Sometimes when you go to places to speak, the venue is unsuitable and the audience meagre, with the people looking as if they have only come into the place to get out of the rain. Sometimes the venue is a marquee and there is so much noise coming in from outside that speaking feels like a fight with the ringside loudspeakers and the sound of the rain on the canvas. Sometimes, the organiser says hello and then abandons you.
Yesterday, I was lucky enough to speak at the Buxton Festival, where they know how to look after their authors. It began with a lovely lunch. Unfortunately, I was speaking after lunch so I was a little bit too twitchy to make the most of the food. I even had to leave half my chocolate dessert. I was tempted to ask the waitress to put it on one side in the kitchen so I could go back later and have it for afternoon tea when I was more relaxed.
The room was pleasant and quiet, and the audience was responsive and friendly and asked some good questions, and laughed at my jokes. They laughed at my jokes! Thank you, dear audience.
And then at the end, Rosie the organiser gave me a bottle of champagne to bring home. And home was only twenty minutes away through Derbyshire countryside - what more could anyone ask of a gig?
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