box office: 01497 822 629

Elaine Brook

The Solar House

Site visit to an experiment in one-planet living with eco-pioneer Elaine Brook.

Trevithel Court Farm Visit

Local agronomist Jonathon Harrington leads a visit to the farm run by David and Catherine James. The farm has 80 acres of cider apple orchards, 21 of which have been newly planted in March 2009. Bees are essential to the orchards and our resident beekeeper will be on the farm demonstrating how bees are cared for. The farm also produces a range of other ‘Farm Assured’ arable crops including wheat, barley, oats, beans and oilseed rape. Walk through the orchards, see the machinery used and sample the cider!

Please bring suitable footwear and waterproof clothing in case of inclement weather. Map included with ticket.

Family Event

Sponsored by Hay Veterinary Group

Denise Inge & Mark Vernon

The Pursuit of Happiness from Plato to Thomas Traherne and Back Again

In this conversation on happiness Denise Inge will talk about the seventeenth-century priest and poet Thomas Traherne, Mark Vernon about the ancient Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato. Traherne's story, unparalleled in the history of English literature, surrounds recently found manuscripts; the ideas of the ancient Greeks, on whom Traherne drew, have never been more pressing and relevant.

Nicola Coldstream

Builders and Decorators

Medieval Craftsmen in Wales brought to vivid life by the eminent art and architecture historian.

Supported by CADW

Russell Foster and Leon Kreitzman

Seasons of Life: The Biological Rhythms That Enable Living Things to Thrive and Survive

How do birds know when to return to their nesting grounds? What effect do the seasons have on our wellbeing, and how does the season in which we are born affect our subsequent life chances?

Caroline Lawrence

Roman Mysteries

Gladiators, togas, Latin and the odd mystery–what's not to love? Come and see the author of this hugely successful series talk about its grand finale, The Man From Pomegranate Street.

9–14 years

Kristina Stephenson

Sir Charlie Stinky Socks and the Really Frightful Night

Stinky socks at the ready! Join in the adventures of Sir Charlie Stinky Socks with the author-illustrator armed with fancy dress, sound effects and plenty of screams.

5–8 years

John Kay

The Long and the Short of it

A Guide to Finance and Investment for Normally Intelligent People Who Aren’t in the Industry. Someone, somewhere, needs to know... Chaired by financial commentator and author of Compassionate Economics Jesse Norman.

Alanna Mitchell

Seasick: The Hidden Ecological Crisis of the Global Ocean

99% of the planet’s living space is undergoing vast chemical changes at the hand of man.

Sponsored by UNESCO Cymru

Ed Kessler

Cambridge 800 Series: Isaac and Ishmael – what next?

The Executive Director of the Centre for Study of Muslim–Jewish Relations surveys the state of play.

In association with Cambridge University and The Cambridge Festival of Ideas