Korean fir tree

It's been a lovely sunny day. I've been at home and have attempted to connect with the Hay Festival. The live sessions have been beset with connectivity problems for me, so I'm now listening to the talks I chose on catch up. That works much better.

The first of the day was David Walliams, talking about his children's books. He is delightfully anarchic and I'm sure that children who love toilet humour will adore his character Windy Mindy, who plays the French horn........

Later I heard Anne Applebaum give the Christopher Hitchens lecture, entitled Twilight of Democracy - Disinformation, Polarisation and the Digital Future. Her description of the formation of the BBC made me want to fight for the organisation. This was a very erudite lecture, mainly about the internet.

Finally, I heard Stephen Fry talking to Peter Scott-Morgan. This was a most remarkable session and I encourage you to hear it on the catch up facility. Peter had motor neurone disease and is fighting to stay alive using a variety of technologies. His brain is razor sharp. He was already an expert in artificial intelligence long before his diagnosis.

I ventured into the garden in the warmth of the evening. The Korean fir is covered with cones, looking fresh and young. (Perhaps this could become a card for something in December, but I won't mention the word just yet!!)