First walkers

The Haltwhistle Spring Walking Festival started today. Here you see a group of keen walkers, equipped for the worst possible weather, waiting for the start of the 13 mile walk, Crags and Loughs. Although the wind from the north east was very cold, it was an excellent walking day and there was no rain at all. It was a brilliant start.

Some of these people come for every festival and book their accommodation months in advance. Some had never been to the festival before.

Tomorrow I'm leading the 13m Crags and Loughs Day Two and trying to ignore the weather forecast. They have been wrong before.......

The short walkers today acquired a Japanese watercolour artist who was visiting and wanted to meet local people.

I took Mum to hear Iain Banks at the Hexham Book Festival tonight. He spoke so quickly that she could not make out one word which was a shame because he was very funny and witty.