festival - and there are a lot of local events this year, many of them walking events.

Local authors Jasper Fforde and Owen Sheers will be speaking - this year Owen Sheers is talking about a childrens' book.

Local photographer Billie Charity will be talking to farmer and drag queen Boo La Croux (who organises Hay Pride) and farmer Ben Andrews, who is involved in Agrespect, a farming organisation for LGBTQ+ issues.

Mary Morgan will be talking about local monuments and memorials.

The man who wrote the new Muffin the Mule book, which has been on sale in just about every shop in Hay, is giving three talks.

Father Richard will be playing the organ accompaniment to A Cottage on Dartmoor in St Mary's church - I saw him do this a few years ago, and it was brilliant.  It was the last silent film to be made in Britain, and has scenes showing the changeover from silent films to talkies - as well as a jealous barber and unrequited love!

Hay Writers Circle are doing an event too.

And then there's music - the Hay Shantymen will be singing, and so will the Hereford College of Arts Vocal Ensemble, the Hereford Chamber Choir and the Hay Community Choir.  The Hereford College of Arts Theatre Students are performing twice - I rather like the sound of their version of Midsummer Night's Dream - or Four Weddings and a Fairy!

Angela, who wrote a book about Wild Swimming in the Wye, will be leading swimming sessions from the Warren - though tickets are on the pricey side at £30 each.  There will also be an illustration workshop with the theme of Save the River Wye.  Since the talks last year, nothing much has changesd as far as pollution of the River Wye is concerned, sadly.

Tom True will be giving a guided tour of Hay Castle.

There's also a chance to visit Snodhill Castle, as one of the organised trips out - it's a lovely castle hidden away in the Golden Valley.

There are also Farm Walks at Trevithel Court, Maesllwch, and Llwynberried.

And there are Wayfaring Walks - the one visiting local ancient trees is already sold out, but there is also Enjoying the National Park, The National Park and its Five Missions, and a walk with a National Park Warden.

Or there's Mountain Biking in the Wye Valley.

Meanwhile there are all the big names that one might expect at Hay Festival - Lenny Henry, Rowan Williams, Judi Dench, Robert Macfarlane, Tom Holland, Rory Stewart, George Monbiot, Stephen Fry, Miriam Margolyes, Nish Kumar - and lots more. 

I'm quite excited about Robin Wall Kimmerer, who wrote the wonderful book Braiding Sweetgrass, talking about plants and combining indigenous knowledge (she's a Native American) and scientific knowledge.  I'm also looking forward to Maggie Pocock-Aderin, who I saw at a Winter Festival - she'll be talking about the constellations of the night sky.