Spent this afternoon recording with Dan (observing  physical distancing) for out first Two Severn Bores podcast. Dan is hoping to do an initial edit this week. Hopefully we might be able to have some news on this later this month.

Latest migrants that I’ve seen update. Common Terns have returned to the lake near home-always a delight to see.  I did going looking for Hobbies but didn’t see any although I saw a Sedge Warbler with nesting material in it’s beak.

Yesterday’s Quiz answers on characters from Literature  (remember I don’t set questions on a Sunday)

a) Flashman was from Tom Brown’s Schooldays  b) Joe Gargery was Pip’s uncle   c) Philip Marlowe was created by Raymond Chandler  d) Lyra Silvertongue is Philip Pullman’s main character in His Dark Materials  e)  Michael Henchard is better known as Mayor of Casterbridge 

See the end of the blog to get today’s title!

Short blog today because believe it or not I’ve been fairly busy. Gardening a bit of housework and a cycle. Tried a new recipe today for a flan that ended up looking like a dog’s dinner (tasted OK!) It is an irony that I am probably my fittest on the bike as I get older- might be because I am clocking many miles each week! I set several PBs on my ride today.

I’ve also been relearning my stories for the River Severn-we are aiming to record tomorrow!

Yesterday’s weather answers

a) Anemometer measures wind   b) Chinook wind is associated with the Rocky Mountains   c) Thor is god of Thunder  (love telling his stories)  d)Kansas was home for Dorothy  e)  Atacama Desert is the driest.

Today’s quiz is on well known characters from literature

a) What book did Flashman first appear?    b) Who was Pip’s uncle (a blacksmith) in Great Expectations?  c) What is the name of the detective  crated by Raymond Chandler?   d) Who is the heroine in His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman?   e) Michael Henchard is better known as …………..?

Finally a picture recently surfaced from a friend -it is  Hitchin Boys Grammar School Sixth Form from possibly Victorian Times! My goodness we were a rum lot – no wonder the country went down hill! Yes I did have hair once! Can you spot me?

Today’s weather update-we looked at the forecast and it looked a dry day. So we cycled to Stroud to visit the wonderful cheese stall (still open). Just imagine the language when a hail storm hit us on the way back! Thank goodness it only lasted ten minutes!

No new migrants sighted here but yesterday we had a resplendent Greenfinch in our back garden (I haven’t seen one in the garden for a while). The Great Spotted Woodpecker has also been around the garden quite a bit so I am hopeful there is a nest nearby.

As I mentioned the weather all the decent weather we had in April would of been great for cricket. Picture below is of some old bloke who should have a straighter  bat! Unlikely if I will be playing any cricket this year!

Yesterday’s Disguise Quiz answers

a) The Greek hero who was dressed as a woman was of course Achilles his mother knew the prophesy of his demise. If anyone wants a good read “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller I would recommend highly    b) Toad from Wind in the Willows dressed up as a washer woman.  c) Sir Percy Blakeney was the Scarlet Pimpernel (novel by Baroness Orczy)   d) Sydney Carton took the place of Charles Darnley in tale of Two Cities  e) Clark Kent is Superman

Today’s Quiz (weather is today’s theme)

a) What does anemometer measure?     b) A Chinook is a wind that is particularly associated with which Mountain Range?  c) Who was the Norse God of Thunder?  d) Dorothy in the wizard of Oz was taken to Oz by a tornado from her home, where was her home?  e) What is the driest desert in the world?

Today’s title says it all. I attempted to go for my exercise ride at lunchtime thinking there was a window of dry weather-there wasn’t!!!!! A good soaking resulted!

Apologies there was no blog yesterday!

I have been writing quite a bit because I can’t do much in the garden with the rain. It is surprising when you sit down and graft how new ideas develop-had one today for my story that came out of the blue!

I feel I should make some time to learn some new stories over the next fortnight-however, we may attempt to do some more recording for the pod cast this weekend so I have to re-learn the stories for our River Severn show.  Need to watch the weather forecast -it has to be dry so we can social distance ourselves doing it!

