I am going to start with yesterday’s answers and you will see why as you read the rest of the blog.

Horse Answers from yesterday.

a) Sam Gamgee (Frodo’s right hand man) rode Bill the Pony    b) Michael Morpurgo wrote War Horse (more in the blog)  c) Anna Sewell wrote Black Beauty   d) A Hand is Four Inches   e) Appleby Horse Fair is in Cumbria f) Incitatus was Caligula’s Horse he wanted to make him a Consul!

The War Horse question reminded me of an event from four years ago when I saw War Horse performed twice in a year! We watched the play with a predominantly adult audience and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Many of you will know that I volunteer at Wick Court one of the three  Farms for City Children that were set up by Claire and Michael Morpurgo-the charity was celebrating its 40th birthday and booked the Drury Lane Theatre for a matinee of War House where all the London schools that come to the farms and all the staff and volunteers from the farms were invited. So when we were walking into the theatre we met many excited young friends who had spent a week on the farm. The audience participated in certainly a very different and lively way to the adult one and it must of been special one for the actors! One magical moment was during the interval when I bumped into one young man who obviously remembered me from taking him Bird Watching at the farm because he greeted me with a twinkle in his eye and the immortal line.

“I know you! You are the one who taught us about Great Tits!”  

Following that I thought today’s quiz should be on Theatres!

a) What is the name of the Sheffield Theatre hosts the World Snooker Championship? b) Which Elizabethan Theatre, built in 1587, was the first purpose built playhouse to ever stage a production of any of Shakespeare’s plays? c) In which town is the Royal Shakespeare Company based? d) What’s the name of Bill Sykes’ dog in Oliver?  e) Which superstitious alternative is used in the theatre to wish someone good luck?

Michael and Joey below!

I went for a ride this morning and although I didn’t fly like Pegasus I had to keep stopping because I kept meeting horses out on the road. Guess what tonight’s quiz will be? It is a puzzle to me  why horses are allowed to leave their offerings on the road so you have to have your wits about you to avoid the muck! I do sound a grumpy old man so I won’t go on about horse riders on the road on their mobile phones!!!

I spent this afternoon on cleaning bikes and maintenance. The roads are wet and muddy and much ends up on the bikes! It was quite a performance washing them down as the hose had a mind of it’s own! They look so much better until tomorrow!

Yesterday’s answers

a) The Major Oak is in Sherwood Forest and thought to be about 800 years old. b) Tannin is used in tanning leather c) The Druids met in Oak groves  d) Oak is for the 80th wedding anniversary (wow!)e) Oxfordshire has the Oak on its flag f) Dendrochronology is the counting of the rings in the trunk.

Today’s Horse Quiz (I did do famous horse in a previous lockdown quiz!)

a) Bill the Pony was ridden by who?  b) Who wrote War Horse?   c) Who wrote Black Beauty? d) We measure horse in Hands -how long is a Hand (imperial)? e) Appleby Horse Fair is held in what county? f)  Incitatus was the favourite horse of which Roman Emperor?

Today’s title came from the inspiration of seeing many majestic Oak Trees today. Clare and I cycled South along Sustrans Route 41 and the many subtle coloured Autumn Oaks looked absolutely stunning in the sunshine. I think they are my favourite trees!

I am now actively contacting schools offering them Virtual Christmas Story Telling for free! Get in touch if you want a Christmas Telling-can be anywhere because there is no travel involved!

Yesterday’s answers on birds

a).The Wandering Albatross   b) Kiwi*  c) Dunnock  d) Avocet e) Bee Hummingbird (only found in Cuba)

• The Kiwi is the only one of the above I haven’t seen in the wild-have heard them in the wild at night and I saw one in a wildlife centre.
• The Albatross picture below isn’t a Wandering but just an excuse for me to put into the blog one of my thousands of Albatross pictures!

Today’s Quiz is obviously on Oak trees! I once read that 270 species are associated with an Oak Tree (I won’t ask you to name them!!!)

a) Where will you find The Major Oak possibly the most famous tree in the UK? How old is it thought to be? (will give you some leeway!)  b) Tannin in Oak trees  was traditionally used for what purpose?   c) What group of people who gave the Romans a hard time practised rituals in Oak groves?  d) Oak stands as the symbol for what Wedding Anniversary?  e) Which English County has the Oak on it’s flag?  f) What is Dendrochronology (about trees not just Oak)

One of the traditional stories that I often tell is King of the Birds -I often embellish it with little extra parts. I have used it for today’s title because we have just finished our Book Club Zoom on How to Be A Bad Birdwatcher by Simon Barnes. I asked my fellow Bookies to nominate their favourite British Bird and the Wren was a popular nomination and he is the King of the Birds -I often make her the Queen!  It was a positive discussion that cheered us all up in these times.

Yesterday’s Quiz Answers

a) Northumberland   b) Dennis Potter  c) Cleeve Hill   d) South Africa  e) Dylan Thomas

A bird quiz of course for today!

a) What bird has biggest wing span?   b) What is the national bird of New Zealand?  c) Which bird is known as the Hedge Sparrow?  d) What is the bird is on the RSPB logo? e) What is the largest bird in the world? f) Which is the smallest bird in the world?

