Our Wembley trip we had so looked forward to ended with us coming second. It is disappointing that we will now face a 4th season in purgatory especially when we shouldn’t be there in the first place. I met with lots of old friends and both my boys and Vicky were there. We were unlucky (I would say that anyway). It does feel like 4 years of hurt. I did renew my season ticket so maybe next year-I must be mad!
Not been a good weekend sports-wise. We lost a close game cricket yesterday I was involved in another 50 run opening partnership but really struggled with the state of my back and the legs are still suffering from last weekend’s physical activities.
I had a couple more enquiries for special gigs next month so we will see what happens.
I was pleased with my writing last week the story is going well.

We also saw the cranes at Slimbridge that had been released on the Somerset Levels and had appeared this week. It is the first time I’ve seen cranes in the wild in this country.

We are off in the campervan “Cedric” next week.

Something different tomorrow night. I have been asked to be a responder to David Drew the former Stroud M.P.s education talk. I have 8 minutes to respond to David’s talk. I suppose I still  have a little bit of credibility having just retired and still visiting schools regularly but is becoming stretched! Morale does appear to be at an all time low amongst the teaching profession.

Sadly because I am at the debate I am going to be late for our Book Club meal-we have just read The History of Mr Polly and we are eating on Brian’s boat and discussing the book. Hopefully something will be left for me when I get there!

Still writing well when there are no distractions e.g. being social, cycle training, being a volunteer, working in the garden and worrying about Sunday’s play off final etc I am enjoying writing up my story Misty the magician-lots of new ideas to develop. I am adding to the challenges my unusual wizard faces. Hopefully should complete over the next fortnight.

We cycled 45 miles yesterday. Body now suffering following nearly 90 overs of cricket Sat and another 40+ miles on Friday. I still think I can do it!

Today the  old man played his first game of cricket this season! We went up last year as champions into the County league so today we played our first match at Cheltenham. 3 people got lost on the way-how can you get lost in Cheltenham? Game decided on the toss really. Managed to get 36 and wait for it a wicket! If any of you know what my bowling is like that is an unusual occurrence! We did lose but pushed them all the way! Good to play after all the rain of the last weeks.
Worked on my Misty the magician story yesterday (also cycled into Gloucester)-still need another test for my trainee magicians in the story!
Big training ride tomorrow for the sponsored ride in the summer. Hope the body can last after today’s game!
Still very excited about next weekend at Wembley-a good group of family and friends are going. So it will be a real sporting weekend cricket on Sat, Wembley on Sun!

Clare is off to London next week to see our Pete. I am speaking at an education debate run by our former M.P. I had better think of something to say!

Good day out today. We visited Chedworth Roman Villa-first time for many years. There is a lovely new visitor centre and the design takes you above the mosiac floor.Spent some time reading a book on Boudicca in the shop. Well it is research for my history Story Telling!. It is an old favourite of mine so I want to update the telling.
We watched a nuthatch on the roman walls getting quite close to it-lovely bird.
I’ve spent all afternoon working on my Misty the Magician story (close now to 5000 words)-I will need to go back over parts because things keep coming to me -good to have ideas still!
I got my Play Off final tickets yesterday. 9 altogether,. Really looking forward to it -let us hope it is 3rd time lucky and we get back to where we belong!

What a good week I had last week on my Story Telling Course. It was with Ben Haggarty who is a wonderful Story Teller (if you haven’t seen him perform make sure you do!).He got us throughout the week, through a variety of methods to unpick a “Wonder tale” and adapt another story for telling (I fixed this story in the present day). Many of his methods helped me to visualise my story clearly in my mind. I had taken the Six Swans from Grimm’s Fairy Tales. From listening to others telling stories and unpicking this story I was able to ask myself much about the story. The culmination was we had 12 minutes to tell part of this story on the Thursday night-what we didn’t know we would be in a pitch black environment (I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face), so the story would be doing the work. I quite surprised myself with my telling because I felt “in the zone” and although I had an idea of what I wanted to say words seemed to cascade from all around me as I was telling it. So much so I was probably only a quarter of the way into the story when my time was up! it was good to let the voice do the work and not rely on the visual-certainly helped with the imagination.
Really enjoyed the company of my colleagues (all younger than this old man). We were well looked after especially by Kate (Ben’s partner) who catered brilliantly all week especially for the one difficult veggie (there is always one!) The only down side was the awful weather.
Returned to Glos and we entertained old friends John and Gill Cooban (we all go back a long way to our school days) and had a great time. Managed to take John at last to the wonderful Old Spot pub in Dursley.
Monday was a nerve wracking day listening to the 2nd leg of Luton’s play off semi. We managed to scrape over the line for a Wembley appearance on the 20th May. Straw boaters will be dusted off and many members of the Church family + friends should be there! I hope it is 3rd time lucky for us because it gets harder watching football in this league with no away fans to speak of. No doubt more of this in the next few days.

Heard my first cuckoo this weekend!

A quick blog from my Story Telling World in deepest Herefordshire (well not that deep) and really good. I am learning much and been able to reflect on where I am with what I do.
It is slightly worrying for my ego that I am the oldest person here! Many of my fellow participents are younger than my two boys! Will reflect properly when I am back.
Fingers crossed for tomorrow for the Hatters!

Quick post to say no blogs are likely till the weekend because I am away. I am taking my lap top so there  may be an opportunity to post about how the Story Telling course is going. House Martins checking out houses opposite for nest site we have a box I put up last year especially for Martins hope they start to notice us! Not sure if I should put up a sign saying House Martins welcome!!!

A tense day listening to the match at Fleetwood. This just to get in the Play Offs in the 5th Division of football!! Still the team has been transformed by the arrival of our new manager and maybe this time we will do it by coming late to the Play Offs! I am hoping it is 3rd time lucky. Sadly will miss the first leg as I am on my Story Telling Course but I will be waiting for texts from friends in deepest Worcestershire! Come on You Hatters.

Went for a cycle just before the game with my son David (a training ride for our summer sponsorsed ride). We did a couple of decent hills but both of us were in shorts (how daft was that) and with the wind and rain we were really cold especially our feet. Still a great cuppa ,fantastic meal and the football result soon warmed us up. More about the summer ride in future blogs.

Never knew droughts could be so wet! Not brilliant yesterday with the weather so I did work on one of my stories-Misty the Magician. It is a story I want to polish up and try and submit it for publication. I managed the opening part perhaps the first chapter. I will try and finish it over the next 2 or 3 weeks. I haven’t told this story for sometime and it was like meeting up with a dear old friend again! I used to think it funny when singers talked about their songs as old friends well I can empathise! Will try and develop the characters, a little one dimensional at the moment.
This morning I managed a walk without a shower. 2 Ravens croaked overhead. Several Blackcaps (both male and female) flitted in and out of the trees. Also got a brief glimpse of a Nightingale.