Well cricket is off once again and also tomorrow! I read through my story Misty the Magician (not sure about the title!) and added a bit more. I am up to 13000 words now and probably another 1500+ to go. The last part has really developed well and it has been interesting how the ideas have evolved as I write. The big test will be to see if it is any good when I read it through as a whole story! I have learnt quite a bit about story writing as I have written it. I have a busy week in front of me so may not finish for a while because we go to Ireland next week. Ive also got to prepare for my Thursday gig in Bristol, I am aiming to do this in role-more later.

Who sang that? Will take you back in time. You can’t ignore the weather can you? I know we are obsessed in this country but today has been ridiculous. The rain today reminds me of that day in 2007 when we had the floods in Gloucestershire.

Clare and I went to Hampton Court Flower Show and it was wet but not as bad as when we got back here! Really enjoyed looking at the gardens especially those with a touch of humour. Badger Beer had fountains of beer coming from taps! A smashing day.

Needless to say the weather is wrecking my cricket-3 successive Saturdays lost now! My Youth teams have lost many games. Still as tomorrow’s game is off we are going to see the “This is Gloucestershire Day” which is various History events in Gloucester including Michael Wood -I have enjoyed his people’s History -good to see a historian celebrating ordinary people and not Kings and Queens! Will let you know what happens.

Continue to be pleased with the way Misty the Magician story is developing-I have just started the final chapter but it now may be the penultimate  one!

For those of you who have studied my web site (hope to update it over the next couple of weeks) will know about my interest in Wildlife-especially birds. Well tonight I was quiz master for the School Wildlife Quiz County Final. All the years of being a Headteacher I had trained up teams to participate in the quiz (over 100 schools enter). Twice we won the final and it is the most nerve wracking thing worse than penalty shoot outs. Well tonight I was question master and I was the other side for once! I am always amazed at the wide range of  knowledge the children have. I was paranoid I might mispronounce Common Piddock-you can guess the potential pit falls! I didn’t -thank goodness! Longney just down the road from here won.

Tomorrow I have a meeting in Bristol about next week’s gig-possible T.V. coverage-I’m having my hair done-the single hair! I have some work to do on the story!

Been clocking up the miles this week-several decent rides- well over 80 miles with hills! Yesterday Gordon Swingler joined me for a training ride via Cam/North Nibley/Stone and we did over 30 miles with some ups and downs. Great part was through woods by a small river between Huntingford and Damery -delightful! I really felt it because the day before I had done 30 miles (to 2 gigs) including the mile long drag up a brute of a hill from the bottom of Stroud to Parliament School. I was in a fairly dishevelled state when I arrived for my gig because it was so warm and humid on that climb.

The gigs both went well with very different audiences. I adjusted my story at the WWT because it was a young audience and added some new touches.

As I have been so busy no writing this week.

Really looking forward to the Tour de France that starts this weekend. Our Brit Bradley Wiggins has a real good chance-fingers crossed.

A busy week socially! I have managed to do a decent cycle on four days this week. 75+ miles altogether including a few tasty hills. Today I cycled to have lunch with fellow Hatter Mick. My route took me up Frocester Hill into the wind and rain-I am having a sanity test later! It was hard work! We spent lunch talking about the signings the mighty Luton have made-hopefully the coming season will see our unfair purgatory end. The signs are encouraging!
Earlier in the week I joined the retired Heads group for lunch (I cycled there). I also went for a lovely walk with Moira and we had a good natter and saw a Hobby.
I also had a meeting this week about the sponsorsed ride in August-we decided that we are camping each night. As I have mentioned before it is in aid of Farms for City Children.
I’ve a couple of gigs next week including doing my Duck Soup story at the WWT.
I am still writing Misty although I am in the final part and struggling with writing about a tragic incident in the story -and the feelings of the characters-it is far too contrived at the moment.

