Friedrich Engels

The Wells Literary Festival is in full swing and Clare and myself swung by the Bishop's Palace earlier this evening to hear Tristram Hunt talk about Friedrich Engels. Engels was a bourgeois who used his family's cotton business to provide financial help to Marx in the struggle for communism. Tristram is an aristocrat with a conventional upper class background who was recently elected as a Labour MP: to manage capitalism as Engels would have wryly observed.

Tristram Hunt (arrowed) after his talk

In any event he gave a polished and amusing biographical talk and was available afterwards to sign copies of his book.

Wells Cathedral from the Bishop's Palace

This was the first time I had been inside the Bishop's Palace and very impressive it is too providing a great view of the cathedral (above, with author).

A rather spooky monk

This view, through the archway, shows an interesting sculpture in the gardens.

On Thursday we're going to a second event, a talk by Christopher Andrew who's written a book about the spooks.