Indigo deferred

I have the word, I took the picture early in this morning’s warm sunshine but when, at mid-day, I was in the old Indian Institute building in Broad Street and saw this staircase, I knew my rainbow (identified by everyone now, I think) would have to wait a day.

I was there to hear an interview with scientist and inventor James Lovelock, proponent of the Gaia hypothesis – that the biosphere has the self-regulating capacity to keep Earth (not humans) healthy by controlling its chemical and physical environment. A very interesting, against-the-grain maverick who, I discovered, claims to have invented the microwave oven to thaw frozen hamsters during 1950s cryobiology experiments. Despite being known as a doom-monger, he is full of energy, determined to enjoy life to the full and he comes across many years younger than the 94 he has lived.

This was at the heart of the Oxford Literary Festival and while wandering through the marquee bookshop/café I had a promotional bag thrust into my hands. Unlike the fraying Sunday Times bags of previous years, this year’s is sturdy, made to promote its sponsor, the Financial Times, for a long time.

Perhaps I will turn it inside out.