Second Blog in a day! Just to report on tonight’s Frog and Toad patrol 19 amphibians helped across the road in Frampton. Clare and I helped 3 frogs and 1 toad across to the ponds. One person helped 12! Had the soundtrack of both male and female Tawny Owls nearby, also heard an Oystercatcher coming from the Court area.
Will use the Clash for today’s title. Actually I was down coming back from football yesterday because we had that awful sinking feeling of a last minute goal for the opposition. Actually on reflection shouldn’t be too down because we played some excellent football and were the better team but it is all about taking your chances! Onwards and upwards! Off to watch them again at Coventry on Tuesday.
Blackcap still in the garden and we are Toad Patrol tonight!
Just been listening to one of my Christy Moore albums so that is where today’s title comes from.
A busy few days with gigs, cycling and a Book Club meal.
Our next book is “A Man Called Ove” so it was a Swedish theme for our meal. As always superb offerings from everyone and once again the table was groaning under the weight of the food. It was of course well lubricated with Swedish drink. I am currently a third of the way through the book and I am enjoying it.
Two contrasting Gigs this week. I had a delightful time in Aberdare on Monday and has given me ideas for future gigs in similar schools. On Wednesday was closer to home at Haresfield telling stories to Infants. I have another busy week ahead of me both performing and socially.
Good to get on the bike after the snow, so I have started clocking up a few miles.
Talking of snow we enjoyed seeing Redwing and Fieldfare in the garden although they have now gone but the Blackcap is still visiting the feeders.
The man in black provides today’s song title! We had a big Bore on the River Severn this morning and I went to look at the aftermath from the Splatt Bridge. I watched gallons and gallons of water cascading through three breeches in the flood dyke. It happens whenever there is a large Bore and floods the fields. It was a lovely morning I watched Curlews, Lapwings and Redshanks being really flighty.
Snow has almost disappeared and normality is starting to return. Of course Friday’s Gig was postponed, we are looking to rearrange it. Tomorrow I am off to the Valleys to work in a Special School, I visited there last year and it was a lovely visit. I have packed plenty of props because I will need to work with the senses.
Well the weather is playing havoc with a Story Teller trying to go about his business! Today I was supposed to working all day in a school and then rushing to Wick Court to do my residency. Emma working her way up the country has put paid to that. I had to adapt my planned Story Telling at Stonehouse Park Infant School today as the school was closing because of the weather at lunch time and my Wick Court telling was cancelled so the school could get home to London! I am not optimistic about tomorrow’s Gig. So all the learning of stories and poems may be wasted! I am also supposed to be up in the valleys on Monday that may also be in jeopardy.
It means I can settle down to do some writing.
Baton down the hatches!!!! Temperature falling fast!!!
I did go for a ride today and it wasn’t as bad as I expected although I had a couple of dodgy moments with ice riding through Uley. Hope to ride again on Wednesday but I will watch the weather carefully.
Lovely weekend with friends that included a friend’s significant birthday I am too much of a gentleman to say how old she now is! We managed to dance the night away-the first time in ages! Great fun.
Now really busy learning stories for the gigs over the next fortnight.
I will explain the title later in the blog.
Toads and Frogs – we only helped 5 amphibians across the road including one very large Toad. Not sure if there will be much activity for a while with this cold weather we are supposed to have over the next week.
I am trying to up my climbing legs on the bike, got close to my best time on Selsey this week.
We saw Birdsong on Thursday night a moving production of the Faulks book.
Busy going over stories for all the Gigs I am doing connected to World Book Day-I had to turn down some requests!
Yesterday we went across country to the funeral of one of my old college cricketing buddies in Maidstone. Dave was a true gentleman and a warm engaging friend. One of his specialities was sing Yarmouth Town when were all together. So in his honour we played a Bellowhead version on the journey back.
We are out as dusk swallows the daylight to help Toads and Frogs across the road in deepest Frampton! Should be fun! will blog later in the week.
Included a picture of a Red Kite below because I saw so many while at Pete and Nicola’s over the weekend. The whole Church tribe assembled for peter’s Christmas present to the family the six of us had to solve many clues to get us out of an Escape Room. Great team work and fun. We had an hour to get out, we managed with seven minutes to spare! Nobody lost their cool and everyone contributed.
Currently staying in Red Kite territory with our Pete and Nicola. Red Kites everywhere what a wonderful story their reintroduction has been. Had a lovely lunch sitting out in the winter sunshine by the River Thames.
Had a good busy couple of days. Book Club was a good discussion on Confederacy of Dunces. An early Thursday morning bird survey was rewarded with a good view of a Barn Owl and 98 Curlews . Other birds spotted as well!
I was purring on Tuesday night watching the mighty Hatters playing some delightful football. It could of been 10! An emphatic return to our very best.
Pure escapism on Friday we went to see Aardman’s latest offering at Wotton Cinema. A pity we don’t have little ones to take but we thoroughly enjoyed it, with old fashion jokes both visual and daft puns. It was made doubly enjoyable when a young person’s lovely uninhibited chuckles at the front filled the air.
Clare and I went to do our Winter Square on Sunday. This is to record every bird in a random square we are allocated-we were lucky this was fairly close and by the river-I think we will be given a square in the Forest in November. A lovely cold morning with nothing surprising turning up but plenty of activity from small birds. I have my monthly survey for the Frampton Estate on Thursday-hope it is dry!
A busy spell coming up on the Story Telling front so I am busy finding a couple of new stories to tell.
Football was not great on Saturday a dismal draw on a difficult pitch and little football played by both teams. Still top, need to make sure we win tomorrow night.