THE Chalke Valley History Festival always provides fun times, whether history’s your thing or not.

There’s all sorts going on and all kinds of people there - getting stuck in to some sword fighting, enjoying the packed schedule of talks or simply gazing starry-eyed at the likes of Damian Lewis.

Lewis attracted a huge crowd on Saturday. And, quite aside from the obvious attractions, proved to be an erudite and articulate speaker with a sharp sense of humour.

Asked a question about funding for the arts he quickly came back with “there’s a Cabinet member in the audience. Shall we ask him?”

When questioned on how the actors and crew cope with making a series as emotionally gruelling as Band of Brothers, he suggested “beer is always helpful”.

On later that day was Ian Hislop, with a meander through Britishness and why we seem to get fixated on the ‘good old days’.

He was as amusing and informed as you would expect him to be, and made some good points about the value of nostalgia and escapism when times are tough.

“You can look back to the past and find solutions to the present,” he said.

But he also pointed out that a Victorian viaduct condemned as a ‘hideous modern invention’ in the 19th century, prompted the formation of a campaign group to save a ‘historic and beautiful part of the landscape’ when demolition was suggested a few years ago.

And I couldn’t help but hope the Cabinet minister Lewis referred to earlier – likely to be Michael Gove, who was also speaking at the festival – was at this talk as well.

When asked by a teacher in the audience what changes he would like to see in the history curriculum in our schools, Hislop answered “a continuous history that creates a story, rather than ‘the Aztecs – the Victorians – the Nazis – the Aztecs – the Victorians – oh, and the Nazis again”.

A fair point, well made.

Hislop is a regular Chalke Valley face, and his enthusiasm for the peculiarities of English history and also for the festival itself shone through.

As another happy regular, Charlie Higson, said “I just love the crazy juxtaposition of a German stormtrooper chatting to a knight over a pint and a sausage roll”.

It’s a sentiment that most of those who go along seem to share – they all looked unfailingly cheerful, even when the clouds rolled over and the heavens opened.

I noticed last year that even the staff at Chalke Valley look like they are enjoying themselves, and I wasn’t disappointed this year.

Every parking attendant I passed as I picked my way back to the car in my ill-advised slippery flip-flops smiled at me.

Although, on reflection I suppose that could have been down to the state of rain-ruined hair.

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