About 30 years ago I began what turned out to be a rather eclectic career at Midland Bank in Haverfordwest. As a fresh-faced teenager, who had never even visited north Pembrokeshire before, I was fortunate to find lodgings with a generous local, whose past-time was game fishing. He took pity on his young lodger, and hosted regular expeditions along Pembrokeshire Anglers Association waters.

Having been brought up in Llandrindod Wells, with the superb fishing of the Wye and its tributaries, particularly the Ithon, on my doorstep, I had enjoyed marvellous fishing as a boy. So I was lucky to meet a guide and mentor for the Western Cleddau. I must confess that at that time however, I did succumb to the lures of girls, sailing and surfing and my dedication to fishing was somewhat tempered.

Try avoiding all the usual tinselly plastic things, glittery and gorgeous as they look and ‘Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly’, as the old song goes.

I'll keep this short because it's Saturday night and it's been a long day! A day which I spent wearing a high visibility vest declaring in bold letters on the back that I'm "REALLY WILD". But apart from a very brief spin round the Festival for a quick lunch-break, I was unable to participate much in the goings-on. From where I was stationed, I could only spectate on the activity of the car park and the loos!

But I had such a good time, that it positively flew by; and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow for more of the same!

The Festival has become a leviathan. Not from the perspective of visitors or exhibitors, but for we minions of the organisation the formation of a Community Interest Company and a host of new initiatives for this year it’s been, well, 'stimulating'. Despite which we continue to give the impression of a graceful swan, appearing serene and unruffled, when 'below the waterline' we're paddling as if our lives depended on it!

Amongst the manic last few weeks before the festival I am having to fit in all sorts of other things that just won't wait 'til after it. Picking blackcurrants for one thing, how time-consuming is that? Fiddly little critters. You crouch down in weird positions and get all the arthriticy bits into contortionist shapes and then can't move.

I wonder how many children these days would know how to make a daisy chain, or that holding a buttercup under the chin would show if someone liked butter, or tell the time with dandelion clocks by counting the number of puffs it took to blow the fluffy seeds off?

One of the dilemmas of sharing your life with dogs is what happens if you want to go away and can’t take them with you? I know a lot of people are happy to leave their dog in kennels but it is not a solution for us.

I've just come back from a week in Yorkshire on a Commercial Fiction course with authors Katie Fforde, Judy Astley and Mike Gayle. We stayed at Lumb Bank, an 18th Century mill owner's house set in 20 acres of steep woodland. It was once the home of Ted Hughes, Poet Laureate, so no lack of inspiration there then! The scenery was stunning, the weather sunny & hot and the company brilliant, fifteen ladies and one man.

It's that time of year when getting out and about is higher on the 'to do' list than in colder, wetter months. Although the coast path beckons all year round when you have a couple of energetic Labs to walk, if it's not high summer it's easy to settle for a quick spin down a local lane or two and an off-lead run around a our field.