I had been looking forward to a day at the Cricket World Cup with my Dave and Pete in Bristol. We knew the forecast was pretty awful. It was! We had all arrived armed with brollies and waterproof we did need them! A lovely cosmopolitan feel with Sri Lankan and Pakistan supporters and plenty of others from around the world. Sadly for the people who travelled half way around the world there was no play. We spent a Father and Sons bonding in the pub where we were joined by a friend. Fingers crossed for our next one!

My week was busy with 3 Story Telling sessions with two in Hereford with the National Literacy Trust. Enjoyed performing to delightful enthusiastic young people. Back in Hereford on Wednesday. Working on learning a new story to tell.

Today’s title is not a song title (well there might be one that I don’t know) nor a homage to the only creature that has delayed a space launch but to the delightful noisy creatures in my garden today. At one time we had three birds in the garden; a mother, a very hungry youngster and possibly the male as well. The pictures at the end of the blog are what I took today of mother feeding the well fledged chick.

Only got one game of cricket in and we came second!

This week sees me working with the National Literacy Trust in Hereford on two mornings. I think this might be my 7th year of doing this. The NLT do a wonderful job often in neglected areas of the country. Their web site is a useful resource for those of you working in schools. I did point a couple of schools to Free Writing Fridays (on the web site) earlier in the year.                     

Using the Roy Harper song for today’s title. Did you know it is the only pop song that features the phrase “Silly Mid Off”!

Great sport going on at the moment, I’ve enjoyed watching the Giro d’italia a much more interesting and unpredictable race than the Tour de France The Cricket World Cup got off to a great start yesterday, did you see that catch? Lovely to see how the whole crowd reacted to the Ben Stokes stupendous catch.

Talking of sport once again I am playing two games of cricket this weekend hence today’s title. I’ve done a couple of big rides on the bike over the last couple of days.

More on next week’s Story Telling in the next couple of days.

Currently reading Napoleon’s Last Island by Thomas Keneally so memories are flooding back to my time on St. Helena twenty years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed being on the island especially the isolation from the world it was a real adventure. You could really touch History it was all around you. Of course you walked in Napoleon’s footsteps literally! Keneally has done some excellent research for his book and obviously spent time on the island.

I did survive my second game of cricket in two days and actually bowled a wicket maiden! That is a rarity for me!

Not a flying one! I have seen a few around the house and plenty on the canal when I cycled back at night. Yesterday I actually opened the batting for my club on a lively pitch and was pleasantly surprised with my touch. Another game today-will the body last?

A break from Story Telling this week but the first week of June looks busy.

Have a couple of decent rides planned for this week, I am still clocking up the miles and I am ahead of where I was this time last year and that was my best ever.

Doing a story I haven’t done for a while this afternoon at Wick Court it is a Swahili story. This was after talking to one of the children on Tuesday’s Bird Watch about stories. Need to go over it a couple of times so I am not too rusty!

We had a couple of firsts at Wick Court on Tuesday with a school; we saw an Oystercatcher on the River and some Linnets. I aim to update the bird records for the farm over the next few weeks.

Enjoying the bike in this lovely weather and have started to clock up a few hills.

DNB stands for Did Not Bat!!! I played two games of cricket this week once for Gloucestershire Old Men and a game for my club where apart from me no one is over 35! As a batsman you usually expect to get a knock but we won comfortably against Worcestershire on Tuesday chasing a low score and yesterday we got off to a super start so the hitters were promoted above me. Possibly opening the batting next week.

Lovely Story Telling session on Thursday where I did King of the Birds especially for our lovely visitors from Ashmead School. Currently researching for some new stories to tell.

Of course we should of been in the Hebrides now but sadly we had to pull the plug on the holiday because Clare has been struggling with a real sore hip and knee for the past three weeks. She is slowly progressing but can’t walk very far.

No not the Two Severn Bores although we have another gig on our Severn Songs and Stories Tour at the end of June at Quedegely Library. No it refers to a splendid morning by the River this morning doing the Bird Survey. Highlights included a dust up between a Peregrine and a Marsh Harrier, Greenshank, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Common Crane as well as many smaller birds. To add icing to the cake I’ve just seen Black Terns on the lake by home. Amazing birds but much too quick to photograph!

Just off to do my Story Telling slot at Wick Court. Another blog hopefully tomorrow with a bit more detail.

The old Kinks song seems appropriate for the title! Yesterday at Wick Court we did  teas and cakes for cyclists and walkers as a fund raiser. I even made vegetarian sausage rolls which went down surprisingly well! The weather was superb. We currently have our old friends from Ashmead School staying at Wick Court; I visited the school with Brian earlier in the year.

I was lucky to see a Cuckoo flying as I was cycling back along the canal after a meeting.

Looking forward to playing cricket tomorrow.

Another bird related blog! Watched one of my favourite birds today. The wonderful Hobby. Really acrobatic birds and watching them take insects and eating them on the wing is a real marvel. our only bird of prey that migrates South in Winter.

Spent quite a bit of yesterday tidying up the story I mentioned this week-still quite a bit to do on this.