I’ve decided to put two different pictures on today -this follows on from my comment on my dressing up a couple of days ago. The pictures are from my first World Book Day at Dursley Primary School the one with the children and my colleagues featured in the local press. The “baby” on my lap is actually a good friend of my Peter’s and is now a civil servant playing a key role in the current crisis! I was supposed to be Mrs Doubtfire! I hope the pictures and the poem make you smile!

Tuesday’s Quiz Answers loosely based on fruit.

a)  Tomato is called the Love Apple   b)  Chinese Gooseberry is Kiwi Fruit  c) Flower of Kent is the apple that may of landed on Isaac Newton’s head (poem at the end of blog)  d) The Beatles set up the Apple label  e) Fleegle and friends were the Banana Splits!

The poem at the end is my take on the Isaac’s apple!

Today’s Quiz is all on disguise as I have mentioned my attempts to be someone else-I don’t think it is that hard-I did all from my head!

a) Which Greek hero was dressed as a girl by his mother to avoid him going to war? b) Which well known  fictional character dresses up as a washer woman to escape from jail?  c) The fictional Sir Percy Blakeney is better known as………? d) Who’s place did Sydney Carton take?  e) Who is Superman?

A REALLY “GREAT” APPLE

Picture the idyllic scene of sixteen sixty-six
An orchard bulging with branches of great worth
A wigged man pondering-his thought all of a mix
As to, “Why it is we don’t fall of the earth?”

Eyes transfixed on the heavily laden trees
A solitary apple stirs, begins to tremble, shiver
Ruffled by a flicker of a gentle breeze,
Isaac excitedly anticipating, his whole body a quiver.

A maggot ridden, wrinkled apple starts to drop
Descending under Isaac’s scientific scrutiny
A violent bruising impact…………plop!
That moment, that idea…….Isaac’s destiny.

Isaac Newton’s Law of Gravity is now a fact
But what was the unknown apple, responsible for that?

Today’s title is inspired by tonight’s  exercise walk in the rain-I didn’t see anyone for a long time. We have been spoilt with the weather in lock down so don’t mind today’s rain (all day)-it is good for the garden! however,   I needed to get out! Didn’t see too much  got a fleeting glimpse of a Great White Egret (there were also some Little Egrets as well) and a dust up between two Grey Herons! The one thing on days like this it does mean you get some writing done! I have been working on my story Pig the Legend and the direction of the story is getting clearer. I hope to have completed the first draft soon-however, much work to undertake afterwards!

A short bit from my St Helena adventure today. I thought I would do a bit on the communications of that time-it was 22 years ago. In a previous blog I mentioned the importance of the fax to communicate with home and on occasions with my school.  I am sure the internet has made a significant difference for the island since my visit. Then you could get cable T.V. from South Africa so you could watch Premier League football matches and films. Radio St Helena was probably the most important communication for information-it did do world news but it quite rightly took a secondary role to the island’s news. My favourite moment was when I was lying in the bath having a good soak when the news came on the radio and it nearly caused me to drown! (The whole world was then obsessed by Bill Clinton’s extra martial activities at that time but that was only the second item on the news that day- the first was about the record lemon grown in Lemon Valley on the island!)  I did find it difficult to get football results from the football league-so you would often find me on a Saturday afternoon with a radio I various contorted positions trying to get BBC World Service signal so I could find out how the Hatters had fared through a static crackle.

I did tell stories on my school visits to the children so you can see I was already developing my Story Telling (I had no idea that in the future  I would be doing it in so many diverse places and different audiences.) I was asked to read a story for the radio so I read “Bill’s New Frock” by Anne Fine-those of you who know me well won’t be surprised by my choice ! It was once my choice of apparel at one World Book Day at school – we were also interviewing for a new teacher that day as well and Sue my deputy was alarmed I would be meeting candidates dressed as Bill-I argued that whoever was appointed would then know what to expect! Bill’s New Frock was one of many children’s books we had brought out especially for the island education service. Many years later I heard the recording was still being played from time to time.

