Farewell to a faithful friend

                                                           

Sometimes people say that writing is a lonely occupation. I've never found it so as I've always had one or other of my dogs by my side or at my feet. But last month I lost my beloved Beagle Carys, who had lain in her basket here in the garden room as I wrote, who had listened patiently to me reading and trying out ideas, who had lately come with me on nearly all the pilgrimages for my present project. An ex-breeding bitch on a ghastly puppy farm, we rescued her six and a half years ago and she was the loyalest of companions. I'm missing her enormously.

We're fortunate enough to live quite close to Ledbury and one of the highlights of my year is always going to the Poetry Festival that runs over ten days in June and July. This year I was unfortunately away for some of the time but still managed to make it to a couple of workshops, two fascinating films (on the very different, but both superb, poets Emily Dickinson and Ruth Fainlight) and a very interesting talk about the long serving Poet Laureate John Masefield and the Great War. Funding for festivals such as this is getting harder and harder - as with all arts ventures these days - but they offer so much enrichment to so many people, they are very much worth fighting for and supporting.

Yesterday evening I was at another interesting venue - and getting delusions of grandeur! The Cwtsh gallery in Newport was hosting the launch of a brilliant photographic exhibition "Write In The Eye" by John Briggs, with images of writers in Wales from 2002 to 2026. And there amongst the great and the good - Gillian Clarke, Dannie Absie, Menna Elfyn and so many well known others - were photos of some of us lesser mortals who also write and read at events here on this side of the border, myself included! John has been photographing writers from his earliest days in his native America and he gave a very entertaining talk on his experiences over the years. The exhibition runs until the end of July, with readings by some of the writers photographed on Sunday July 26th. Well worth a visit if you're in the area.