Festival fever

This weekend has been dominated, one way and another, by coverage of the Glastonbury Festival, taking place after a three year hiatus. With enthusiastic crowds and headline acts, it's been declared a great success and an indication that things are finally back to normal.

Yet other smaller and newer festivals have had to be cancelled due to lack of support, and others have had attendances lower than in previous years.

While many people are eager to do all the things they used to do, there's no doubt that others are more hesitant and, with the cost of living and covid cases both on the rise, there are practical reasons why some people are unable to participate in social events as much as they may like.

Though the arts, theatre, performance, music and entertainment may seem peripheral to life when times are becoming harder for more of us, we mustn't forget how much they contribute to our sense of joy and wellbeing. And if we don't support the people putting on these enterprises now, they may not be there for us when things become more straightforward again.

The coming weeks see many local events taking place which boost our communities, reduce the need for travel and are often very competitively priced. I hope you will consider supporting them and book your tickets in good time so that the organisers are confident of going ahead with their plans.

We can be informed, entertained and inspired by Sarah Langford on 8 July (see below), find out more about the writing of Rupert Thomson, whom we discussed in book group this year when he visits Suffolk Book League in Ipswich on 14 September, and delight in a great programme at the Lavenham Literary Festival in November. There are riches in store!

And tomorrow it's book group! So let me know by replying to this email if you are planning on coming along and I'll make sure the coffee's on and the chairs are out, and we can enjoy sharing our ideas about 'The Blue Book of Nebo'. I look forward to seeing you soon!

Thank you for reading.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened the pages of this book. It has a beautiful cover, but would I really want to read quite such a big book all about birdwatching?!

It didn't take long for me to be completely engrossed, unable to put the book down, desperate to know the outcome of this extraordinary account of family, mental illness, and an obsession.

Since a young child, Mya-Rose has travelled the world to collect sightings of more and more birds. It was originally her father's obsession but then he realised it helped his wife's mental wellbeing. And their youngest child didn't want to be left behind, so Mya-Rose joined them.

To date she has seen over five thousand different types of bird: half the world's species. In travelling the world, she has seen the destruction that is being wrought on the planet and the resulting threat to birds in particular.

The author is known now as a birder, an environmentalist and a diversity activist and in the latter part of the book she describes how she came to organise conferences and speak to the media and audiences about her passion.

It is an extraordinary account which is all-consuming and fascinating to read. I loved it!

For recommended non-fiction titles, take a look here.

Festival fever

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