© J Darley

Some of the loveliest things about the British summertime, once you get past the unpredictable weather, are the festivals that seem to be happening continually throughout July and August.

Aside from the biggies like Glastonbury and WOMAD, there are also the countless kite festivals, balloon fiestas, carnivals, fetes, open-air performances of Shakespearean plays and themed celebrations hosted by every town, village and city in the country.

They’re fantastic sources of inspirations for writers, from the rich variety of people to watch to the live music, craft and food stalls, fairground rides and firework displays.

I spent most of last weekend at Bristol’s Harbour Festival, having a wonderful time meandering through the crowds with my family, watching circus acts, listening to a huge variety of bands, being amazed by a modern dance interpretation of the ups and downs of relationships, and feasting on all kinds of things from paella stuffed with chicken, prawns and peas to fat wedges of golden fudge to plump downy apricots.

The food stalls in Queen Square seemed to have arrived from all over Europe, from the Dutch cheese display sporting herb and chilli-infused spheres to the stand of white mottled German sausages, with the French wine tent jostling alongside the beer bar selling locally brewed organic froth.

We were bemused by the Dutch souvenir stall selling clogs and china windmills emblazoned with the word Amsterdam. Who buys tourist tat from a city they haven’t visited?

Queen Square was also the hub of kiddie fun, with a climbing wall being traversed by fearless little ‘uns and a painting area where gleeful tots were covering themselves with paint.

On the other side of the water, in Millennium Square, we watched two girls dressed as elegant pigeons perform acrobatic stunts high in the air. Madness and beauty seem to work so well together!

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the weather was fantastic.