Bumping into old friends at festival

THE festival Green Room in the pavilion at Phyllis Court in Henley proved to be the setting for some wonderful meetings. After Rupert Everett finished his sell out talk he arrived back to see Celia Imrie waiting to go to her event. This brought two of the stars of the St Trinians films of 2007 and 2009 together again. Celia was the matron and Rupert the headmistress.

SARA Cox was about to go when Sir Trevor McDonald arrived. She went over to introduce herself and reminded him that he was due on her Radio 2 show to talk about his book on cricket.

HENRY Blofeld delighted his audience but was thrilled to bump into an old friend, Pam Ayres and her husband Dudley. Pam was following Blowers on the marquee stage. Two distinctive but very different voices who have entertained us for years.

LYNDSAY Nicholson who edited Good Housekeeping for 20 years learned that the magazine had a strong influence on her readers when she talked about her memoir Perfect Bound . One audience member had an advice letter sent to her by Lyndsay 20 years ago about packing. Another said she had won a modelling course run by the magazine: “It was better than my wedding day,” she said.

SAGA magazine was celebrating its 40th birthday as well as being magazine partner of the festival. Editor Louise Robinson hosted a birthday party at Relais Henley attended by festival authors like Kathy Lette, actor Simon Williams, Mary Berry and singer Nick Heyward.

JR