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!

What a splendid day today,  weather was cracking Gromit! I was at Wick Court (Farm for City Children) doing my voluntary work bird watching with children from Battersea. We even saw the Little Owl for the first time in ages. It was a young bird. Children also enjoyed seeing Swallows flying in and out of the next as well as ducklings and Moorhen chicks.I do enjoying seeing that sense of awe and wonder from the young people.

I was pleased with my Story Telling last week especially telling the story about Thor’s Hammer which went down well. I have a gig next week in Bath (more about this in a future blog).

Had a couple of great pedals in the last couple of days with a few hills. I even posted my best time for Frocester Hill. Talking of cycling I am enjoying reading  Tim Moore’s humorous book Gironimo about his exploits recreating the epic 1914 Giro d’Italia. It is our current Book Club read.

Off to Devon on Thursday to play cricket for the Gloucestershire Old Men-weather forecast is good! Also looking forward to the football fixtures coming out tomorrow so I can plan some away trips!

I’ll explain the title later! Busy week for me (it all looks busy over the next month). Also trying to get as much gardening in as possible in my spare moments. That has seen me chopping and visiting the tip with the stuff I can’t shred as well as getting the fruit nets sorted.

A great pedal on Sunday with only one other Old Groyne saw us do a couple of decent hills and 40+ miles finishing at our favourite cake stop!

Ran a Story Telling Workshop today at a school in Cirencester. Lovely enthusiastic young people! Off later on a Book Club cycle we are going to the pub for a meal as part of our research!

Today’s title could have been called “Retro Man” because after a long time of not being able to play my vinyl records, I realised the stylus had disappeared so after a trawl of the net I have a new stylus, can play my old LPs (some of you may be too young to know that tem!) So gradually going through ones that have been dormant here for far too long! So Cat Stevens gives us today’s title!

What a splendid end to the week weather wise after those winds and showers earlier. I did manage a game of cricket on Wednesday for the old men against Cheshire. A good all round team performance saw us win comfortably, so an enjoyable afternoon!

Told a new story yesterday that went down well so is now added the repertoire! I will certainly play with it for the next telling. I am exploring another couple of stories to learn over the coming weeks. Writing has slowed with the arrival of the good weather! I am almost at the end of my story based at Wick Court (Farm for City Children) so I do need to knuckle down!

Thanks to Queen for today’s title-remember it! A gentle ride today not a race!  It was the Old Groynes with the Young Meerkats who went for the ride but unusually for us we didn’t manage a cake stop!

We enjoyed our visit to Bempton and I loved being so close to Gannets. I meant to say just before we went away I took young Alfie and Alex out bird watching. The highlight was Red Kite about 20 metres above our heads close to home.

I have a busy week in front of me including two midweek games of cricket. I need to get down to some preparation for Stories later this week and for the following week.