Tonbridge: A Woodstock of the mind?...

The Hay on Wye Festival has a new sponsor this year: The Daily Telegraph, taking over from the Guradian who sponsored it for at least ten years before. I'm not sure how that will go down with the middle class, left of centre, Guardian reading, right-on, flowery wellie brigade, who comprise quite a large contingent of the Hay audience, but I for one will be sad not to be there this year. There's bound to be the usual array of stars from the literary world all there to do talks to help promote their books to a very receptive audience. Increasingly there are also stars from the music world doing evening concerts and top comedians doing special Hay gigs. In addition there'll be many trade stands all keen to tap into this fairly affluent and opinion forming group of people. But for me the Hay Festival is much more than this, far greater than the sum of it's parts. Bill Clinton famously described it as a "Woodstock of the mind" Tony Benn said that "In his mind it has replaced Christmas" and playwright Arthur Miller was more jovial by asking "Hay on Wye. Is that some kind of a sandwich?" You'll find politicians, actors, writers, poets, comedians, businessmen, children, grandchildren, grown ups and grand parents from all over the country, and many from overseas, all mingling together in a gloriously relaxed, thought provoking atmosphere. A giant cocktail of culture all in one tiny little complex. And if all that's not enough, a short hop away from the tented village of the festival there's Hay on Wye, the town itself, nestling in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons and beautiful Black Mountains of Wales with over forty secondhand bookshops satisfying every taste. I'm aware that I'm beginning to sound like a tourist brochure in saying all this but believe you me it really is that good. My first visit there, about eight years ago, was certainly a major influence in my setting up a bookshop and book fairs in Tonbridge.  If you're not doing anything at the end of May and early June go along there for a few days and open up your minds. I guarantee that you'll want to go every year just like I do. But sadly not this year so maybe I'll have to create a Woodstock of the mind right here in Tonbridge instead!...