I was going to write about the fine time had by all this weekend at the DuM festival (as always), mentioning Linda Grant and Michele Grant’s brilliant sisters’ double act, Jenny Eclair’s splendid breakfast japes, Lizzie Speller’s tales of reckless excess, Virago’s kindness to authors in the presence of Victoria Pepe, Dovegreyreader‘s blog IN PERSON!, Helen Taylor’s splendid stewardship of our panel event on DuM’s historical fiction, the kindnesses of both Waterstones in the tent and Bookends and Bookends Too of Fowey, and Shelley Silas, as always, best car company (21 years, never a cross word, oh no). As well as what a great festival it is and how important it is to make sure it continues.
I was going to talk about all of that, but actually, Lizzie and Jenny have already done so. And better. Follow the links to their reports.
Here, instead, is a pic of me swimming in the sea in the cove just beyond Readymoney Cove (anyone knows what it’s called?) – I say ‘swimming’, given it was a whole new cove and given there were no signs about the safety of otherwise of the water, it really was just a dip in & out. #safeswimmingchildren!
It is probably also important to note that uphill unsober in stunning, v high-but-architect-designed shoes is a doddle compared to doing the same, sober, downhill. (Steep hill, that Fowey hill.)
I’ve heard that it’s now called Duffy Cove and watching you on those shoes was like watching a live physics lesson on centres of gravity and angles and fulcrums and things…so glad ‘never a cross word’ and lovely to meet up with you and Shelley x
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Yay, a cove of my very own! As for the shoes, well worth the danger to get a shoe compliment from someone who knows her stuff as well as Linda does!
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It’s either Penventinue Cove or Coombe Haven. HOWEVER, had you walked further along you could have bathed in Polridmouth Cove – as we did a few years ago despite Pam having no bathing costume with her – and enjoyed the frisson of knowing it was where Rebecca met her end (and where Pam had swum in just her kn……s!).
PS We loved your reading from Jamaica Inn and the triple act with Lizzie and Helen, and Pam enjoyed nattering with an arm-full of 3-for-2 books at the signing.
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Them next time it’s Polridmouth for me too! Glad you enjoyed it and always a pleasure to meet people loaded up with books!
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