A Muddy Waters title for today! Sums up the weather at this time of the year although the daylight is getting longer and more flowers are coming out!

On my feeders this morning a male Blackcap (saw a female with the children at Wick Court on Tuesday) and a lovely busy Goldcrest. Both birds put a smile on my face!

Good news we have now reached three figures plus with the Book sales. I had a lovely morning at my local village primary school promoting the book and looking at Story Writing. Then a rush to meet old friends for lunch.

New story continues to develop!

A different title today-it is from an album by Public Service Broadcasting about the mining industry and the decline particularly in Wales. I have been lent a few PSB albums by David my eldest, took me a while to get into them but have enjoyed listening to them.

Well where do I start recounting recent events in this blog? I suppose the Gig at Kingshill which went really well. Dan was his usual brilliant self and he really enhanced one of my stories with his guitar-we now have plans to develop this for future gigs. Our audience enjoyed the evening, as did both of us! The bar at Kingshill House had an intimate feel to perform in. I’m sorry but forgot to get some pictures that I promised!

Clare came to football with me on Saturday and we thoroughly enjoyed the day a lovely meal at the Highlander in Hitchin (a pub from my youth) and a superb display by the mighty Hatters although we only won 1-0 Exeter were lucky to get nil!

A wonderful ride today in the Winter sunshine to meet Clare for coffee and cake. Now really beginning to stretch those legs with some decent climbs.

I have started writing my Civil War Story based in Gloucester and has already taken me in a surprise direction. I will see how this develops and if it has an authentic feel about it.

Don’t forget folks Dan (wonderful musician) and I are performing at Kingshill House on Friday 2nd February we start at 7.30 p.m.. Hope you can join us there! It should be a good evening.

It has been a busy week and had something on every night apart from Thursday. Monday’s cricket which I was apprehensive about turned out to be a triumph my club won their first game. Yours truly who was the oldest player by a million years turned out to have a decisive impact on the whole game, two catches one at full stretch, two wickets and 14 runs. It was the bowling that surprised everyone including me! I was also very economical to go with the wickets, those of you who know my bowling will be surprised by all of that! Tuesday I went to football it was a pity our defence forgot to turn up!

Wednesday was a wonderful evening we went to see a talk by Helen McDonald author of the highly acclaimed H is for Hawk and in the second half she had a discussion with James Aldred an amazing camera man. We were transfixed by all of it.

What a classic for today’s title! An evocative song of my youth. It certainly hasn’t been a Lazy Sunday today! It was my Family Gig at Kingshill House for the start of National Story Telling Week. Lovely day with a good number of visitors and some wonderful cakes as well! Feeling tired now!

Hope we have a good turn out for our adult Gig on Friday at the same venue. Hope a few of you readers out there can come. Dan and I rehearsed on Friday. Will try to get a photo of Friday’s gig for the blog.

A few bookings have come in over the last few days, some very different ones for me that will take me in a new direction.

We were disappointed by our RSPB bird watch on Saturday some of our regular visitors were missing.

Breaking news I am playing indoor cricket tomorrow night, this is really a young man’s game so it will be interesting to see what sort of state I’m in afterwards!

How about that for a song title from the past! Decided to do a title with garden in it because we have just spent time catching up on garden jobs. It has been too wet over the last fortnight. Still got plenty to do!

Had a busy week on doing Book promotions. I am going into schools and working with Y5/6s on Story Writing looking at Plot, Setting and Character. Lovely meeting delightful young people in North Nibley and Eastington-even sold a fair few books while doing it.

I have been rehearsing with Dan Everett this morning for our Gig next Friday at Kingshill House. He is adding music to one of my stories which should enhance it. Don’t forget 7.30 p.m. on the 2nd all welcome (this gig  is for adults)! Before that I am Story Telling throughout the day on Sunday for the family day at Kingshill House.

Finally managed to climb a few hills this week on the bike!

A really short blog today!

On the bike for a long ride and in all the muck by the road saw lots of snowdrops. This in turn led me to think of the lovely Show of Hands song “I Promise You” that points to hope in the depth of winter (whatever type of winter comes to mind). It certainly gave my heart a flutter and a smile on my face seeing those flowers and thinking about the song.

Spoilt with choice on rain songs to mark today’s weather! I’ve plumped for the lovely Ralph McTell song although it is still raining as I write! You can understand the January Blues with the grey unrelenting skies-at least we saw the sun on Friday! It does rather curtail your plans, I have jobs to do in the garden! So I am settling down to do some writing after some Story Telling preparation. So swings and roundabouts.

It was lovely telling stories to a school from East Ham on Thursday they were a delightful group of young people. This week I have two Book Promotion sessions and one Story Telling gig.

Don’t forget coming up I have two performances at Kingshill House Dursley. The first is on Sunday 28th as part of family activities including a puppet show and drama workshop-check out their web site for the programme. The following Friday I am performing for an adult audience with Dan Everett who is a wonderful musician. We are rehearsing later this week, I am hoping he will add some music to one of my stories.

A chance to have a Jimi Hendrix title for today’s blog to mark the blustery weather!

I have had a really busy week so far. It started with a delightful gig with young ones at Tuffley Library on Monday. I cycled to Tuffley in horrible wet weather and the bike is in need of a good wash as a result! I have my first Gig back at Wick Court tomorrow so going over my stories later. I had a lovely Bird Watch with the young people yesterday at Wick Court and I was asked some wonderful questions. One was “How are Birds different to us?” which although obvious at the spur of the moment it taxed my language skills!

I have also spent quite a bit of time digging this week in my voluntary capacity. I was doing some work on the ponds at Wick Court-Monday afternoon-the wet conditions and the clay made it hard work. Today I was helping at the nature area of my local school digging many holes for a hedgerow and trees. I did a good four hours so the body was calling out for a rest!!!!!

Book sales are going well!!!

Spent a lovely time watching two Whooper Swans on Court Lake in Frampton yesterday. Unusual that we have two here and none at WWT Slimbridge. It is a while since I have seen them in Frampton.

Made a start on a new story today-another with a historical echo based on a local legend.

Don’t forget Friday 2nd February from 7.30 I am performing with the wonderful Dan on his guitar at Kingshill House Dursley. This Gig is for adults but I will be at the House the week before for Family Stories on Sunday January 28th, there is also a Puppet Show and Drama Workshop. Both these Gigs are part of National Story Telling Week. Check out the Kingshill House website for the details.

Never had a Kate Bush song title for my blog so it is a first! Was cycling back from doing a Book Promotion at Avening when the Fog rolled in-lucky I was only a few miles from home. Although I later cycled in the dark and fog to our Book Club meal (this one was based on the book “A Confederacy of Dunces” as the book is set in New Orleans the food featured Cajun flavours! Excellent cooking from everyone as usual, and first class company.

I have been Story Telling twice this week to very audiences and will be the same next week. I have also managed to cycle to both Gigs so clocking up a few miles on the bike.

A reminder I am performing at Kingshill House, Dursley it will be me telling stories and Dan Everett and his wonderful guitar singing on Friday 2nd February.