Went looking for an owl this morning, a rarity reported nearby. No sign plenty of Wagtails (Grey and Pied), Woodpeckers, Linnets, and a flock of Long-tailed Tits was some compensation!

While on a wildlife theme we thoroughly enjoyed Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum. We try and go every year and it never disappoints. When I see the young people’s photos against  pictures I have taken I feel very inadequate!

Trying hard to write and also learn new stories I have a busy couple of months coming up.

Picture below is from the Tutankhamen exhibition it was my phone-honest!!!!!!!

Another Dylan song for today’s title which reflects my incompetence with new blog format-however, I may have sorted it!

This will be a  short blog to test out this format!  I will write some more tomorrow if this is successful. I am busy writing material for the Two Severn Bores new show-our first performance is on 7th February at Kingshill House! Details to follow.

Title refers to the play we saw in London earlier in the week-it was called Girl from the North Country and the whole show was interspersed with the cast singing Dylan songs. The actress who sang Just Like a Rolling Stone was brilliant-possibly the best version I have heard!

First time I’ve used a Clash song for a title! We are off for a cultural visit in the capital. This includes the Tutankhamun exhibition, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Troy Exhibition and hopefully a show if we can get a cheapish ticket!

Disappointed with football at the moment we will have to wait for next season to win the FA Cup! Hopefully the cricket might cheer me up!

Happy New Year to all of you who read this blog. Word press have updated the way I write it so it is all tentative on my part. The last 3 were all slightly fraught as I got used to it-I will aim to do one with a picture soon!

We are now back home after travels to celebrate the festivities with the family in two distinct time chunks.

Fairly short blog today! I hope you all have had a wonderful time. We certainly did here in deepest Gloucestershire. It has been tough with late nights, alcohol, and wonderful food! The only blot was watching my favourite football team capitulate today in Bristol. Such a disappointment after a wonderful game on Boxing Day-it is going to be a long season!   The Bristol Brewery before the game was a highlight.                              

Sadly I haven’t been able to get any writing done over this holiday period.

Merry Christmas to you all. There are quite a few of you out there who read my ramblings that is supposed to be about my Story Telling adventures; but, as you will no doubt know by now often includes other things from bird watching to sport.

Thought I would use the title of my seasonal story for today’s title. Appropriate as I have told this story a few times this December. I am very fond of this story.

We had a super day today, We were chuffed to attend Hugo’s Baptism today in Stroud. Hugo is a delightful boy son of our lovely friends the MacDonalds.

Yesterday I watched the once mighty Hatters unluckily lose, one day surely our luck will change!

My webbed feet are growing especially after today’s soaking. I was telling Christmas Stories at Avening Primary (the Headteacher is an old colleague of mine, she was an outstanding teacher and now a super Head). I had a lovely time but as I left (I was on the bike) to go to a meeting in Dursley the rain was unrelenting- “Cats and Dogs” well more like”Horses and Cows” I ended up riding through floods that went over my overshoes-so hence the webbed feet! The cavalry rescued me after my meeting which was welcome-I’m currently warming up after my soaking.

That is it for a while on the Story Telling front but it means I can focus on writing for the Two Severn Bores.

Must love water! -I was fully immersed in a freezing pond at Wick Court on Tuesday transferring plants to another pond.

We had a lovely Christmas lunch yesterday with Clare’s lovely friends from SP3.

One chink of hope at the end of a depressing tiring week was the return of a pair of Blackcaps in our garden. Fairly sure these are probably continental birds here for the winter, they are lovely birds. We do get Blackcaps in Britain all year round but we get an influx during the winter. Picture of a male at the end of the blog (not mine!)

Our Book Club met on Wednesday and the theme was lyrics-we could only pick one song and explain why it was important to us. A great evening and the choices were diverse although nostalgia was evident in our choices!

I have my last Story Telling of 2019 scheduled for Thursday-Christmas themes! So in theory getting  down to writing for the Two Severn Bores Spring Tour-watch this space!