Fairly annoying song pulled out of the memory bank for today’s blog title. Had a beautiful cycle ride over the hills today and it even included a take away coffee and a piece of cake. Almost a forty mile ride. Lucky to live in a large county with a variety of vistas!

Hope you enjoyed yesterday’s quiz you might find there are other possible answers to some of groups of animals.

a) Skein-Geese  b) Shiver-Sharks c) Stench-Skunks (had to be didn’t it!) d) Worm-Robins e) Cast –Falcons (have also seen Merlins and Peregrines as the answer) f) Exultation –  Skylarks  g) Stand-Flamingoes  h) Prickle-Porcupines

Today’s Quiz is on Hills as I rode over some today!

a) Where are the Cheviot Hills?  b) Who wrote Blue Remembered Hills ? c) What is the highest hill in the Cotswolds? d) In which country would you find Spion Kop Hill? e) Who wrote the poem Fern Hill?

Finally I didn’t take any pictures today on my ride but thought we ought to have a bike themed picture so just found these pictures from our Coast to Coast ride from three years ago -some really dodgy characters-especially that one with a shower hat over his helmet!

A sad poignant day today as my cricket club said goodbye to one of our stalwarts Ken. Sadly because of circumstances we couldn’t go to his funeral so instead stood by the roadside and a group of us raised our cricket bats as the hearse went past.

On a happier note I watched more murmurations tonight-thousands of birds but they didn’t drop into the reed bed I expected! Also heard a Water Rail and saw a Marsh Harrier.

Today’s Quiz question -these are all collective nouns -can you say what animal they go with! Some you can get with a guess! Good luck!

a)   Skein    b)  Shiver   c)  Stench  d) Worm e) Cast f) Exultation  g) Stand h) Prickle 

Our book club’s choice for this month is the Simon Barnes book in the title above. As we are always on Zoom these days so for this Wednesday’s meeting  I am planning my background-it will either be full of bird pictures or my extensive Bird Book Collection! I have a good number of bird books because I usually get a guide for birds in the areas we go on holiday so my collection has grown (although we won’t be doing that for a while!) I am also going to have bird song playing in the background and probably have a couple of my bird puppets handy. Hope it makes my fellow bookies smile! Well it seems like everybody else plans their backgrounds!

We are lucky to live where we do because we have a good mix of habitats so there is always something to see. I am hoping to see if the Starling  Murmuration has grown tomorrow. I am hoping the Short Eared Owl reappears soon -I will of course mention it when I see one! On today’s walk we saw Meadow Pipits and a Volery of Wagtails (hope you are impressed by the collective noun!

Short blog today with yesterday’s cheese answers-you never know we might have another cheese one before lockdown is over! I will do another quiz tomorrow.

I was satisfied with the Mighty Hatters’ result today although at one stage I hoped for a win! Had a decent ride over the top today!

Yesterday’s answers

1. Jarlesberg comes from Norway.     2. I had Brie as the French King of the Cheeses although Roquefort is often called the King.   3. Feta is the Greek cheese  4. Ricotta means recooked   5. Normandy of course is where Camembert comes from.

Hello to Day 2 and I hope you are all well. Yesterday’s quiz answers at the end of the blog. If anyone wants to suggest a theme for future quizzes please let me know. There is even a quiz today as well at the end!

The weather has been wonderful over the last few days and we are making sure we use every opportunity to get outside. Today we pedalled into Stroud to buy cheese from the wonderful market stall-we do this every two weeks or so. I ought to ask them how many cheeses they sell -must be around 40-paradise for me! It was a delightful Autumnal  ride. Last couple of days I have been digging out compost from one of our bins and then sieving it onto the garden. Quite proud of my lovely compost not sure what that says about me!

Yesterday’s Moon answers

1. 12 Astronauts have walked on the Moon.  2. Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd was the album that did 741 weeks in the US charts   3.  240, 250 miles is the distance from the Moon to the earth  4. Keith Moon was the drummer in The Who   5. It is a Waning Moon

Today’s quiz should be fairly straightforward (I mentioned cheese earlier so here is an international cheese quiz)

1. What country does Jarlsberg come from?   2. Which soft French cheese is called the King of the Cheeses?  3. What soft and salty cheese associated with Greece is saturated in brine to stop it ripening?  4. The name of this Italian cheese means “recooked” and is made form whey rather than milk.   5. What province  in France does Camembert come from?

A few pictures of the Murmuration tonight at Splatt Bridge Frampton. The quiz as promised at the bottom.

Lockdown Quiz questions (next one might be Saturday) I mentioned the moon a few times in recent blogs so the quiz is on the moon!

1) How many astronauts have walked on the Moon?   2) Which album spent a record 741 weeks in the US album charts?  3)How far is the Moon on average from the Earth is it a) 240,250 miles  b) 186,000 miles  c) 5,280    4) Keith Moon played in which Rock band?   5) When the Moon goes from full to new it is said to be…………?

Finally I enjoyed watching the Mighty Hatters win after an indifferent first half!