One of the  jobs I try and avoid is washing our wonderful campervan  Cedric. Sadly because it stands outside all year a layer of green grime  builds up. I hate the job because it involves climbing up on a step ladder many times to scrub the roof. It is hard work getting rid of that grime. There is also a lot of walking backwards and forwards with buckets of water. I always manage to soak myself and because of the angles I get water running down my arms! Still he looks wonderful the orange and white sparkling (well it would sparkle if the sun came out!) Cedric is named after the dragon that lives in our loft which we try to keep secret because you know what is likely to happen if it gets out into the world that we have a dragon living in our loft! So please don’t report us! The picture below is Cedric away in Dorset (a couple of years ago) with some old bloke!

Before my cleaning exercise I recorded a Japanese Folk Tale for a school. Tried a different location in the house today! I am gradually improving my techniques for these recordings! I actually enjoyed the process but I look forward to doing a live gig with a proper audience!

I am hoping my football team remember to turn up later tonight -fingers crossed!

Yesterday’s Quiz Answers on Schools

a) Miss Trunchball is the Head of Crunchem Hall    b) The History Boys by Alan Bennett was the play    c) O Levels were last awarded in 1987   d) Dotheboys Hall is in Nicholas Nickleby and features of course the infamous Wackford Squeers   ( did I base by teaching career on him and  Miss Trunchball?)  e) To Sir With Love was the film starring Sidney Poitier.

Today’s Quiz is on cars!

a) In which decade did Britain introduce the compulsory driving test (extra point if you get the year)?  b) Who designed the original Mini?   c) Where will you see Spirit of Ecstasy?   d) Which model of car was called Tin Lizzie in the early part of the 20th century?  e) An observation question was is the make of Cedric? ( the company will do)

How wonderful to see the sun today after the unrelenting grey we have had for most of February. Also good news on the effectiveness of the vaccine from Scotland. It is really encouraging news. Thank goodness the NHS have been organising the vaccines for us  and not the private firms (with friends in high places) that have made such a mess of Track and Trace.

It is time for one of my moans today. As you know if you read this blog that I cycle many miles on my bikes and I am really looking forward to the dry spell that is being forecasted. Sadly while out on the bike I have witnessed in many places is litter in the small brooks and streams that run close to the roads. Many bottles and cans clogging up the water flow. I’m sure it contributes to flooding problems. Why do people drop so much litter?

I spent quite a bit of today clearing gutters and trying to remove moss (loads of it) from the garage roof.

Today’s quiz is on schools as they look like being back to normal soon!

a) Who was the Headmistress of Crunchem Hall ( a children’s book)?    b) Which play, set in the early 1980s, opens in Sheffield Cutler’s Grammar School ?   c) In which year were the last O levels awarded?   d) The cruel fictional Victorian Dotheboys Hall features in what Charles Dickens novel?   e) Which 1967 British drama film is about Mark Thackeray   who takes a teaching post at North Quay Secondary School in the tough East End of London?

Spent part of this morning recording a story for a school. My “studio” is my workroom and I use my telescope tripod with a bike clamp for a mobile phone attached! I then fix my phone on it horizontally. I used a puppet to disguise my switching the phone on and off mainly because I struggle with the editing! It was actually good to do and you learn to adapt your Telling. You do realise how much you feed off your audience at the moment it is slightly disconcerting when performing that you  see yourself instead of the audience! Aiming to do a second story tomorrow!

Still disappointed by yesterday’s football, my team were awful; actually they weren’t that good! Still hopefully better on Tuesday, it is the hope that gets you!

Yesterday’s Quiz on Pond Life

a) Toads are not eaten by most fish because of the toxins in their skin. Some mammals do, Otters flip them over and eat them through their belly.   b) Pond skaters use the vibrations on the surface to detect their prey.  c) There are 36 species of Dragonfly in the UK there are also 21 species of Damselfly     d) Spoonbill is of course the Heron type of bird with the bizarre bill – we are lucky here because the odd Spoonbill turns up on the flashes near the River  e) The Great Crested Newt is the biggest newt in the UK

Trying to beat the frogs today by getting as much weed out of our pond as I can before the frogs move in. We are often kept awake by frisky frogs at this time of the year. I then have to get protective with the spawn to stop a pair of Mallards hovering it up!

Dismal performance today like the weather by my football team against an average Stoke team. Lucky there are no cats around! The word naïve comes to mind in summing that up!. On to Tuesday!

Yesterday’s Quiz answers on Cars

a) The delorean car was in Back to the Future  b) Drive My Car was from Rubber Soul  c) Professor Potts drove Chitty Chitty Bang Bang  d) Ford set up the factory in Detroit  e) Dick Dastardly’s car was Mean Machine

Today’s Quiz is on Water Life (nearly all can be found in ponds)

a) Why don’t fish eat Toads?   b) How do Pond Skaters detect their prey?    c) How many species of dragonflies are there in the UK?  d) Which Heron type of bird has a bizarre spatula like bill?   e)  What is the biggest species of Newt in the UK?

The title refers to me of course! I thought every now and again I would share some of the things that make me a Grumpy Old Man on occasions! One of my pet hates is SUV’s! I do find it bizarre that these seem to be more and more of these monstrosities on the road. They fill up car parking spaces and you can’t see round them and I’m not sure they are that environmentally friendly! I also got splashed by one of them today!

Yesterday’s Quiz on Pigs

a) The Sheep Pig was written by Dick King Smith and I remember him saying on a school visit it was the book he was most proud of. Of course it later became the film Babe   b)  Wilbur was the pig in Charlotte’s Web  c) The Tamworth Two were the escaped pigs  d) Napoleon was the Supreme Commander in Animal Farm  e) Denmark has more pigs than humans

Today’s Quiz is on Cars

a) In which 1985 film starred a delorean  car?   b) Which Beatles Album includes the song “Drive My car“?    c) Which famous car did Professor Caractacus Potts drive?  d) In which city did Henry Ford establish a car factory in 1899   e) What was Dick Dastardly’s car in Wacky Races?