Yesterday’s Quiz answers on woodland

a) The native British coniferous trees are Yew, Scots Pine and Juniper  b) The oak leaves and acorn is the symbol of the National Trust   c) Northumberland has the largest forest in England  d) The 100 “Aker” Wood is in Winnie the Pooh  e) The Sycamore Tree is under where the Tolpuddle Martyrs met.

Today’s Quiz has to be about fruit have mentioned the lemon!

a) Which fruit is also known as the Love Apple?   b) By what name is the Chinese Gooseberry better known?  c) The Flower of Kent is associated with  which famous historical figure?  d) What was the name of the record company set up by the Beatles in 1968? e) Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper, and Snork were known collectively as the……?

I have regaled you all in previous blogs with my exercise routine during lockdown. One day it is a decent bike ride the other is usually Clare and I walking ( with my binoculars around my neck). I went further today on the bike  (well away from people) and I loved going through the woodland between Bisley (a lovely Cotswold Village) and Sapperton. The narrow road went under a marvellous canopy of fresh light green leaf covered branches with bluebells and wild garlic covering the woodland floor. I love British woodland! It certainly was good for morale!!!!

No St Helena writing today-thanks for the positive comments. More tomorrow hopefully. I have included some pictures of yours truly on the island just to prove I was there. One is on battlements of the main fort, the other is on the fortified wall overlooking the sea. Finally there was some relaxation while I was on the island and there were was only really a couple of  places to swim (this one involved an  hours walk down Lemon Valley)-you entered the water via the rocks and then scrambled up them to get out! By the time you walked back up you were jiggered!

Today’s quiz as I mentioned cycling through woodland all the questions are related to woodland!

a) Which three conifer trees are native to Britain?    b) Which tree’s leaves are the symbol for the National Trust?     c) Which county is England’s largest forest?  d) What is the name of the wood in the book Winnie the Pooh?  e) What species of tree did the Tolpuddle Martyrs meet under?

My photo from this morning’s walk gave me the old Beatles classic for today’s title! It is of a Chiffchaff -I went to take the picture while it was on the branch -and then captured it moving! We had a delightful walk in the morning sunshine seeing the following migrants Yellow Wagtail, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat also heard a Cuckoo (at last for me) and Reed Warblers . Also saw a striking Linnet at the top of a tree.

Yesterday’s answers to the Quiz no new questions today (have a rest on a Sunday!)

a)  Flowers in the Rain by the Move was the first song played on Radio 1 (often a quiz question)    b) Rolling Stones singing I Wanna be your Man was the first song played on Top of the Pops  c) First song ever recorded was a French lady singing “Claire de la Lune” in 1860 (before Eddison’s 1877 recording!) d) First Beatles Number 1 was “Please Please Me” e) Biggest selling album in UK (not a Greatest Hits) is the Beatles again with Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

St Helena a different  perspective

Some pictures showing the rugged coastline of St. Helena and also the burial spot for Napoleon (his remains are now in Paris). I have added my poem that I wrote at the time trying to express some slightly muddled thoughts about the island at that moment in time.

                                                               Exile
                                                Dawn mists envelop Seaview
                                                Perceptions temporarily clouded
                                                Mynah birds chatter incessantly
                                                Words incomprehensible as those from afar
                                                Morning horns blare their warnings
                                                Unlike those Sirens that mislead
                                                The sea melts into the distant horizon
                                                 Like a tattered dream on the breeze
                                                 Rugged rocks dominate, weathered and worn
                                                 A harsh reality that halts our moves
                                                 Flax swarms down the hillside
                                                 The infestation once imported,                                                                                      now a choking obsolescence 
                                                 Irrational notion of a deep malaise
                                                 Roads winding precariously from hillsides
                                                 Twisting and writhing like a knotted serpent
                                                  Going back over well worn tracks
                                                   Napoleon incarcerated, despairing
                                                   Trapped aspirations quashed
                                                   An island discarded, patronised from afar
                                                   Left to find new threads from neglect
                                                   Yet optimism abounds from the multitude of smiles
                                                    For future hope……………………