I blogged a week ago and mentioned the weather-well it seems just the same! It has rained on and off all day and the wind is unpleasant to be in. I cycled to Dursley yesterday and it was difficult riding into the wind going but I  flew home via Coaley just needed a sail (just avoided the downpour)! The rain is playing havoc with my cricket for both my games and the youth teams I run. All my games are already off this weekend.
I am hoping to play cricket for Gloucestershire over 50s sometime in the next 3 weeks.
I got another booking for something a bit different in July-it is in Bristol and it is connected to the Bristol pound-just waiting for details now. I have got a few stories connected to money but may need to write something new.
Talking of writing, worked hard on the Misty story yesterday afternoon. I am pleased because the story keeps developing and new twists keep coming to me. I am in the final part of the adventure but what is pleasing is as ideas come I tweak the earlier chapters so I can link them to the events at the ending. I probably won’t have much time this week to write because several social engagements.
Talking of social engagements we had one of our Book Club meals this week. It was on a Russian theme because our next book is Gorky’s My Childhood. The cooking from all of us was up to our usual high standard. Beetroot featured in several offerings including a cocktail Terry put together! In 2 months time it is a French meal at my house (Madame Bovary is the book).

I did manage to pop out for 25 mins between showers this evening to see what birds are about. Hundreds of swifts on the two lakes and with them so low got good views of them.

School half terms are perhaps not quite so important for my new life! However, we always meet up with old friends for the OTT weekend at the May Half Term of course this year was in June! OTT is the name of the old college cricket team that get together to play 2 or 3 games in May-this year was the first time no cricket was planned (we are all now of a certain age and I am the only one who plays regularly!) It was good to catch up with old friends many I’ve known for 40 years! We had a few beers and sang a few songs. Weather wasn’t great! Clare and I also managed to cycle round Rutland Water and of course we saw the Ospreys on the nest.
The weather was so awful today with strong winds and rain so I have managed to add to the Misty the Magician story today and I am getting near the end. I will then try and read it in one go to see how it hangs together! Will keep you posted!

Just read through some of my previous blogs and the comments on my developing story were somewhat optimistic. Misty the Magician is going well but I think I will be working on it for a while-still need another chapter with a happening in it to write. I am enjoying seeing where the story is going and having plenty of creative ideas. Also life has been quite busy I am still actively involved in the Children’s Centre attached to my old school-I am Chair of the trustees looking to bid to run it in the future so a lot of work involved.
I was supposed to be telling a story at Wick Court for a Jubilee Party so had prepared some Arthur and his knights sleeping tales but due to a communication problem the timing of the telling was when I was somewhere else! I came across a story I wrote on this theme and wouldn’t mind rewriting this for performance.
The story I wrote for WWT is now part of their package for schools (it is part of their Maths Trail). I think I am going to perform later this month.
Birding – I’ve seen a few cuckoos over the last week-not sure if it is the same one or perhaps they are doing a bit better in this part of the world. The Common Terns are doing their acrobatics over the Sailing Lake and I am hearing my favourite summer sound; screeching swifts -good stuff!
Cricket update-not only did my u13s win last Sunday so did my U15s on Thursday at Frampton. The two adult teams won their first league games this weekend 28 not out for me but the highlight was a maiden hundred by David Stayte who manages this web site for me-Congratulations to Dave-I hope he is checking my blogs!

Sorry but this is a plug for our cycle ride in the summer. A group of us are are cycling 400 odd miles in August it is a sponsored ride in aid of Farms for City Children. It is a great organisation set up by the author Michale Murgpurgo and children from urban settings spend a week on a farm helping and learning about farms. I am undertaking a bird survey at Wick Court and story telling there this week! There are 3 farms one in Devon (Nethercott), one near us at Arlingham (Wick Court) and one in Pembrokeshire near St Davids (Treginnis Isaf). My son David is riding as well (probably to look after his sad old dad!). David has cycled with me quite a bit and we have enjoyed a couple of long rides together. There a quite a few hills on the route! If anyone wants to sponsor us you can go on the Just giving site Brian Dimmock has set up   www.justgiving.com/briandimmock    thanks in anticipation!
I will blog about the preparations and after the ride in the summer.

Well the weather has been stunning just what the doctor ordered! We went to Pembrokeshire this week and it was wonderful. The flowers, birds and the coast all exceeded expectations.
We cycled everywhere once we parked the van up. We explored the coast and had a fantastic day on Skomer. The flowers were great surprisingly for no trees there were great carpets of bluebells on the hillside so the hills shimmered that distinctive blue. When the red campanion mixed in with it and Puffins popping up all over the place it was a sureal sight. The birds of course are special on the island and took some great photos.
This weekend has been sizzling at cricket! We chased leather in the heat and collapsed when we went out to bat! My U13s won this morning so it wasn’t all bad!