A mucky morning for me as I cleaned three of my bikes  and Clare’s – until this week the roads have been wet and muddy! I should of cleaned them after my rides! Also mended a puncture – there was a thorn in the tyre. They all look clean and chains have been oiled!

Had a lovely lunch at the Italian restaurant in Stonehouse afterwards with one of our oldest friends Dave.

Sadly we lost our quiz match last night – we made a late surge but ran out of time!

Off to watch the Mighty Hatters tomorrow and fingers crossed we get a much needed three points!

Morning spent on my lap top booking flights for my cricket tour and a train ticket to London  for the Mighty Hatters next Saturday (which took the longest time!) Managed a few other jobs as well! Clare and I have spent the afternoon setting out the Blue Tractor Story ready to be made into a book fir our Grandson Owen. We still have got a third to do!

Off in a little while for last Wick Court story of the term for the young people of Gosport. Straight afterwards I am off for my first quiz league match of the season.

The picture of the Goldcrest yesterday wasn’t mine (sadly).

My young friends from Gosport today were delighted to see a Goldcrest today at Wick Court. They all got  really good views as it flitted about up in the tree close to our heads. We only see them occasionally at the farm so it was a special moment! Had some wonderful questions as well!

As I have been asked about the health of the Great Northern Diver both through the blog and people around Frampton. Latest news! It is fine! The vets have given it the all clear. Slimbridge WWT have put out a request for a volunteer to take it to the Devon coast – it will certainly be happier there! Their legs are not designed for walking – it was thought it mistook the road for water. Picture below was taken last week!

Today  has been mainly taken up by cricket stuff. I was on a zoom call this morning about a tour I am on in February- will give more details about this exciting project in future blogs. That then gave me a job to do so I cycled into Gloucester. My journey was extended because I went to pick up the Vase my team won last September because I had arranged to have it engraved.

Some sad news today on the bird front. The Great Northern Diver that turned up in Frampton last week was found on a road in the nearby village of Saul. It is ok but has been taken to a vets. Sadly it needs to be on the sea.

Now back in Frampton after a lovely weekend looking after our delightful Ellen in Exeter for two days solo! We are exhausted now!

I am spending time searching for a new story to tell in the pub at Christmas. My Book Club (Beer and Books) do an old fashioned entertainment every December in the Three Horseshoes Frampton. It has songs, poems, sometimes juggling, a few jokes and a story! I am currently playing around with a couple of ideas because I often use this opportunity to tell a new story. So watch this space! The entertainment is on Wednesday 13th December starting at 8 pm all welcome! I will repeat this several times in future blogs!!!!

I have three more story telling slots before the 13th starting with Berkeley Castle this Sunday (26th) as the Two Severn Bores.

Busy couple of days!Two Severn Bores performed their Destiny or Fate show last night. We were pleased with how well the show went. Next stop for us is Berkeley Castle on Sunday week 

I did my regular story telling slot today at Wick Court. Told my idiosyncratic shaggy dog story,

Currently in Exeter looking after our lovely granddaughter Ellen for a couple of days.

I think this is a first for Frampton a Great Northern Diver. A neighbour phoned me to tell me he thought it was a Great Northern Diver so I rushed out of my house to check! Very exciting!

The Two Severn Bores (myself and musical maestro Dan) have two gigs coming up. Tomorrow night we are performing for Dursley Tangent and on Sunday the 26th we are booked in the Great Hall at Berkeley Castle (this is for Friends of Berkeley Castle)!  We are rehearsing tonight.

Both of us will be performing along with others in the Three Horseshoes Frampton for our Book Club’s traditional Christmas Entertainment. All are welcome to this event we kick off at 8 p.m.

Finally I am Story Telling on my own on Monday 2nd December and of course I have my  two gigs at Wick Court for the young people staying there.

I went out birding this afternoon hoping for a Short Eared Owl or a good murmuration of Starlings. Sadly no luck apart from a scattering of Starlings but no significant murmuration. Maybe I will have better luck in the next few days. However, I watched a Kingfisher darting over the canal. I was hoping to get a picture but every time I thought I could it shot off in their distinctive low flight. I did see about 30 Fieldfares had only seen one  previously this winter.