It opened with drama; the pipes and drums of Loretto School and a magnificent firework display. More dazzle followed when we showed an exclusive extract from War Horse, the new Steven Spielberg film based on Michael Morpurgo’s novel, and the author spoke about the business of adaptation. Then Alistair Darling gave a brilliant exposition of the financial crash, the crash and burn of the banks - and from a vantage point in the middle of the pyrotechnics.

And the weekend was off! Excellent session followed excellent session, but perhaps a highlight was the re-staging of John Byrne’s brilliant play, Writer’s Cramp, 35 years after its premiere on the Edinburgh Fringe in 1977. After two of the original cast of three had dropped out through illness, Isla Blair and John Sessions took their parts alongside Bill Paterson and brought the house down. It was magical. And so was Lennoxlove, a magical festival, full of atmosphere, full of warmth and light.