Well I got to the weekend after a really busy week and I am feeling it now! Tuesday involved a lot of travelling on the motorway in heavy rain- I visited the village of Kings Bromley just north of Lichfield. I was storytelling at the primary school in the afternoon and then at the arts partnership in the evening. I mainly told some old favourites.

Wednesday was my weekly bird watching at Wick Court this time with young people from Gloucester. They were a young group who did really well in wet and windy conditions. their enthusiasm was contagious!

Thursday night we did some recording with the Two Severn Bores- we are looking to put together a short promotion podcast to help us secure some new venues to perform.

Friday was all action- storytelling in two schools in the North of the county (it was my third successive visit- always encouraging to be asked back). It provided us with a logistical challenge because the car was in the garage!

Today has been a let down with the Mighty Hatters giving a ponderous performance at Plymouth. I went looking for a starling murmuration to cheer me up but with the strong bitter wind it didn’t materialise!

Just to show off that I am almost up to date I am using Ariana Grande’s song title for today’s blog!!!

I will write about my various story telling gigs in another blog but today’s story is what happened before one of those gigs.

Late on Monday night I was in the bathroom and I had casually pushed the door back so it slammed closed. When I went to open it the latch had somehow jammed so I was locked in! It was now 11.15. A lot of fumbling on my part was unsuccessful so I had to call for help. Clare tried to open it from her side, and she tried to unscrew the handle but still no good. The clock ticked on. She tried looking on the internet for solutions-she slid a plastic card under the door for me to try. The clock ticked on!

I knew had a busy day ahead of me, storytelling with quite a bit of travelling. So blood pressure was steadily rising! I looked around me for warmth in case I had to spend the night in the bathroom- I realised a foot mat and a hand towel wouldn’t  keep me warm! The clock ticked on and blood pressure continued to rise. Armed with a pair of scissors I busied myself attacking the latch. Eventually I managed to flick the recalcitrant  latch back and red faced with embarrassment I emerged at 12.15 ! Not a good way to prepare for a gig!

Maybe a story will emerge from this in the future!

Busy day ahead! I am travelling up the motorway later. I going to the village of Kings Bromley north of Lichfield. I am due to the school in the afternoon and the arts partnership in the evening. I am off in our campervan Cedric laden with props and puppets!

I am writing today’s blog at the start of a really busy week on the story telling front. I will keep you updated as the week progresses.

Firstly I wanted to start by saying “Thank You” to all of you who read my ramblings- I am able to see where my readers are and I am amazed to see I have many of you from all over the world!

I went to watch the “Mighty Hatters” yesterday. One of the most enjoyable games I have seen for a while. Pulling back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2. Really should of won it and we had a goal disallowed that certainly should of been the winner. Onwards and upwards!!!

I led the Wassail at Wick Court yesterday. It ended up being a typical chaotic affair. The young people from London got fully immersed in the event. Our Wassail is an idiosyncratic event!  (a couple of years ago I rewrote the verse so we have our own distinctive version.) We did it a day earlier than anticipated changing it from taking place of its original date because of the forecasted weather- the ducks have been happy today!

Great discussion last night at Book Club where we discussed Kate Atkinson’s “God in Ruins”. General consensus was what a superb writer she is and this novel was an excellent read.

Earlier in the week I had a cricket net as part of getting ready for India. A picture below of the stragglers at the end! The net was in Bristol we then had a tortuous drive home because the motorway was closed!

A recent blog title was “not another puncture” well guess what-another one today. I was on the outskirts of Gloucester when it happened and guess who forgot to have his puncture stuff with him! I ended up in a cafe  thinking what to do- when a voice said “Hello Bill” – it turned out to be our new next door neighbour – she managed to get my bike in her car=PHEW!!!!! 

I went to watch the Mighty Hatters yesterday. After being on the back foot for most of the first half we looked much better after the break. It was sparked by the crowd and the players being incensed by the referee who didn’t see to be able to distinguish between basketball and football. I have never ever seen so many handballs missed in a game. The goal against us had a handball in the build up that 11,000 plus could clearly see but not the officials! After that we began to look like an attacking football once more! Another big game next week at home where we will need to take all three points.

Not having much luck on the bike over the last 2 or 3 months with punctures. Got another one today as I was riding bike from Stroud- my back wheel hit a rock two miles from home. I limped home because was difficult to do anything about at the side of the road! Was hard work anyway with the wind and the cold!

I am currently preparing materials and stories for a gig later in January- more details later.

I told my shaggy dog story set in the river near Wick Court last night. I play with some historical facts connected to the Saxons and a myth to lead my audience on. The young people last night were fully engaged.

Off to football tomorrow – sadly an early kick off!

Finally what a joke English cricket is at the moment. Poor preparation and execution of skills! The structure is also a joke with that meaningless hundred in August doesn’t allow red ball cricket at all in that month!

Old picture of a curlew i had taken above. I have put it in because for the first time in a while we had curlews on the river at Wick Court (there are usually plenty on the other side of the horseshoe bend but not so often on this side.)

Children also saw lapwings and plenty of other birds. Lovely young people who asked some super questions. I am story telling with them tomorrow which I am looking forward to.

The title sounds like I have just been outside for an illicit cigarette! Of course I refer to our trip to London. We had a super time and it culminated in a lovely anniversary meal in a French Restaurant last night. We had travelled across the City to the Excel Centre in Docklands to see an immersive Pompeii exhibition – it was brilliant! We then went across the dock on a wonderful high footbridge near to the Thames Barrier. Clare and I then fully utilised our bus passes back across the city (three different buses) which was great fun.

So we enjoyed our three different visits over the three days all very different but each was excellent. A couple of pictures below (I didn’t risk putting the one of Clare as an AI generated Roman Lady in Pompeii in this public blog!). One is the whales from the Attenborough’s “Our Story”– the other is of the London City Airport from the bridge- you might be able to see a plane landing!