Anyone going to Hay festival this year?

[Nymphadora]

Programme going online this week!

anyone?

I always look through the programme, but I never go.

REally enjoyed it last year , very excited about hthis year as I may actually see some adult stuff as am going with my bf so he can look after kids (hopefully!)

Me too@poodlepusher. Maybe next year.

My 16-year-old SIL is going

The closest I've got is a Grauniad Review Hay Festival bag with a Posey Simmonds cartoon on it that a friend gave me...

I think the closest I'm going to get to a festival is the London Book Fair next week. Not really the same.

flossie teacake. i remember that book

I don't know how anyone ever manages to go, given that it means expense and a week off work. If I tried to wangle it, DW would demand to know who, exactly, was going to be looking after the kids while I went off on this jolly. Protestations that it was not, in fact, a jolly but an important piece of professional development would fall on deaf ears, I fear...

uttertripe, glad someone does Actually I think it was a nickname before we ever read the books, which I guess means it must have been floating around somewhere before Hunter Davies appropriated it.

(apologies for hijack!)

UQD: I did make a fairly concerted attempt at one point to persuade DS1 that he wanted to enter the Red House young reviewers competition in order to have a good excuse to go (the winning young reviewers have to take and adult with them, shame). Sadly he said he would rather just write a poem or a story about things he was actually interested in than going to some boring dinner. The yoof of today.

It's always in half-term, isn't it? So there is some effort to fit in with families. All the same, I wonder how "using" part of our holiday in this way would be received!

actually, now you mention it... maybe it sticks in the mind so much because ive heard it outside of the books too. i do remember being called Flossie. along with Fanny Adams, Ratface, the Wooden Puddin, and various other terms of endearment

We want to go just for an odd day. We haven't booked anything yet, as we're waiting for the programme to come out.

We aim to go away for half term, visit a few places, and catch up with some old friends, and fit in a day or two at Hay. But our plans are on hold a/w the schedule.

Has there been any advanced publicity? Do you know who's going to be there?

Please email me as soon as you hear anything!

I went for a day last year with the children - did children stuff (obv) and it was great fun and I got to reminise about those prechildren days of wandering around and taking in talks and coffees and chatting to strangers. >

but enjoyed it with children in different way and they liked it too. Few mnetters went last year IIRC.

I'm trying to decide as Hay coincides with my birthday and Dp's too, so it's a real treat. We went last year, camped nearby and really enjoyed it.

Only part of the programme is out so far, Alan Bennet fully booked up so I guess it will depend on who else is there.

You can download the draft programme. Lots on there.

UQD you have to TAKE the kids

Loads of good people Roisin , there is someone we want to see everyday though and we are trying to fit in a 2 day visit to bfs mate whilst we are down there!

UQD you need your DW to go to something else another time, to make it fair. DH and I have no problem with each other going off to conferences (though he claims to hate them ) because we both do it so it is fair.

Oh looks fab!
The only problem is some of ds1's faves are back-to-back, so he will have to make some difficult decisions!

Tues/Wed sounds like the times for us.

So how do we go about getting tickets?

Not on sale yet, seems later than last year, the programme was supposed to be completed on 8th but hasn't been updated on;ine yet. Haven't had any emails or post yet AND the kids hasn't been updated since last year (there is more than on the main programme, there is kids programme too)

Somewhere on the site today it says programme published on 20 April

A few tickets are on sale already.

DS1 would love to see Charlie Higson, but wants to see Robert Muchamore even more; and I don't think it's a good idea to do two back-to-back, as we'll need a break, I reckon.

We want to try and get tickets for Eoin Colfer, as he's supposed to be fab live: I've always wanted to see him. The problem is dh will want to see Eoin Colfer too, but ds2 wants to see Georgia Byng instead!

Please let me know immediately you hear any more

UQD - you take the family, we all went last year. We stayed in our tent in a makeshift campsite and went to hear LOADS of children's authors - and took turns letting each other go to some grown-up events. It was fun, but admittedly not as much fun as when we used to go prechildren and could do what we liked (and afford a B&B).
We are not going this year because of family stuff but will definitely do it again next year. There is loads of stuff for children to do these days, I was astonished at how big and busy it is compared to when I was last there (which was, to be fair, 1994).

Ooh great we've booked some accommodation, and we've also arranged to double-up and visit Stratford and see a play whilst we're out-and-about.

I can't wait! It's great to have something to look forward to during this long term.

Nymphadora - was your HLTA assessor visit this week? Or next?

Roisin -am being assessed on MOnday -texted you before am panicing!!!We have been to RSC loads in past year and have 2 visits for this year so far BUT haven't taken kids yet so let me know how you get on!

20 April is quite late for programme to be out.

me and bf fancy Eoin Colfer but kids don't.
Want Allan Alberg, Francesca Simon for kids. Would have liked to seen Alan Bennent but doesn't work time wise.So prob there Weds at least!

mmmmmmmmmm Shepherd's sheep milk ice creams in the sunshine

So far I am wanting, sun, mon , tues,weds. Found Jasper Fforde on Mon and me & bf both want to see him so may be a tussle!
Also found a Dr Who quiz

What has Francesca Simon done apart from Horrid Henry? What does Allan Ahlberg write?

I've got too many things ds1 wants to go to, but not much at ds2's level atm. (Probably because he doesn't read that much!)