Of course today’s title is referring to tomorrow and the World Cup Final. Come on England! Sadly I will be doing teas for cyclists at Wick Court so will be listening to TMS on the radio. I did watch most of the semi-final against Australia apart from going  to Wick Court for Story Telling session and what a performance especially the bowlers. ( I meant the cricketers more than the Story Telling!) I will in a later blog share my conundrum about the Ashes Test I will be going to.

I was working with delightful Year 7s at Chosen Hill yesterday. I was in the school library and It was pleasing to see such an excellent facility. Libraries are wonderful jewels in our crowns and it sad what has happened in recent years. I cycled there and decided to come back a different way and ended up in parts of Gloucester I had never visited before and got lost! How many years have I lived in Gloucestershire?

I did enjoy bird watching with the children at Wick Court on Tuesday. Although the feeders were empty we had some good birds on the River.

A Bob Marley song to reflect our spell of good weather, I’ve had a few sun songs for my blog over time. It has been good to get out on the bike and not worry about the weather! I’ve started clocking up some decent rides.

Had a great day Story Telling in Swindon and at Wick Court on Thursday and I told a wide range of stories to different age groups. This week all my Story Telling is at the end of the week.

I am surprisingly playing cricket regularly on a  Saturday for my club, and enjoying it.

How about this old classic for today’s title! Just think we have had quite a bit of sun recently and I wanted sun in the title so very convoluted!

Had a really busy day in Swindon yesterday working for the National Literacy Trust in North Swindon Library. A wonderful resource but sadly only open a few hours a week-it is a scandal what has happened to our libraries in the last nine years! Sadly no mention of them or sure start for that matter from the two men who seem to be promising the earth in their scramble to be prime minister !

Thoroughly enjoyed my visit afterwards to the delightful Millbrook Primary School. So physically exhausted by the time I got home. Another day in Swindon tomorrow for NLT.

Pleased to see England winning the way to the cricket semi-finals today (phew) and sad to see our female footballers meet their match last night!

Thought I would pay tribute to the Severn in the title today to acknowledge the Two Severn Bores performance of Severn Stories and Songs last week. We had a great gig at Quedgeley Library on Thursday.  A couple of pictures below. We are now looking for any village hall/ arts centre venues for future gigs on this theme, so let us know if you can host us. We are now starting to write a new show for next year.

I am currently in the middle of a busy spell of Story Telling working for the National Literacy Trust as well as visiting a school this week.

The weekend was also hectic I played cricket in that furnace of Saturday’s weather which was sapping. Yesterday was Wick Court’s open day as well as the Handlebards evening performance. So I was helping getting things ready and clearing up afterwards as well as doing some Story Telling.

Had a fantastic day at the Rose Bowl Southampton watching Afghanistan and Bangladesh in the Cricket World Cup. Pleased to say the rain stayed away! It was a great cosmopolitan occasion see the picture below. The atmosphere was superb with waving flags accompanied by drums, whistles, rattles and enthusiastic cheering! Good to be with both my boys.  See my picture (it was my phone!)

Don’t forget Two Severn Bores doing Severn Songs and Stories on Thursday at Quedgeley Library starting at 7 p.m. and it is free! Hope you can join us.

My contribution to my game of cricket today was the duck in the title-oh dear! Still we managed to win despite my offering!

I mention Cuckoos because I have seen 5 this year including two flying over the house. I have heard them a lot including today which seems late! Maybe I’m just lucky.

Don’t forget TWO SEVERN BORES on Thursday 27th at Quedgeley Library starting at 7 and it is free!

Just got back from checking out Quedgeley Library for next Thursday’s (27th) Two Severn Bores performance of Severn Songs and Stories. Hope if you haven’t seen this performance you can come along-it is free! Pleased to be performing in a Library again. I have my usual residency in the Round House at Wick Court this afternoon.

Don’t forget Sunday 30th is Wick Court open day from 3 p.m. -I will be telling stories in the Round House and at 5 we have the amazing Handlebards doing the Tempest.

Lovely Bird Survey this morning out by the Severn with encouraging signs of young birds especially Whitethroats and Swallows.

Certainly clocked up some miles on the bike this week! Two decent rides of 40+ miles including seeing old friends for lunch yesterday.

Don’t think I’ve had this Buddy Holly title before but needed rain somewhere in the title! It has been disruptive and certainly marring the Cricket World Cup, stopping getting on with things in the garden. It is hard on the bike do I wear a proper rain jacket or not? I have curtailed my longer rides over the last few days but planning a long one tomorrow. My cricket has been washed out as well.

We had a wide range of views at Book Club on Wednesday night. Always interesting to see how different our perceptions are.

Enjoyed Story Telling with old friends from Granton Primary School Streatham on Thursday afternoon. I did a couple of old favourites; one, the Russian Folk Tale I haven’t done for a while but I always enjoy telling it.

Advance notice of another “Two Severn Bores” Gig on our River Severn theme. We are at Quedgeley Library on Thursday June 27th starting at 7 p.m. it is free! It is at the moment our last Gig on this theme, we are now thinking about what we will do next year!

Finally on the 30th June we have an open afternoon at Wick Court from 3 p.m. (I will be telling stories in the Round House). From 5 the wonderful “Handlebards” will be doing the Tempest, their performances are always great fun (Shakespeare like you have never seen before!)

I will keep repeating the above events in the next few blogs!

No not my dancing but that delightful tasty cheese for today’s title as I finished off my run of three gigs in Hereford with the National Literacy Trust. Today I told a couple of folk tales from Japan and North America that I know well.

Book Club later tonight to discuss Mr Golightly’s Holiday by Sally Vickers, a book I enjoyed reading so look forward to seeing what the chaps thought of it.

Oh my goodness we have seen plenty of rain over the last couple of days. I was doing my volunteering taking young people bird watching at Wick Court today and ended up wet and cold! It is almost the middle of June!!!!! Obviously our bird count was down although we had some good spots. Delightful young people who asked some great questions.

Off to Hereford for Story Telling with the National Literacy Trust. I perform in the Odeon Cinema and last week while I was mid story the screen came on behind me! It certainly tests your versatility as we had to move eventually.

Lovely weekend meeting many old friends in Birmingham. Enjoyed seeing the Staffordshire Hoard at the museum it was breath-taking. What a wonderful find!