Hey-on-Wye Festival celebrated its 25th birthday this year and I was lucky enough to make it for the final weekend of festivities. Hay is a literary festival which brings writers together from around the world to celebrate and share stories.

We arrived in Wales on Friday night and as I stepped out of the car the door was nearly blown off its hinges and then was completely soaked trying to make it to shelter. However, amazingly the rain stayed away on Saturday and Sunday and as usual it was a fantastic few days away.

One of the highlights of the festival for me was seeing Simon Callow speak about Dickens. Then, aside from staying with very generous and wonderful friends, I must mention the wonderful tour we had around Hay Castle (photo above shows views from the castle) which currently houses a great second-hand bookshop. The medieval castle and Jacobean mansion are about to undergo a complete restoration. For further information see, www.haycastletrust.org