Day: June 1, 2012

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Chris Evans Makes a Hay Getaway for Birth of Baby Eli Alfred Michael Evans

Chris Evans at Hay 2011

Chris Evans was has become a big fan of the Hay Festival “once you’ve been to the Hay Festival you become a lifelong addict its brilliant!”.  Evans was in Hay to present a Radio 2 breakfast special when he got the call. His excitement about the birth must have been tinged with a little disappointment about leaving the Festival, when he heard at around 8pm last night that his wife had gone into labour.

He was helicoptered out of Hay to make the dash to London to be by the side of his other half  Natasha Shishmanian.  He  tweeted: ‘Was at Hay. No longer. Back in the air. On the way to Baby Drop! Good luck with the show guys and well done to all the 500 Words finalists x.’

After a labour that lasted just 52 minutes the couple’s second son Eli Alfred Michael Evans arrived in plenty of time to catch Chris’s BBC Radio 2 breakfast show from Hay presented by stand ins David Walliams and Alex Jones.  Baby is well and weighs seven pounds thirteen ounces, and according to Chris “mum is rocking”.

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Telegraph Bags Paul Smith for Tote Design

The Tote bags have come free with newspapers have been a long standing tradition at the Hay Festival.  There are a ubiquitous sight at the site.  I have no idea when they first appeared, but I acquired quite a collection of Guardian bags over the years.

Amongst the reactions to the change in sponsor last year was a desire amongst some aficionados of The Guardian not to promote The Telegraph by carrying their bags.  Frances Ham commented on this blog “Loyal Guardian readers will be washing, starching and ironing their treasured but shabby collections of free-with-the-Guardian bags. They will then carry these around defiantly at this year’s Festival.”

The Telegraph has broken new ground this year with a designer bag. They invited  Sir Paul Smith to exclusively design the book bag for this year’s Hay Festival.   As ever the bag is free with copies of The Telegraph – you need to buy the paper.   Perhaps the Guardinistas that are also fashionistas may be persuaded to slip one over their right shoulder.