An old Nina Simone song to celebrate the what feels like Spring weather! Glorious day and I had a great ride over the tops enjoying wearing my shorts and no coat! Flowers were great daffodils, primroses, and wood anemones prominent. Birdsong especially my favourite the Blackbird now filling the air as well.

We did see the 5 star Bore on Friday morning and loads of people surfing it. I did take some pictures but having a technical issue down loading so will try and add a photo later. I have said it before but it is magic witnessing the Bore, many people had come from far and wide to watch it.

Another great footballing performance from the Hatters on Saturday once again fluent one touch football had us all purring with pleasure. Fingers crossed for the final seven games!

Another first for the blog title a Nick Drake song! It was another high tide on the river today and we are anticipating the biggest Bore of the year tomorrow. We are hoping to see it, never know maybe another photo on the blog tomorrow! Was out by the River today for the Bird Survey. Saw many Curlews avoiding the Tide and a highlight was being close to an Otter swimming up the Pill from the Severn, it was a first for me to see an Otter in Gloucestershire.

Have had a couple of delightful rides this week including in and around the Malverns which was beautiful, we also had a wonderful cake and coffee stop which is a big motivation to keep pedalling!

My only Story Telling this week was today at Wick Court telling a few old favourites.

A song title all the way back to 1968 from The Move. Short blog today on our cycle around the Newent Loop mainly to see the Wild Daffodils which are different to the cultivated ones we are used to. Yes and it rained although it was more like persistent drizzle. Despite that it was a lovely leisurely cycle with friends see the pictures at the bottom of the daffodils!                                                                                                                                               

Forgot to mention Book Club in previous blog, hence the Simon and Garfunkel title! We met on Wednesday for one of our themed meals prior to the discussion the following month. As always excellent food we were supposed to bring our offerings on a science discovery theme. As always people came up with imaginative offerings and plenty of food!

I thought I would use my story title today as this blog is mainly Story Telling with a bit about birds.

I told my Mollie story to finish off my Story Telling at Wick Court yesterday as I do every week. I think I have now probably told that story to well over 3,000 people on my regular Thursday slot over 3 years and no Telling is ever the same! Really enjoyed telling stories to the delightful young people from Maidstone. Mollie was also mentioned on my visit today to the lovely Stroud Valley School while promoting my book. I got a real soaking cycling home!  I can now concentrate on writing more because my busy spell eases off now. Got very excited this morning before I set off to Stroud when I got a text saying an Osprey was by the lake at the end of our road, didn’t see but hopefully it might be around for a couple of days.

Had to have the Morecambe and Wise song again. Sorry this will be a football related blog today, normal service will be resumed in the next blog! It has been an extraordinary week to be a Hatter (Luton supporter) and emotional as well. On Monday probably the most important moment in the club’s history saw the Council grant planning permission for the enabling development to fund the new stadium. Hopefully the Secretary of State won’t call it in because it will rejuvenate and regenerate the Town and it does need it. The Stadium is going to be cutting edge and is really exciting.  Added to that we won again a tough away match last night to cement our place at the top of the table

A very Happy Hatter here!!!!!

Don’t think I ever had a Martin Carthy song title before my blog! Felt I needed wind in the title after being blown across my garden today! It certainly has a real bite today!

I did indicate in my last blog how busy I’ve been over the last week. I drove up to Leicestershire for World Book Day to perform to old friends in Syston. A delightful day impressed to see a whole year group of Dalmatians and another all bedecked as Wally. I then rushed back to an evening of stories at Wick Court. So a busy day! Pleased to say next week isn’t so hectic!

Had a good day at Plymouth watching the Mighty Hatters who surprisingly failed to score after dominating for long periods.

A song title from the Boss for today but a fairly tenuous link with the blog. I suppose I am in some sort of dreamland at the moment. I am also tired after the exertions of the last few days. Some great fun Story Telling last week to very different audiences and a lovely day up at Ashmead School Aylesbury on Friday working with the children on bird migration. Our gig as Two Severn Bores on Friday night went well but lets just say we had a select audience!

I had fun at Kingsholm School yesterday, I cycled both ways and the wind coming home was a challenge. Talking of bikes I purchased a new bike last week which should be ready to go later this week. I am passing on one of my old bikes to my Peter. We had a new school from Birmingham visiting Wick Court  this week and today they enthusiastically enjoyed their bird watching.

Finally today’s title refers to a wonderful day enjoying hospitality at Luton Town on Saturday. Last year I won a signed football by guessing the result correctly, this year I won another football by guessing the crowd size!  Perhaps I should do the lottery!

Kirsty MacColl song title for today. It certainly is that for me this week with three major lots of Story Telling plus a visit to Ashmead school in Aylesbury to talk about bird migration! Thoroughly enjoyed my cycle to Longlevens Infants yesterday for a day’s Story Telling, some delightful responses.

Had a close encounter with a Little Owl today. I was just taking of the panel of our Little Owl nesting box today, when suddenly I had a pair of eyes staring at me, I nearly fell off the ladder! Really pleased that it is using the box still.

What a wonderful few days of weather! The shorts have had to come out!

Don’t forget

Two Severn Bores are performing Severn Songs and Stories at Kingshill House on Friday at 7.30.

Two Severn Bores are the fantastic Dan Everett singing his distinctive songs and myself telling stories. We also have one or two interesting snippets of the life of the River.

Marvellous morning by the Severn doing the second bird survey of the week. Not a vintage one for birds spotted but great close up views of a large Bore. The noise was like a full throated war cry no wonder the Romans were supposed to have run away when they first encountered the Bore. We were able to stand on the bank and witness at close hand the awesome power of the surging River Severn. Not sure if my photos at the top and the bottom of the blog do it justice. Later we watched the Tide rising and filling up Pill which was fascinating.

Talking of Bores don’t forget Two Severn Bores are performing on Friday 1st March at Kingshill House Dursley starting at 7.30 p.m.

On Wednesday night we enjoyed watching Phil Beer in concert in Painswick . He is a talented musician.  We also had a good evening at Frampton Village Society on Friday listening to an instructive interesting talk on Frampton in Victorian times.