To Northern Ireland for my third appearance at the Open House Festival organised, as always, by the intrepid Lesley Richardson, a novelist in her own right and in between me and my interviewer, Stephen Walker, in the photo.
Stephen is the BBC Political Correspondent in Northern Ireland and has interviewed me that many times that we’ve become good friends over the years. He’s no mean writer himself having produced several modern history books.
We have a wonderful evening at Bangor College enhanced by the presence of the local MP, Sylvia Hermon. Sylvia was always one of my favourite MPs on the opposition benches when Labour was in government. A woman of elegance and charm she is also as tough as nails and has needed to be given her determination to plough her own independent furrow through the minefield of Northern Ireland politics.
A word for our hotel; the Salty Dog right on the seafront is as warm and welcoming as ever – and having eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner there we can vouch for the quality of the food.