A quick update on the Story Telling front. I have been making some recordings for our Two Severn Bores podcast. My “exercise” yesterday saw me cycle to the River Severn to make an outside recording wanted to make it sound more interesting with bird song etc. I had a dose of double luck-first of all I saw four Whimbrel (a Curlew like migrant that passes through on their way North. I also saw the Severn Bore was moving towards me a truly wonderful spectacle- I ended up doing 6 takes for the recording as I kept tripping over my words! Today observing physical distancing Dan and I recorded on his super duper microphones and other stuff-it went well so watch this space!

Today is a short piece on St Helena (poem possibly tomorrow).

You may remember from previous photos that Jamestown is in a valley between two imposing towering barren hillsides. At the seaward end is Jacob’s Ladder (two pictures below) that lead up to the cliff-top fortifications. Below is my account written on the island about my first climb up it! First picture is from the fort.

“What an impressive feat of engineering to construct the ladder up a sheer  cliff face to the fort above! From the bottom it looks vertical-from the top you suffer from vertigo! 699 steps, each step seems to be fractionally deeper than your average steps that we are used to  (were they giants in Napoleon’s time?) So for each step you feel like you are stretching more than is comfortable.

As a piece of bravado I tried to run/jog up the ladder. At my age it could be a risky business especially with more limited medical services ton the island than we have at home. It feels like an eternity to get up to the escape path and it is still not halfway! The views are stunning, the ship is still in the harbour preparing to leave for Cape Town. Breath is getting shorter and is definitely laboured. Sweat begins to run down my face stinging my eyes. Plod, plod, plod, gasp, gasp, gasp…………………….-pace has stalled significantly! At last puffing and panting like an old man I am there. I think of the poor bastards that built this-it must of been hell! The fortifications all over the island are built in many precarious positions surely that must of taken it’s toll on the labourers. However, it is well worth it-with a feeling of triumph and exhilaration I wave at Louisa a mere speck down below. This feeling is tempered with the realisation I’ve got to go back down. Boy it is steep and dangerous looking! Legs find it so much harder and with every step my knees cry out for mercy. My calves tighten -please don’t get cramp halfway down!……….

I didn’t get cramp-makes me laugh now when I mention it is risky at my age!

Yesterdays Castle Quiz answers

a) Leeds Castle is in Kent   b) Corfe Castle is on the Isle of Purbeck   c) Berkeley Castle is where Edward 11 met a painful end!   d) Dover Castle is the largest in Britain  e) Monty Python and the Holy Grail was the film with the castle of AAAARRRGGGGHHH!

Today’s question are all on records to go with today’s title

a) What was the first record played on Radio 1  b)  The first record on Top of the Pops? c) the first recording ever?   d) First Beatles Number 1 single?   e) Biggest UK album of all time that is not a Greatest Hits (Queen and Abba are those)?

Obviously today’s title refers to St Helena and the last years of Napoleon Bonaparte and not the song by Steve Knightly of Show of Hands.

The whole island was cloaked with history and everywhere you moved you touched it. Tumbled down fortified walls, discarded cannons and battlements were everywhere. There were two buildings on the island where Napoleon had stayed –The Briars and Longwood House both these buildings are now under French jurisdiction with the tricolour flying; the place where Napoleon had been buried is also French property.

The Briars was the home of the Balcombe family and Napoleon stayed in a pavilion in the garden, while his new home Longwood House was being made ready for him.Here he struck up a love/hate friendship with the Balcombe’s fourteen year old daughter. It is a great story and maybe I will write about this in the future. I have read a couple of books on the subject.

