Afternoon Tea ......

.... with Alan Johnston, at the Midland Hotel, where he was interviewed by Sarfraz Manzoor followed by questions from an audience. The second event we've attended as part of the Manchester Literature Festival. I've read his first two books - This Boy and Please Mr Postman, both excellent. And I've now got his third, The Long and Winding Road, which I am looking forward to reading. He's a Beatles fan, thus the book titles.

On the way to the Midland we came across a ceremony at the cenotaph (extra), and were puzzled what it was about. Didn't recognise the flags, the music sounded east European. It turns out it is the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian uprising. That is why quite a few of the flags had holes in the middle. In 1956 the rebels tore the communist star from the centre of the flags.