Oh dear talk about below the belt and cruel! I watched my team outplay Blackpool in the cursed Play Offs. Somehow Blackpool managed to come back from the dead. Wonderful atmosphere and a great game till the end!

I managed all my story telling sessions yesterday and had a great bird survey first thing. Watched a Cuckoo for some time. Saw two Lapwing chicks, Marsh Harriet, and Yellow Wagtails. For one we had decent weather. I also saw a poor cow stuck in the mud I managed to report it so I hope they got it out before the Bore.

Short blog at the start of a busy week. Today’s title is ready for Thursday’s second play off leg. We travelled to Blackpool yesterday and saw the Hatters fail to turn up in the second half so we lost 3-2. I think the ref’s vision only went to one penalty area, he gave them a penalty and it was, but sadly he missed one clear cut penalty at the other end plus a significant hand ball. Hey Ho, let’s hope up it evens out on Thursday night.

The rest  of the week is taken up by logistics, story telling (x2), bird survey, collecting bikes from Exeter and Putney for our cycling adventure next week. I am looking forward to being onto the ferry on Friday evening!!!!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed telling my Pirate Pete story on Wednesday night. It keeps evolving! I have some new ideas to develop it further as a result. I rushed from Wick Court to our Book Club evening this time it was a meal based on Howard’s End. Once again it was a superb evening and we all excelled with our offerings.

I went to a really interesting talk earlier in the week by a Blacksmith who specialises in reconstructing mainly Saxon and Medieval weapons. He uses the same methods of smelting and working the iron as the people of the time. He is often used on television programmes to demonstrate how things were made. As I sat listening a tiny germ of an idea for a future story popped into my head. Watch this space!

I played cricket yesterday I am still struggling for runs but had a good game in the field as we beat Cheshire.

Just about to go off on a cycle might get wet, but need to do some hills because have no chance in the coming week and then we are in the Pyrenees!

Just been listening to a CD with Ralph McTell and Wizz Jones singing the song that is the title for today’s blog, a classic Woody Guthrie song. Seems appropriate with all the nasty stuff going on in the world and this country picking on the most vulnerable.

Enjoyed the last league game of the season on Saturday, just need to do it now in the Play Offs (this is our fifth Play Off we have to win it sometime!) I have just booked my tickets for both games against Blackpool.

I was Story Telling in Nailsworth this morning at the Nursery attached to the school. Delightful!!! I cycled there with all my stuff getting there via Frocester Hill. I have been really upping my cycling ready for the Pyrenees which isn’t long now!

Well that title should prompt some curiosity! What an earth is he on about? Has he lost it completely?

Firstly at Wick Court yesterday we had a Royal visitor. It was Kate who was there for nearly four hours. I did suggest to the children they should try the Princess test and put a pea under a cushion but they declined! I know someone will say she is a Duchess but it is the same thing isn’t it? My contribution to this event was to clear away some stinging nettles on the previous day so she wouldn’t get stung! The place apparently was crawling with media and of course security. Michael Morpurgo read a story to the children and Kate, he was sitting in my Story Teller’s Chair! I did make a comment about that to the children today!!!

I missed the event because we had booked to go to London to see the Hockney Exhibition at Tate Britain.  That was superb. He is a fascinating artist who experiments with so many diverse mediums!

I did tell stories in that Chair today! I tried out the Shadow Cage again it is a while since I told that one. The picture below is me last week performing in Bristol Harbour to adults at Folk Tales .

    Finally the Radio Gloucestershire mention is because I was randomly interviewed today about my Story Telling as I was riding home. It should be on tomorrow afternoon. Fame!

Going back in time for today’s title from Neil Young, a slightly tenuous link! Yesterday I was cycling just over the border in Wales doing two climbs the Tumble and Llangynidr Mountain (it is a long story why I was in Wales and not Yorkshire as originally planned but I will gloss over that). This is part of my training for the Pyrenees at the end of this month. Picture below is me reaching the summit of Llangynidr.

We were in Lancashire for a couple of days taking in one of our favourite bird reserves at Leighton Moss and I also did a football match at Accrington Stanley while Clare did a National Trust property nearby.  Leighton Moss didn’t disappoint with great views of Marsh Harrier. We also spent the Saturday morning in the town of Clitheroe, where I was in seventh heaven pottering in a super second hand bookshop.  The football was good a wonderful away win courtesy of a comedy own goal that I would of been proud of in my day. I was once known as Own Goal for some impressive strikes against my own team!

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A short blog today and for once no music title. last night I was Story Telling at Folk Tales in Bristol. A delightful evening by the docks. Folk Tales takes place on the last Wednesday of each month and is a mix of music and the spoken word. I am hoping to go next month to see other Story Tellers perform.

I also resumed my residency at Wick Court in the wonderful Round House that has been upgraded with wattle and daub walls over the Easter break.

Another fab four song title for today’s short blog. Guess who the fool is?

I have just ridden up Haresfield Beacon. I think it is the hardest hill to ride up locally there is a really steep ramp at the end. I played my first game in cricket (in England) this season. It was for the Gloucestershire Old Men against Worcestershire and we won! sadly I only went in to bat with two runs needed and yes you have guessed it I didn’t trouble the scorers!

Tonight I am Story Telling for adults in Bristol and I am back for my regular Thursday Gig at Wick Court tomorrow.

The fab four for today’s song title. I have had a busy few days on a self indulgent front. On Friday a delightful Bluebell Walk in Randwick Woods with SP3. One of my favourite flowers so a Bluebell Walk is an annual event for Clare and I. Later I cycled to meet my David cycling up to us from Exeter. It wasn’t until afterwards I realised I had done 64 miles!

On Saturday Dave and I went to watch the mighty Hatters. It was our special day in hospitality (another annual event). A cracking day and we found an old school chum of mine who I went to my first ever Luton game with (back in the Stone Age) was on our table. The game was much better than of late and we managed to avoid another draw by winning!

Sunday morning in splendid sunshine I had a lovely hour bird watching by the canal. I saw a spoonbill, spotted redshank, 3 common redshank, a greenshank and 5 frisky lapwings. Finally today Clare and I wondered up onto Rodborough Common by Stroud and were delighted to see the ground festooned in cowslips interspersed with a few orchids. Fantastic!!!!

Listening to the Boss (Springsteen) as I write so took that for today’s title. I thought a singer with a social conscience might be appropriate with this week’s major news. Would be good if our wonderful Health Service slowly featured in the Election stuff as well the fragmentation of our education system. Sadly our press has a clear agenda and those issues will be glossed over. Enough of that!

I have been busy writing both the Ming Story I have mentioned previously as well as a poem. I also have some projects looming that will require more writing will expand on that in future blogs. The summer is already filling up with Gigs in some fairly diverse places. Next week in Bristol for an adult performance at Folk Tales.

I surprisingly got a soaking doing the Bird Survey this morning out on the banks of the Severn. Saw my first Whitethroat of the Spring as well as Greenshank stopping off on migration.