Longwood (pic above) is where Napoleon and his retinue lived till his death. During his time here the relationship with the island governor grew increasingly fractious and his movement on the island became more restrictive as a result. I loved walking round Longwood especially the garden that Napoleon had designed (the paths were sunk into the ground so the British guards outside wouldn’t be able to see him-picture below). During my time I was invited for a meal at Longwood Farm House (where one of his officers lived) my hostess Robina took me to a window with shutters on the outside. She told me to stand by a spot by the window and pointed to a hole in the shutter. Apparently Napoleon had the hole made so he could look out at the Marshall Bertrand’s horses but the soldiers outside wouldn’t be able to see him. It was a spine tingling moment to be able to stand on the same spot that Napoleon had once stood.

I had some inkling of how Napoleon must of felt because when the ship left us to go to Cape Town. Once the ship departed the island was completely on it’s own . There was no way for us to get off the island and there was only minimal contact with the outside world -no email at that time. Obviously I knew I would eventually go home. There was a phone but at £1.35 a minute (really expensive 22 years ago). I did communicate occasionally with my family by fax to Clare’s school from the Island’s Education Centre not exactly private correspondence! Fax seems an old fashioned means of communication now-it seemed fairly modern then. Once when the ship called when I managed to send a burnt letter to my school (It was from Cedric the Dragon telling the children he had bumped into me on St. Helena and he updated them on how I was!)

The one moment when I did feel homesick was day the phone rang out of the blue. It was my son David to tell me his GCSE results. I maintained my composure until I put down their receiver when I promptly burst into tears (possibly not a surprise to those who know me!)

In the next blog if I am brave I will put in a poem I wrote at the time that encapsulates many of the themes I have touched on while writing about St. Helena!

Yesterday’s Cotswold Quiz answers:

a) in 1966 the Cotswolds became AONB     b) Corinum is the Roman name for Cirencester   c) Gustav Holst was born in Cheltenham  d) Gloucestershire (inc South Glos), Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Somerset (inc Bath and NE Somerset), Warwickshire are the six traditional counties for  the Cotswolds. e) Wold means open country usually upland it is derived from the old English “wald” meaning forest.

Today’s Quiz (I decided on castles as I mentioned fortifications in the blog!

a) Leeds Castle is found in which English County?  b) Which famous castle can be found on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset?  c)  Which castle was Edward 11 murdered in 1327?   d) What is the largest castle in Britain?  e)  Castle Stalker appeared in what film but in the film was called the Castle of “Aaaaarrrrrggghhh?”

  My picture from my house on St Helena! Not bad eh!

I had a super ride today up over the beautiful Southern Cotswolds (I am biased I think they are much more attractive than the posh parts further North). I had hoped to see or hear a cuckoo -I deliberately rode through a quiet wooded valley where I have seen cuckoos in recent years.

As this is supposed to be a Story Telling Blog and there hasn’t been much to write about in the last few weeks I thought I would update my activities on the Story Telling Front. The Two Severn Bores are attempting to record this weekend some of their River Severn Podcast-it could be technologically challenging for the Story Teller half!

As for writing I have made the most of this time to write and I am pleased with how my current story is developing (I often think through ideas on my bike and that is still happening but I found I am now dreaming about the story! Should I be worried?) It is a while since I have felt so immersed in one of my stories.

No St Helena notes tonight although I am planning to write thoughts on Napoleon and also my climbing activities on the island.

I am delighted with Wisden -the writing is excellent especially the notes from the editor. I recommend to anyone who loves cricket and wants some reading material to get a copy-you don’t normally have this much time to read a tome like this!

Quiz answers

a) Roughly 50 books can be made from one tree (obviously depends on size of the book!)   b) J.M Barrie gave the rights of Peter Pan to Great Ormond Street Hospital they are still getting money from this    c) Harry Potter is the third most read book it is also the most banned book in the USA!   d) David Cornwell is Le Carre’    d) The first published book was the Gutenberg Bible by Gutenberg

Today’s questions are all on the Cotswolds as I cycled over them this morning.

a)  What was given to the Cotswolds in 1966?   b)  What is the Roman name for Cirencester?  c) What well known composer was born in Cheltenham?  d) Which six counties are the Cotswolds in?  e) What does “wold” mean?

Below Yellow Wagtail in Frampton yesterday!!!