I had planned to go out tonight to look for the meteorite shower. Sadly as I went out it was pouring with rain-so no chance! Shall have another go tomorrow. We are lucky where we live because just a short walk from the house we can get away from all light pollution. About fifteen years or so ago on a Winter night I managed to see the Northern Lights from that spot!

Clare and I managed to get a lovely ride today going up over Selsey Common for Coffee and Cake in Uley at the Prema Arts Centre. I watch Clare disappear in the distance as we climb on her e-bike!!!!

Slowly getting closer to sending my story Pig the Legend off. The pictures are nearly all in place!

I even played football last night for the first time since lock down-I was the oldest by a long way-one of the players is a former pupil from my first Headship!!!!!!

Following my comments on my bike tyre I have gone with the T. Rex song for today. I did contemplate “The Wheels on the Bus” but that would be unkind on my bike Shadowfax! The good news is my new tyres arrived and I have fitted a new one on the recalcitrant back wheel. Fingers crossed it will now be OK!

Now news hot of the press -I will be on the Luton Town football shirt next season. Well you may need a microscope to spot me! It will actually be my name. I am not alone -I think there may be a thousand or so names on the shirt! It was all of us who forgo a refund on our season tickets after crowds were unable to go to games at the end of last season because of the virus. Just hope I’m not under the arm pit!

Talking of the misplaced priorities in football . I see Arsenal have just made their mascot and 55 other members of staff redundant while possibly about to spend 50 million on a new player!!!!! Sadly while local  teams like Macclesfield and Bury go to the wall the Premier League lives in its fantasy monopoly money world!

Finally had an unexpected visitor in the garden today. A lovely Goldcrest-delightful charismatic little birds. Many of these tiny birds fly across the North Sea to spend their Winters here. Slightly surreal at the moment as Winter Migrants arrive and I am still seeing Summer Migrants like House Martins and Swallows. Picture below Of a Goldcrest.

Had to be another song title with rain featuring! Thanks to Led Zeppelin for today’s offering! It hasn’t let up all day in our part of the world! I even had to have my lights on my bike when I went up for the paper it was so dark!

One bit of news I eventually discovered the puncture problem on my trusty bike “Shadowfax”. The tyre’s sidewall had been damaged-of course I had checked the wheel, the inside of the tyre for thorns etc but only yesterday discovered the damage. So had to order a new tyre! So hopefully will have all my bikes operational in the near future!

Pleased to watch the Super Hatters win this afternoon!   So despite last week’s set back it has been a positive start to the season.

Well it had to be a song with rain in it for today, so have gone for a  Buddy Holly classic for today’s title! I almost feel guilty about mentioning Autumn in recent blogs with today’s rain and wind!

We are glad that we made the best of a decent day’s weather  yesterday by going for a ride. Clare is chuffed that we did 40 miles which is Clare’s second longest ever ride! So I started today by making cheese scones- one of my favourites! So for the rest of the day I am aiming to write. I am still playing with an old story and need to decide where it is going in the final stages. Of course I still have a puncture to sort out that I mentioned in a previous blog. Staying with bikes just found my pictures from when the Tour de France started in Yorkshire in 2014 so a couple from the Peloton in Haworth-when you could be in a crowd!.

Why haven’t I had this title before? Although not a motorbike my bike gives me that freedom. Had a wonderful ride today covering 45 miles through the Cotswolds. I do live in a beautiful county.

Aiming to work on the story I have been dabbling with tomorrow. I am seeing Terry tomorrow who is looking at my Pig the Legend story before I send it off.

Don’t think I have had a Manic’s song for a title before and my two  boys would be surprised! Life certainly has taken an Autumnal turn in the last few days. We did spend time in the garden today and went on a local pedal that incorporated some Blackberrying.  Sadly Shadowfax my trusty workhorse of a bike wasn’t so trusty today as it suffered yet another back tyre puncture. I did check the tyre and wheel last week and it seemed OK so I am somewhat baffled! So back to the drawing board! On the plus side Blackberry and Apple Crumble later this week!

Have you noticed that one moment we are enjoying late summer and without really noticing Autumn has crept up on you. Nights draw in and temperature drops. Last week I was playing cricket in warm sunshine and this weekend it was cycling with a jacket on because of a cold biting North Wind. It even started me wondering when I will swap from bike mitts to gloves on the bike!! Lights will soon need to be fixed to the bike.

I rode with pals on Friday in that wind around the Malvern area. Today Clare and I rode round the lanes to enjoy coffee and cake in Dursley. This has given me an idea for a poem which I made a start on and will try and develop this week!

Disappointed by the lacklustre derby match yesterday, certainly lacked blood and thunder and the Hatters lost so it was painful one to take!

My old man’s cycling group met today up near Malvern and we a great pedal around a different area. Wind was a real problem and as we crossed the common we got a real buffeting. Depending on if the rules stay the same we are aiming to meet up for a ride every fortnight or so. It does mean I have done well over 4.000 miles this year.

Managed to do some writing yesterday on a story I started when we visited Cuba and I have only worked with on occasions over the last three years.

The big match for us tomorrow a local derby with no crowd! We are certainly the underdogs but fingers crossed! I do manage to watch all the games at the moment online.  Up the Hatters!!!!!!

A Johnny Cash song for today’s title just to reflect the state of my body! Final game of cricket yesterday against Somerset and a really active one for me. It didn’t start well when a ball shot through me for four-I pride myself on my fielding and that was poor moment. Later I managed my customary dives and chases to the boundary but pride was hurting! In fact the whole team had an off day in the field and we faced chasing 247 in our forty overs. We finished 10 runs short and I was chuffed with my quick fire 45 that had us in contention, my team mates were incensed on my behalf by the run out decision that sent me packing! My body is suffering after my efforts!

I forgot to mention last week’s bird survey in Frampton. Once again we were able to witness a Bore it is always a magical moment and it flushed many birds including Knot, Ruff, Whimbrel, Pintail and various gulls including 3 Mediterranean Gulls. Two Great White Egrets and six Little Egrets were on the land side . We watched a Kingfisher which is always a special  treat.

The virus shows no sign of abating and you do hope this incompetent law breaking government might start to give consistent and clear messages instead of blaming everyone else when things go wrong! It does mean it is unlikely that I will be Story Telling in front of a live audience any time soon! I think I will spend the next few months learning new stories and maybe writing new ones as well.

I thought my team gave a good account of themselves last night and it was a pity we gave away a penalty because I thought we had looked comfortable until then.

I am talking sport particularly the Tour de France! An amazing ride today to give Pogacar the final yellow jersey. Not sure if anyone saw that coming! It is surprises like this that gives sport the drama to enthral us!

I went for a long thoroughly enjoyable ride this morning over the Cotswolds. Always enjoy finding roads I have never cycled before. I made sure I got back in time for a shower before settling down to watch the football. Another excellent result for the mighty Hatters. Looking forward to playing Manchester Utd on Tuesday!

Finishing off the sporting day a couple of pictures from Thursday “international”. Well Gloucestershire Oldies playing cricket against Wales Oldies!!! It was at Abergavenny   Cricket Club -a picturesque setting.