As anyone who’s had the misfortune to follow my misadventures can attest, around this time every year I make a pilgrimage westward, to indulge in the unholy delights of the Abertoir horror festival. This iniqitous Welsh institution is now in its tenth year – a notable achievement in the increasingly competitive film festival market – and I have little doubt that the organisers will be pulling out all the stops to make this anniversary something pretty special. Indeed, for the first time, passes have sold out – a just reflection of the word-of-mouth on an event that’s become a highlight of my year.

I’ll be making my usual modest contribution in the form of one of my dreaded talks. This time, I shall be fulminating on the indelible links between the English and Evil. It’s on Wednesday (the 11th) at 4pm. While passes are sold out, some tickets for individual events are available. For specifics, check here. Meanwhile, the charming chaps at the Terrestrial site interrogated me over the weekend. To find out if I revealed all (or talked any sense at all) click here.