A quiet morning in here in Frampton before an all action afternoon and evening. I start with my last pre India cricket net early afternoon followed straight away by a winter gull count (I am rushing back for this). Finally I shoot from the gull count to go to Oxford to watch the Mighty Hatters (fingers firmly crossed that we might stop the rot away from home).

Last night I fell off my bike and took a battering!!!! I will approach the net cautiously!

Being a storyteller you often find you have spells when it is quiet and then boom you are in demand. I have a busy week just before I go to India for most of February. Have had some interesting enquiries this last week for future gigs after India that are certainly going to be a different! experience for me!

I went to watch the Mighty Hatters yesterday  – not the greatest game but we were much the better team and lacked a cutting edge. Our position is looking perilous but it was a more encouraging  display

Had a good walk this afternoon hoping to see bullfinches sadly didn’t see any but had a good view of a cetti’s warbler. which you normally only hear The picture below of one is not mine.

Last night I led the Wassail at Wick Court- using my updated verse! We had “wicked time” to quote one of the young people from Ravenstone Primary School.  Our event is certainly idiosyncratic but the more I read about the history of wassail the more convinced I am that you can do your own thing! I kept some of the local traditions but wrote a verse that incorporated Wick Court in it.

Earlier in the day I took the young people bird watching (it was foggy) but we saw quite a bit. They were delighted to see a raven as it chimed with their school name!

Book Club last night (after the wassail) was different we all had to talk about our favourite character from literature.  It was a wide ranging discussion.

Finally some pictures of garden visitors today!

I have managed a couple of rides in the last two days as I build up my fitness for my cricketing tour to India next month. I have my last net next week.

Tomorrow I am leading the Wassail at Wick Court. I have rewritten what we do – trying to keep to tradition but make it special to Wick Court. In fact it is a busy day tomorrow because I will be bird watching with young people from London during the day as well as later leading them around the trees!!! I then rush back for my Book Club where we are all talking about our favourite character from literature.

I see my football team have appointed a new manager today- I hope he can change our fortunes!

Had a good day out at football yesterday despite the F. A. Cup result in Nottingham. Travelled up on the train with one of my cricketing buddies who had a seat in the different part of the ground to me. He was in the directors box while I was behind the goal with my fellow Hatters. That part of Nottingham by the Trent is certainly different with two football stadiums and of course Trent Bridge Cricket Ground ( I have visited all three on a number of occasions.) It was bitterly cold!

Sad day yesterday for the Mighty Hatters who parted company with their manager Rob Edwards. Rob did a great job but sadly things having being going downhill for a while. A good man who was scarred by the traumatic incident when our captain collapsed on the pitch. I hope he now has a good break -I feel he needs a rest. I am off to Nottingham tomorrow for the cup tie- it might be a bruising experience!

I pedalled to Wick Court last night (well wrapped up) to do my first story telling of 2025. Lovely young people who asked me some great questions afterwards.

Lovely day with young people from Bournemouth bird watching at Wick Court. We spotted many diverse birds (26 species spotted). Children got excited to see a deceit of lapwings of 200+ birds up high. My pictures below were another time including the redwing(they managed to see a flock through my telescope.

My day has been dominated by a memorial service for my dear friend Chris. She worked along side me for seventeen years in the office at my last school where she looked after me and covered my back. A talented lady who could speak several languages. We had a lot of fun in the office and  laughed and on occasions cried together. I read at the service Ivor Gurney’s poem The Songs I Had which had a special resonance to both of us.

I am back to birdwatching with young people at Wick Court tomorrow. I did top up the bird food at Wick Court this morning there and managed to see a bullfinch (a lovely bird). My first storytelling of 2025 is also at the farm on Thursday.

Currently in deepest Devon looking after our delightful granddaughter Ellen. Probably a good thing we are not in Gloucestershire today with the flooding. We hear Frampton was almost cut off with the roads all flooded!!!! We are back later today! We actually missed the snow and rain on saturday as we travelled down ahead of it coming in.

We had an enjoyable visit to Exeter Museum yesterday. Provincial museums are wonderful places and are all very different!

We were looking after Jake a charismatic little dog. It meant I was up for sunrise this morning. A few photos below from my walk.