LITERARY FESTIVALS AND THE ART ROOM

Delicious Donna at Big Broad from Badsville reminded me about the Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival. I had quite forgotten this event among all the other excitements in my life but hopefully I will be able to get to the Val McDermid, Simon Brett, and H.F.R.Keating events on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September.

I hope Simon Brett doesn't think I am stalking him after mentioning at Crime Fest 2009 that we were at Dulwich College at the same time.

I should not have forgotten this festival as my cousin Deborah lives in a beautiful house on the seafront at Budleigh Salterton. The beach which is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage site has glorious views and is one of our favourite places in Devon.

Deborah, a former director of the Spacex Gallery in Exeter, also runs The Art Room, a lovely gallery recently featured in Exeter Living magazine, which is situated in the charming riverside town of Topsham.

The Art Room is well worth a visit, even though I am not getting any commission, because there is a fantastic exhibition of modern paintings by Benedict Rubbra on this month.

[photos of Budleigh Beach and The Art Room]