Oh the delight of being a useful grandparent! We spent the morning looking after our youngest grandson Robin while is brother Owen went swimming with his mum. Robin is 10 months old with twinkling eyes and a permanent smile! Also enjoyed playing trains and tractors with Owen before his swimming lesson! We then came home for a rest and a cuppa – we needed it!

Off to football tomorrow  against Newcastle or is it Saudi- Arabia – hoping for three points (we need them). Will be emotional as the first game since Tom Lockyer’s collapse . Good to see he is now at home. COYH!!!!!!

I have just got some pictures of the Two Severn Bores gig at Berkeley Castle last month. Thanks to Friends of Berkeley Castle. You get some idea of what an atmospheric setting it was for us! One picture was a display of my books and Dan’s CD!

I cycled into Nailsworth today to pick up a Christmas present. As I was pedalling by the river I caught a glimpse of a Dipper. I am really fond of Dippers because it was the bird that got me interested in bird watching. Many years ago as a young teacher I saw this brown and white bird bobbing up and down in a fast flowing river and had no idea what it was. When I looked it up later I found out it was a Dipper. From that moment I always looked up birds I didn’t know (still do!) It is a bird I have rarely taken pictures of the one below is a poor one I took a few years ago. I need to spend some time taking pictures of them!

Have been busy last couple of days so apologies this will be a short blog today maybe a longer one tomorrow.

We had our Gloucestershire Cricket Seniors AGM last night. I am once again captaining my team but I am also know secretary for the whole club (we are running 8 teams next year!) Well someone has to do it!

I was disappointed with the Napoleon film last week. The battle scenes were epic but I felt it was cartoon characters in a shallow film.

Finally many thanks to all the people who have messaged me about last Saturday’s football there are two messages under the comments section. Still numb and I wasn’t even  there! I think Saturday’s game will be very emotional!

Sadly today’s blog is about the awful moment at yesterday’s football  match at Bournemouth. I’m sure most people reading this blog will know Tom Lockyer captain of the Mighty Hatters had a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field. I was listening and the eerie silence from the crowd reflected how serious the moment was. It seems like the quick thinking and response of everybody was first class. It was very moving watching the players afterwards walking round the crowd especially seeing the emotion on our manager’s face. He is an impressive human being. The response from supporters of other clubs has been excellent.

Tom is an impressive captain and always gives everything on the pitch and is always generous to his opponents, even when battered by them! We all hope he makes a good recovery= our thoughts are with you Tom!

I got the ultimate accolade yesterday from my 2 year old granddaughter Ellen. I had gone down to Exeter to look after her she had been ill the day before. We had a lot of fun and she was quite chirpy. She told her Dad that “Gramps was silly!” , she then told him all about me riding round the room on the hobby horse!

Not at football today so will be listening with my fingers firmly crossed and hoping the Mighty Hatters don’t miss me!

A packed Three Horseshoes saw a super lively evening of entertainment provided  by Beer and Books Book Club. It was a night full of songs, poems and a story. There was audience participation and good humoured heckling! We raised £105 in donations to the community play Between Severn Tides. It was a late night as well and was feeling it today!

I told a new story for me The Wish Bottle which I had found in Gloucestershire Folk Tales. I feel it is a story I can develop for the future (I often reshape them after a couple performances adding bits here and there).  I am like a magpie picking up stories from a variety of sources and always on the look out for a new story idea.

I am off later to watch Ridley Scott’s film “Napoleon” which has had mixed reviews! I know historical fact will be lacking!

Having spent time working on St. Helena and having read quite a bit I do find him an interesting historical figure- especially his rise from being a Corsican officer to the most powerful figure in Europe. Talking of interesting figures who rise to the top, another tyrant is Julius Caesar (just finished watching the BBC 2 series on him). I will review the film tomorrow! I can’t persuade Clare to come with me- there is much blood and gore!

Don’t forget all are welcome at the Three Horseshoes, Frampton tomorrow night for my Book Club’s Christmas Entertainment starting at 8 pm It will feature music (Dan Everett, Chris and  Molly Robbins), poems from the legendary Mike Church, Brian Dimmock and Rogan Woolf. Possibly some more songs from Terry Coughlin! And a course a story from your truly – I am also MC for the evening.

I am not talking about going south! We actually had some sunshine today after the unrelenting grey of recent days so I enjoyed getting outside! Made my first attempt at clearing leaves, we have many trees all around us! I will need many more sessions over the next few weeks! I also got out on my bike today for the first decent ride this month = feel better for that.

Don’t forget my Book Club are doing our traditional entertainment on Wednesday at the Three Horseshoes Frampton starting about 8 pm.  I found a new story to tell so I am currently learning it!

Disappointed that the Mighty Hatters lost narrowly yesterday having gone toe to toe with the richest club in the world. Just wish one day we get a bit of luck.

Think today’s title would be a great title for a book- if I could think of something to write on that theme! I was actually referring to my pathetic attempts to sort out the Christmas Lights! A thousand lights can get in a mess even though I thought I had wound them together properly last year!  Still after much patience and only an occasional expletive I did it! Putting them in the tree was much easier!

Tomorrow it is an early start for football. A potential mismatch as the Mighty Hatters take on the the richest club in the world who need to win. So do we! Still upset about Tuesday’s game!