This is a sporting comment blog so apologies to any Story Telling readers out there. I meant to write at the weekend to comment on the Tour de France. What a Tour especially at the end on the Alpe de Huez. I thoroughly enjoyed the coverage of that day especially reliving our exploits last year ( much slower than the tour of course!) On Saturday I am cycling with my Dave and some of his mates the Exmouth Exodus a ride through the night from Bath to Exmouth. (I will have my head examined!)

I am in the middle of a couple of veteran cricket matches for Gloucestershire Old Men. We beat Wales yesterday and Somerset today. Last week travelled up to Cheshire to last two balls at the crease and not trouble the scorers. So who am I to complain about England’s batting at Lords!

Well could easily be All Day Rain! Feels like one of those old fashion summer days of rain; we have spoilt recently! Who remembers the old Gordon Lightfoot song for today’s title? I might try to find it later!

Have been dabbling with my Allotment Story but I am struggling with parts of it. I am still searching for a new adult story for telling so I am currently working my way through different folk tales from several different sources.

The Gloucestershire old men went up to Cheshire for a game of cricket. We came second! I didn’t trouble the scorers and like all batsmen didn’t like the umpire’s decision!

Finally been getting quite a few miles in on my bike and getting in some decent climbs.

Oh dear the news from Lords was not good. After the highs of Cardiff that was a big let down! Beware the wounded Aussie! I had to go out for a decent ride and climb some hills just to get it out of my system. Was pleased with my climbing on a hot day.

I played an enjoyable game of cricket for my club yesterday and I have a Gloucestershire  veterans game to look forward to later in the week.

No Story Telling this week so I will make an effort to learn a new story. Also went back to my Allotment Story I started last year.

As I was by the river this morning I think we will have a song title from the “Boss”. I was doing our monthly bird count and it was a quiet morning not that many birds. All the scrapes have dried out and my patch hasn’t got many trees in it.

Had a lovely Story Telling at Eastington on Tuesday morning. I did “Harriet” and the children enjoyed seeing Malcolm the Head participating in the story.

Had a good day yesterday started with a Children’s Centre Meeting, then cycled to the station to go to Cheltenham to watch the cricket. Day was rounded off by Book Club in the evening.

What a great Test Match against the Aussies this one is. Had a marvellous day at Cardiff (2nd day of Test) a real absorbing day’s cricket! Let’s hope we don’t blow it now!

Finished my “bus run” of gigs late on Wednesday night and I was really tired what with the performing and travelling. Pleased with how they went especially when I had to perform in the cinema bar on Wednesday! One more gig on Tuesday morning just doing “Harriet” for an old colleague who is retiring and then a break for a while.

Almost there on my busy spell of Gigs! I am half way through my Hereford Gigs. These gigs are for the National Literacy Trust (like the recent Bath gigs) so today I was performing in a cinema (Screen 5) which was new experience. I was pleased with my performance today, especially as I made sure I built-in more audience participation. Feel tired now because yesterday I was working all day in a school in Malvern. Tomorrow is all day at Hereford and an evening performance at Wick Court.

We watched the Handlebards on Sunday; four actors on tour who cycle to their gigs carrying everything with them including their camping stuff. It was Midsummer’s Night Dream and it was delightful.  Look them up!

My Story Telling is like buses (I don’t mean the telling part!) I have spells where I have some time off and then like buses a load come through all at once! Just back from performing my Harriet the Hippo story for an footballing friend who is retiring as a Head Teacher before I set off for an international cricket match for the Gloucestershire Old men against Wales! II was playing football with Ian 40 years ago; what a sobering thought! Last night I tried out my new story based at both Wick Court and London. I was pleased with it and as you tell it new ideas float in! So some rewriting this weekend!

Next week it is full on with gigs in Hereford (2 days), Malvern and of course one by the fire at Wick Court. Need to make sure I manage my voice!

Shall probably blog again at the weekend.

Also met up with fellow Hatter Mick this week as our pre-season lunch and chat about footie!

Well it is Glastonbury and the lyrics from the above seem somewhat ironic with The Who playing tonight!

Just finished re-reading my story located at Wick Court (Farm for City Children) and may have a go at a Telling before the end of term. Now the process of tidying up begins! I did quite emotional about the ending but perhaps I see things beyond my scribbling’s!

I did a brief Story Telling in the village yesterday, not my greatest performance-was restricted by the material and timing (a bad workman blames his tools!)

Had a close game of cricket last week we scrapped home by 3 runs against Somerset. We play Wales this week. Now really looking forward to the Ashes but my fingers are crossed and I’m trying not to walk under any ladders etc!

Had to have this title after visiting Burford Church last Friday and looked at the plaque on the wall to the three Levellers that were executed by Cromwell. I had forgotten that one of them had the surname Church. You never know but maybe a distant relative! In my Wick Court story I have an apparition who is a Parliamentary soldier who drowned in the River in 1644 and I having him wearing the green ribbon of the Levellers even though the dates don’t quite tally!

The two gigs went well in Bath and I even managed to get back from the morning gig to do my Bird Watching at Wick Court. We did well with the Little Owl showing well and the children enjoyed good views and we had a first a Nuthatch turned up on the feeders.

Really old album title from my old LP collection for today’s blog! Busy few days since last blog. Lovely atmospheric Story Telling by the fire at Wick Court last Wednesday. A couple of stories have been enhanced by “extras” in recent tellings.

Cricket in Devon saw us come second! Another county match v Somerset on Wednesday this week, hopefully will get runs again!

Made some of my savoury muffins for a HVV goodbye lunch on Friday. I do enjoy making and eating them. I keep experimenting with what I add to the recipe!

We have just come back from a super weekend with our wonderful long time O.T.T friends in Oxford.

Finally I am off to Bath for gigs Monday and Tuesday for the National Literacy Trust in a shopping centre!