The year has flown by: it seems like only yesterday we were waving the coaches goodbye in the rain last August – and here we all are back at The Hayes once more. The first day is always a chaotic jumble, so here’s just a few of my highlights to be going on with:
Hugs from old friends that made me forget my stewarding duties;
Meeting ‘white badgers’ and trying to make them feel less nervous;
Awarding Katie the prize for most fluorescent outfit so far;
Cheering when Fliss was presented with the Quaich;
Awarding Katie the prize for most fluorescent outfit so far;
Cheering when Fliss was presented with the Quaich;
Seeing Zana looking well and happy;
Noticing that the custard is a paler shade of yellow this year;
And being thrilled with my thank you present from Diana and the Committee.
And being thrilled with my thank you present from Diana and the Committee.
Tonight’s guest speaker was Christopher Lee (not the dead one!): prolific author, broadcaster, former Archers scriptwriter and adviser to the Foreign Office. His opening comments were that “writers look smug and self-satisfied; they are miserable sods who are not nice to other people.”
We were advised never to marry a writer and more to the point, never be a writer. He went on to say it was a lousy, lousy job and why would anyone do it. But he also admitted it was a great life and a fabulous thing to do. And you know what? I doubt if there was anyone in the room who would disagree with him.
paulareednancarrow.com
I haven't had a chance to read all of your posts, Elizabeth – could you enlighten me as to what a "white badger" is? Perhaps a link to the post in which the phrase first appears would be helpful…