The Wigtown Book Festival

Have you and your SOH (significant other half) ever had a conversation thinking that you were both talking about the same thing.

And then found out you weren't even on the same page.

Or in our case, the same country.

A bit of scene setting: You may have heard of the Wigtown Book Festival which is now in its 16th year. It has over 160 events  spread over ten days from 26th September to 5th October and in the past has welcomed such luminaries as Ian Rankin, Celia Imrie, John Sessions. Kate Adie and Joanna Lumley.

It is  Scotland's National Booktown with over twenty book related businesses. This is in a wee village tucked in the  South West of Scotland, Miles  from anywhere. It's so far from anywhere it is one of the few places with no atmospheric noise or whatever it is called. A great place to look at stars.

As for Wigtown itself? Lovely I am sure but it always reminds me of Wickerman country. Empty streets,  nobody about. Eeerie. Smells of cow pooh.

So the conversation went....

Me :  I am doing Wigtown this year.  Can we leave early and drive down the coast road, lovely sunny  weather,  have a nice lunch on the way. 117 miles.

Him  ; Yes. I'll stick it in the sat nav. Do you have a postcode?

Me :  No, it's in a field.

Him ; Ok,  oh wait, that's the day various children have to be elsewhere first thing in the morning, can            we leave at lunchtime?

Me  :   Ok then.

Him :  We will have to go the motorway, it's longer but quicker

Me :    Really?  so we must cut across country?

Him :  Yes, 129 miles  south then go right

Me ;    Must be a new road

Him ;  Yes.

My house to destination....or is it?

So when we crossed the border into England I questioned the sat nav. Never ever do this to somebody with testosterone. I was reassured we were leaving at next exit.

So I kept quiet for a couple of miles and then pointed out we only had seven miles to go and we WEREN'T EVEN IN THE RIGHT COUNTRY.

He pulled the car over, pressed the sat nav and said... 'See Wigton.'

'Yes dear. Shame I am appearing at Wigtown' 

Wee rejuggle of sat nav.

147 miles back the way, and round the Solway Firth.

Where we were supposed to be going.

In Wikipedia it says about Wigton.. 'Not to be confused with Wigtown, Scotland.'

So to be clear - Wigton is in North Cumbria,  north west England. It is a small market town just outside the Lake District. Wigtown, the book town, is  a  book lovers haven. It is situated in the southwest of Scotland.  It is a "kaleidoscope of beautiful pastoral landscape, rugged coastline, woodland and forest, moorland and mountain is a rich cultural melting pot."

                                                                           Opps

I have no pics of Wigton as we had to drive at breakneck speed back over the border ( still open due to referendum result!) and I made the event on time....

But when we got there (Wigtown) the sun had gone.

Wigtown

the bowling green in the middle of town

book festival causing traffic chaos

                               you can see the tail backs for.... well you can't as there was no traffic at all...

the festival tent.... fake grass

note water barrels to hold tent down in gale force winds

the bowling green from outside tent

nice innit- but not a lot  going on.

he stayed all through out event, a real border collie in the birders.

I tried to sneak a pic of this man's very trendy shoes

tri coloured!

                                                               pre event traffic jam

still nothing

pre event meeting. Catriona McPherson and border collie are hiding behind me.You can just see Cat's green coat.

                                                              Mmmmmmm??

                                                  That'll be us then

Me reading, Cat paying attention.

Me explaining

Cat puzzled

Cat still puzzled

Me giving death stare to audience member

Cat giving death stare to audience member

Audience member survived.

Or we might have burned him alive in a huge wicker cage shaped like a man.... you will never know....

Caro Ramsay Defo in Glasgow  (in Scotland, not the one in Missouri, Kentucky Or Montana)