Very quick blog from Cuba. Internet not great so may not blog that many times from here.
Apologies to people who have been getting in touch about gigs over my slow responses. I am going to be very throughout March!
Really enjoying this amazing country. The politics are interesting and surprised to hear Sanders in the debate last night saying the US should lift the embargo and so they should it is mean and vindictive. More perhaps in a few days the rum awaits!
A blog from the UK and in the early hours of Thursday we off to Cuba. Very excited about this trip. We start with cultural tour and finish with some birding. There is so much to look forward to and I think we are going just before the changes. I am keen to see the smallest bird in the world it is called the Bee Hummingbird.
Blogging might be a bit hit and miss while we are there. I know the internet is variable and in some places non-existent. So if I can I will blog.
Had a lovely day with the children Bird Watching at Wick Court today. A younger group than normal but they asked some challenging questions especially about binoculars and how they worked! We are also in the planning stage for building a hide overlooking the River and new ponds we are developing.
Yesterday wearing my Children’s Centre hat I went to a consultation on how Gloucestershire want to re-organise their Centres. At the end of the day the it is the impact of cuts in public expenditure and the withering away of services. It is disgusting how Google got away with paying minimal tax while H.M. government is going to appeal about a disabled grandfather and his very dependent grandson being the ruling allowing them not to pay the iniquitous “Bedroom Tax”. I feel this government seems determined to dismantle things that support those not so well off like the NHS which I always thought was what made this country great! Rant over!
Today’s title is one of my favourite songs written of course by Bob Dylan but I think Ralph McTell sings it better than anyone. I was listening to it on Friday and played it again!
My goodness interest in World Book Day has been phenomenal and I have had requests from all over the country. I hope all those people realise it doesn’t have to be World Book Day for people to enjoy a story.
Had a lovely Story Telling session with children from Catford at Wick Court on Thursday. had some great questions about stories afterwards.
Today’s title was easy because I’ve been rewriting my Cedric the Flying Dragon story so I picked the obvious dragon song title! I do enjoy revisiting old stories and developing them. You do see them differently when you come back to them. I have been asked to tell a dragon story in March. I am busy at the moment preparing for Story Telling for the end of February and early March because we are away a good part of February.
I have to mention the transformation in my beloved football team at the weekend. It sounded like we were playing again in progressive style that is synonymous with our traditions. It is the first time ever we have won a league match at Mansfield! It does mean that hope starts to flood back and that is what catches you out in the end!
Marvellous cycle ride over the hills on Sunday!
I had some sad news this week. Madge who was my first boss (Headteacher) died after a long illness. She was an inspirational lady who at that time was a bit of a pioneer because it was mainly male Headteachers in Gloucestershire Primary Schools in the early 70s. I learnt much from Madge about children. She never gave up on those high maintenance children who were up against everything and I held that close when I was a Head. I will remember many of the humorous moments we had then mainly thanks to Madge’s often determined and frequently scatty approach to a problem. She always went that extra mile to support families at school. She certainly influenced how I saw education, she wouldn’t have liked today’s straight jacket on the curriculum, because she was a strong believer in the arts in its widest sense!
So today’s title was a memory of those happy times at Stroud Valley Primary School and was certainly the sound track of my first year of teaching!
I was doing the monthly bird count this morning and had two Common Cranes briefly fly over. It was a quiet morning but had a lovely view of a Kingfisher flying along the ditch below where I was standing.
I am Story Telling later, not sure if we are inside or out depends on the weather. I am away most of February but March is looking busy for Gigs. I have had a good 12 to 18 months with some interesting varied venues that I have performed at!
A song title from Gloucestershire and the River Severn nearby! I seem to have spent quite a bit of time over the last week or so cycling by the River. Currently one bike down hopefully not for too long. I have been out on my Mountain Bike and also my steel frame racing bike “Shadowfax”. I have to say it was good to cycle on Friday with no rain and some sun and it was cold but I enjoy a ride on a crisp winter’s day.
I have been working on developing my “Mollie the Sheep” story. The main story is almost finished but it will need a significant rewrite.
I went to watch a game at the “Theatre of Comedy” home of my beloved Hatters. We were marginally better yesterday (not difficult) but still a work in progress!
We are looking forward to our up and coming trip to Cuba next month. More in future blogs!
Winter has arrived! Certainly more like January weather. Will be interesting to see how cold it is when I Story Tell outside this afternoon. I am doing the coming of Merlin and another couple of traditional stories.
Bookings are coming in for the week of World Book Day but surprisingly still have the actual day (Thursday) free. So anyone who wants me then get in touch soon because it will go.
Last night it was our Book Club meal hence today’s title. We are doing Hemingway’s book next month so we all did variations of Tapas (well anything seems to go with Tapas). As usual it was a veritable feast and once more the boys excelled themselves with their cooking.
Anyone know today’s song title, an interesting group not my usual taste but a reminder of my youth? I was looking up songs with bicycles so this one came up!
I have actually even managed to do a good couple of sessions writing! I think the weather helps! I have started doing another story to go in the book with my ghost story based at Wick Court. This one is about an elderly sheep “Mollie”. She is a real sheep and popular with the children. I am playing around with ideas at the moment.
You can guess by the title I’ve done a few rides recently. Today we had a real soaking but a great ride.
Back at Wick Court later this week both bird watching with the children and Story Telling. Also a Book Club meal to cook this week.
First time I’ve used Creedence Clearwater Revival for a blog title! Thought it had to have rain in the title as that is what we have seen non-stop for the last month.
Managed to get lucky on Tuesday when I was Story Telling at Westonbirt Arboretum for children from Tetbury. It didn’t rain until I was driving home! I told the story of Baba Yaga’s Daughter to one group and yet another one to add to my Story Bank. I now need to get back into writing mode!
I have managed a couple of decent rides since the New Year but the roads are so mucky I have to keep cleaning my bikes!
You can guess by the title what this blog is about! So this is a non Story Telling blog and is all about sport so sorry for those of you who have no interest! I might even do a culinary blog in the next couple of weeks.
Yesterday I went through the agony of once again seeing my football team lose with not much more than a whimper. The best bit of our day was the pub we found near to the Rovers ground. it was a micro-brewery pub in an old shop. Fantastic beer and very welcoming to footie fans of both teams. Looking forward to revisiting, although I only have ever seen the Hatters win once at Rovers and that was when they were at Twerton Park!
Today as been spent watching Ben Stokes smash the South African bowling to what appeared to be all parts of Cape Town. What an innings it was absolute carnage! Johnny Bairstow also batted well. As the rain cascaded down outside here, it was more horses and cows than cats and dogs in Frampton, I was absolutely transfixed by the cricket.