The blog title sounds like it should be a book or poem title! It refers to my early morning venture doing the monthly bird survey out by the river. It was pretty awful first thing heavy rain and buffeting wind.. Ground was like  paddy fields and the scrapes were full. In one or two places had to be careful that the water didn’t come over the tops of my wellies! I was delighted to be assailed by the wonderfully evocative marshland sound of warbling Curlew to cheer my spirits. However, soon the weather improved and saw big groups of birds like 150+ Golden Plover, 70+ Pintail and 75 Lapwings. I love watching Lapwing in flight especially when the sun is out. I was lucky to see 2 Jack Snipe much to the annoyance of one of my fellow birders  when I told him. He had spent a couple of hours earlier this week looking for them and although he saw Snipe he had no Jacks!

Sent the final edited draft of Pig the Legend back today so hopefully I can concentrate on new stories.I am recording a couple of stories at the weekend for my friends at Syston who I have visited the last couple of World Book Days.

Yesterday’s Quiz answers on Crime

a) Marshalsea Prison was where Dickens’ father went.   b) The Scream by Edvard Munch is the picture that was stolen – there are four versions two in paint and two in pastel   c) The Hole in the Wall is the pass that was a hideout for outlaws like Butch Cassidy  d) Costa Nostra is another name for the Mafia   e) Speakeasy were  the drinking clubs during prohibition

Today’s Quiz is on Pigs!

a) Who wrote The Sheep Pig?    b) What was the name of the Pig in Charlotte’s Web?  c) Two pigs famously escaped from the abattoir in Malmesbury in 1998  what breed of pig were they?  d) Which Pig was Supreme Commander in Animal Farm?  e) Which country has more pigs than humans?

Pintails in flight

I want to report a blond incompetent buffoon who has broken lockdown on numerous occasions often seen wearing a white coat or white shirt sleeves. He was in Wales today, Scotland recently and many other places. These flagrant breaches of lockdown for unnecessary trips need dealing with! How come he can move around? Surely he can do zoom like the rest of us?

You can tell I don’t have a high opinion of him!

I had a delightful “exercise ride” today and saw snowdrops, daffodils, primroses and an impressive blanket of crocuses outside Painswick Church.

I have spent the last couple of days doing a final proof read of my Pig the Legend Story.

Disappointed with the football last night. It was as expected a physical battle with little fluent football. I hope we bounce back for Saturday.

Today’s quiz I nearly did on Conmen! Instead it is on Crime

a) Which notorious prison was Charles Dickens’ father sent to in 1824 for a debt to a baker (Charles was 12)   b) Versions of what famous painting were stolen from the Munich Museum in 2004 and the National Gallery Oslo  in 1994?   c) Which mountain pass in the Big Horn Mountains Wyoming, lent its name to an American Wild West Gang?   d) Which alternative name for the Mafia means “our thing” in Italian?   e) What is the name given of illicit establishments that sold alcohol during the prohibition era  in the USA ?

We had the delight of doing a tip run today at least it is something different! It is amazing the stuff you accumulate over the years.

Got a glimpse of a Marsh Harrier near the Severn. It is encouraging to see one at this time of the year. You may remember last Autumn I mentioned that I saw three of these birds in the same area. I am hopeful that we may get breeding birds in Gloucestershire in the near future.

Fingers crossed my team win tonight. When we played Cardiff away we were bullied out of the game. I’ve just seen our team news and we have certainly picked a physical side! It isn’t likely to be pretty!

Yesterday’s Quiz answers

a) Italy is the first country to have motorways.   b) Michael Moore directed Fahrenheit  9/11   c) Captain Oates first name was Lawrence   d) The National Diet is the parliament of Japan  e) Phenol is also known as Carbolic Acid

No Quiz tonight because I am watching the football!

Title refers to my changing attire on the bike. My ride at the end of last week I was wearing balaclava, thermals, winter gloves and I was still cold! Today I was wearing shorts and had to take my jacket off after my first climb! You do meet many walkers out on the lanes which is great to see but occasionally taking evasive action can be difficult when a car is overtaking.

The cricket is disappointing I hope they can put up some sort of fight tomorrow- I won’t risk getting up early! talking of cricket my club Slimbridge are holding a raffle at the end of the month to fill in the hole in our finances that Covid  has made. If anyone wants to supports us please get in touch -there are some great prizes including a story from some Story Teller Bloke (virtual or live)!

As I’ve mentioned a raffle and the luck that goes with that Today’s Quiz is on Pot Luck!

a) Which country was the first to build motorways?    b) Who is the director and producer  of the 2004 documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11 c) What is the first name of Captain Oates who left his tent on Captain Scott’s ill fated expedition?  d) The National Diet is the parliament in which country?  e) Phenol is the common name for which acid?

I did say it was Pot Luck!

Well the cold spell has ended with a vengeance today because as I write it is currently Cats and Dogs outside! We managed to get a walk in before the rain-phew!

Spent quite a bit of time on screen today going over an edit of my new story so the eyes need a rest so this blog is a  short one.

Yesterday’s Quiz Answers on Smiles (I don’t think it was that difficult it was probably more difficult thinking up the questions!

a) The Cheshire Cat of course is in Alice    b) Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel sang “Make me Smile”    c) The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci -it is supposed to be the “most written about, most sung about, most parodied work of art in the world!”   d) Helen’s face launched a 1,000 ships -one of my favourite stories to tell!   e) Mark Lester was the innocent looking Oliver

No quiz on a Sunday!