Norman Lindsay Festival

I never read Norman Lindsay's famous book, The Magic Pudding, until until I was an adult so I have no idea if I'd have liked it when I was a kid. But I'm grateful to Norman---who was a writer, illustrator, painter, sculptor and newspaper and magazine cartoonist---for writing the book because without it there wouldn't be a Norman Lindsay Children's Literature Festival. The festival is held every year at his home at Faulconbridge in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney and is now the Norman Lindsay Gallery & Museum which is run by the National Trust. This year I was invited, as was "Cartoon Dave" Hackett, writer Frances Watts and illustrator David Legge. Frances and David did their own special pirate song and dance number while talking about their new picture book, Captain Crabclaw's Crew. During a break between my talks, I got to handle "Princess", a diamond python. I didn't realise it when the photo was being taken but Princess was more interested in a branch of the tree above me than in me. Fortunately, her handler managed to unwind her and get her back down.