We had a magical day in a gloriously hot and sunny Wigtown on Saturday of the first weekend of this year’s book festival. Late as usual we rushed in with the tribe to the children’s tent to see Alan MacDonald talking about his Dirty Bertie books, which included a spelling test of mostly what Bertie would consider to be rude words and lesson in how to draw a cartoon face – great fun for the more artistically challenged in the family (me). Afterwards we had an hour spare to wander about Wigtown and soak up the atmosphere. Who should we bump into but Joanna Lumley, who was being given a tour before her lunchtime talk to launch a £100,000 appeal for the Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust in Dumfries. Later, I was rather distracted as the youngest member of the tribe had disappeared, when on my search to locate her, ably helped by the middle member of the tribe, Alice was accosted in the street by none other by Miss Lumley who told her she was wearing an extremely pretty dress. She says all the right things.
Grace was quickly located and we went on to enjoy the hilariously named ‘Camper Obscura‘. Sitting inside the 1986 VW camper van, in the pitch black using Victorian technology – a white piece of board and a lens in the roof of the ‘van – we were able to circumspect all the goings on in the Main Street, including Angus nipping off to buy a third hog roast roll. It was fascinating – a bit like watching a silent movie – but in colour. Sadly they won’t be there next Saturday when we head back into the literary fray, although I’m sure there will be something else equally amusing.