Apologies for lack of blogs over the weekend but we have been away celebrating my youngest son Peter’s birthday. It was a significant one which makes me feel incredibly old! Wonderful weekend with all our family in a superb old farmhouse in Dorset that even had a swimming pool. It was great to see all three of our delightful grandchildren who thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the two oldest Owen who will be 3 in December and Ellen just turned 2 were incorrigible together! So we are now tired out and back in Frampton!

I am off for the first of my Halloween gigs at Matson Library soon.

Great result for the Mighty Hatters on Saturday after being two down!

Had a Wick Court first with young people from Cambridge a Stonechat! Although I see them often in Winter near the river near where i live we have never had one spotted before at Wick Court. Even better one group with me all manged to see the bird through my telescope. We were lucky with the rain it didn’t start till I was riding home so got the soaked at the end.  I am Story Telling with the young people this evening.

The Two Severn Bores had a rehearsal last night going over our Destiny or Fate show- we are performing it a couple of times in November. We needed it we were rusty!

Apologies I mentioned yesterday we were going to see the latest Ken Loach film. It is called The Old Oak not Oak as I put yesterday!

Typical Loach film although unlike many of his films I thought it ended with hope. Powerful as always tackling racism and disadvantaged communities. Certainly well worth watching.

Currently playing with my new garmin for bike (an early birthday present). Not sure it will make me pedal any faster!

Notice I didn’t mention the cricket result oh my goodness how disappointing!

Working hard at learning stories!

Today’s title is not about that mighty tree that can have up to 270 species of life on it. I do know some wonderful Oak Trees in our area none more magnificent than the 700 year old tree at Wick Court (it is hollow on the inside and I often let young people go inside). No we are off to watch the latest Ken Loach film called Oak tonight. His films are always provocative and make you think.

I spend this morning demolishing our rotting garden shed. I now have a pile of wood! The new one comes next week. I am exhausted by my efforts!

Working hard on the stories for next week’s gig. I am playing around with music to accompany the stories.

Both the rugby and cricket World Cups are on at the moment and I watched my first game of the rugby World Cup yesterday Ireland v New Zealand and what a cracker to watch! I have been dipping in and out of the cricket disappointed that the India – Pakistan was a damp squib!

Just had a lovely walk around the lake here in Frampton and saw the Osprey again it has been here now for three weeks! I had thought it would be gone by now but there is plenty of food for it here!

We are off to the Literature Festival later and on to see our our delightful Grandsons afterwards.

I decided yesterday that I wouldn’t drive to Cheltenham for the Festival event I was attending so I cycled there-it saves all the parking faff! My round trip was 43 miles including going up Leckhampton Hill on the way back – the bonus was flying down the Slad Valley at 35 mph not quite like Laurie Lee’s Mother in Cider with Rosie! After that I thought I would give cycling a miss when I went to Wick Court for my Story Telling!

Talking of Story Telling I have a number of gigs at Gloucestershire Libraries coming up around Halloween for audiences of 9+ but there are two adult ones as well. Hope you or a young person you know can make one of them. All events are on the Gloucester Library Web Site with details of how to book but here are the dates

23rd – Matson – 4.45p.m.   9+     Tues 24th – Tuffley – 6pm  adults      Fri 27th Up Hatherley – 5.30 pm adults    Mon 30th – Longlevens 3 pm 9+                                     Tues 31st Wotton 11 am 9+    Dursley 2pm 9+

Finally a picture to make you smile a Shoveler Duck I photographed recently!

Lovely moment today with the young people from the Charles Dickens School Southwark while bird watching. We saw many Summer Migrants (Swallows and House Martins) flying over obviously on the migration South and at the same time a flock of Winter Migrants (Redwings) arrived. Love it when the two migrations merge like that!  We also saw a Parcel of Linnets!!! Had some great questions from the young people. I am telling stories to the young people tomorrow night.

Apologies for a couple of days with no blog. We hurtled back from Exeter yesterday to rush out to Cheltenham for our first visit to this year’s Literature Festival. We have been going on and off since our children were quite small. Over the years we have seen some brilliant authors, people from sport, politics and TV. Last night we saw five Story Tellers in discussion about Myths, Legends and Folklore. I took Clare tonight to see Mick Herron while I visited the Book shop. On Sunday we are booked to listen to Natalie Haynes (Comedian  and Author) who often takes a different perspective on the Greek Myths often with a feminist point of view. I am also going to a political discussion on Thursday (hoping to cycle there!)

In other news the Osprey has still been here in Frampton it has been here nearly a fortnight now. I have heard Redwings and Fieldfares are now arriving locally.

I seem to be crisscrossing the country the last few days. Friday night we were way up in the Welsh Valleys watching my little brother acting in a play called “The Price of Change” a powerful story about radical thinker Richard Price. I have to say our Mike was brilliant doing three different roles.

Saturday saw me driving to watch The Mighty Hatters take on one of the big boys. We lost narrowly but we left once again ruing the missed chances.
Today following a ride this morning we drove down to Exeter to see our lovely granddaughter and her parents!

Feeling tired now!!!

Well it is supposed to be Autumn but the temperature feels like summer!  A picture of Fungi below might suggest it is Autumn! Also a photo from Leighton Moss at the weekend with a tree covered in lichen. Certainly the birds are moving – the Osprey was still here in Frampton yesterday- it should go soon. We did see plenty of Swallows moving through yesterday with the young people at Wick Court.

The football was disappointing on Tuesday night, I thought the Mighty Hatters deserved at least a draw- we did play some fast attacking football but missed plenty of chances. I am dreading what Spurs might do to us on Saturday – I will have my fingers firmly crossed and hope they have an off day and the Hatters do something special!

Story Telling later at Wick Court to my young friends from Syston Leicestershire.