What a shambles! Beaten by a shop! My beloved Luton would have beaten England last night. Disorganised lacking heart and that is being polite. The premier league was set up all those years ago supposedly to help the England team and it hasn’t but has ruined grassroots football.

Well done to Iceland.

A title from “The Boss” for today but if you change City for Country you will guess my thoughts about last week’s traumatic news. I do worry for the young people in this country because I’m sure we will become more inward looking and probably fairly irrelevant in the wider world. Enough of the doom and gloom but I am just settling down for the football. Surely we can beat Iceland, we can’t lose to a shop can we?

I had three lovely days Story Telling in Hereford last week for the National Literacy Trust. The Japanese story “The Man who loved Stories” is now firmly fixed in my repertoire.   I do enjoy finding and learning new stories.

I watched my David do the Dartmoor Challenge yesterday. We stood on Haytor  and cheered hundreds of bikes up! Proud Dad!

Today I did a 40 mile ride with quite a bit of climbing.

Good old  Christy Moore and Moving Hearts for today’s title! We have a deluge or two in recent weeks!

I’m sitting taking it easy after a morning Story Telling in Hereford and cutting the cricket square this afternoon, I’ve also cycled a fair bit over the last couple of days. So I think I deserve the sit down and a beer! I am in Hereford tomorrow and Friday.

I was surprised how one story developed today. It is one I’ve told a few times but now I think it has grown and takes far longer to tell. That is what I love about performing and how the story changes both emphasis and how the characters behave!

Finally I had to miss the monthly bird survey last week on the River. I was miffed to hear a Stork, a Short Eared Owl and a Spoonbill were seen-typical!!!!!

A short update from Chester where we are meeting up with  a group of old friends.

I didn’t mention in my last blog the awful news of Jo Cox’s’ tragic killing on Thursday. I was listening to the news as I travelled back from Newport as the dreadful story developed. To hear and then read about what a talented caring and compassionate MP who championed the cause of the most vulnerable in the world to be so brutally murdered is incomprehensible. It is also heartbreaking to think of her family and friends. I hope that those who spew hateful and negative bile from the pages of newspapers and the lips of so-called politicians maybe reflect on their impact.

I have had three great days in Newport Story Telling in a lovely school tucked in by the M4. I also managed to do my weekly Gig at Wick Court. So the body is feeling fairly tired. I had wondered about what would happen this afternoon and the clash with the football. I needn’t have worried! I sat in a classroom full of enthusiastic children. It was certainly a different experience! It was lovely to see the children enjoying the game; the room was echoing with cheers (when Wales were attacking and groans when England attacked.) They had to go home before the end. I returned to a couple old stories that I hadn’t told for a couple of years.

Will blog again at the weekend.

Thanks Buddy for today’s title! It is because Friday’s night gig was altered because of heavy torrential rain (stopped me cycling there-what a wimp I am!) The Gig was supposed to be outside but was rearranged inside and the parents (a PTA event) had set up fairy lights inside. I had to be adaptable for my second half because it was a younger audience than I expected.

The Achilles has gradually improved and I even played league cricket on Saturday. I was just getting myself into some sort of nick when I was given out-like all batsmen I felt aggrieved with the decision but as I often say to young players “Look in the Scorebook!” Great to be playing again even if not quite fully fit.

Busy week ahead 3 days in a school in Newport plus an evening Story Telling at Wick Court. So learning my stories this afternoon.

If you get the chance try to see them! The “Handlebards” are Shakespearean actors usually four of them who travel the country by bike performing usually two plays on their tour. Hilarious especially when doing the Tragedies and incredibly versatile. Wonderful watching them perform tonight at Wick Court.

Brian and I performed our Shakespeare montage yesterday at Lakefield School. It continues to evolve and we are getting quite slick, actually slick is probably not the right word for it!

Last night’s Book Club numbers were down last night but as always good discussion and good company.

Evening gig tomorrow which is different!

First title to come to mind with a bat in it-sorry folks! This all because of yesterday’s gig at the wonderful Woodchester Mansion. I was asked to do a bat story so adapted an old folk tale on why bats hang upside down. I spent two hours telling stories to Thrupp School (the third time I have told stories to them).  I had a great cycle to the gig up Frocester Hill  in the sunshine. Even better was the pedal back up through the woods.

Back to our Shakespeare performance tomorrow so just about to sit down to go over my story.

Just back from Arne in Dorset. A lovely spot and now a regular couple of days in the early summer. Arne is a wonderful R.S.P.B. reserve, went looking for Dartford Warblers only a fleeting glimpse but did see a Firecrest (first one for me for years). It was lucky I didn’t drive the last part in Dorset because the unexpected sighting was a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on a post-I would of crashed the van in my excitement! Enjoyed visiting T.E. Lawrence sites in Dorset one of my Dad’s heroes! We also revisited Thomas Hardy as well.

Full on three weeks coming up with gigs in wonderful settings-more next time but I better now settle down to learn my stories!

Have to celebrate the brilliant Alistair Cook on scoring 10,000 Test runs. What an achievement! He is occasionally seen watching the mighty Hatters when not touring for England.

Talking of the mighty Hatters we went to see the exhibition about the new ground on Saturday. If everything goes well (fingers crossed) it will be an iconic stadium and will regenerate the town centre. It is encouraging that the stadium will be in the town and not some soul less  out of town stadium like many of the new ones are. It is good to see my club taking a leading role in the community.

We also went to George Bernard Shaw’s house in Hertfordshire while there. We are making full use of our National Trust membership!

Enjoying my new bike “Merlin” and I am now flying up the hills well at least a bit faster!!! I am recording quite a few PBs. I am clocking up the miles for the year.