All book festivals are equal but some are more equal than others – and Hexham has been a favourite since my first appearance twelve years ago. Why? Well, for a start they put you up in the Beaumont Hotel, right next door to the festival venue. It’s a lively hotel with brilliant staff and lovely (reasonably priced) rooms.

Then there’s the town, an architectural masterpiece with one of the loveliest town centre parks in the country. Finally, Hexham always provides me with great interviewers.  This year (as last) it was my friend and former parliamentary colleague Chris Mullin. We spent a happy hour talking about Harold Wilson; so happy that there was no time for questions. Instead, the highlight of the evening came when Chris surprised me with a photo of him with the great man in 10 Downing Street circa 1970. It reminded the packed audience that Chris Mullin was a great investigative journalist before becoming a great MP and one of the few parliamentarians to have written a great novel (‘A Very British Coup’ – check it out).