What a glorious day! Certainly got rid of the bite in the wind of earlier in the week! I went for a super ride over the  tops with my friend Martin. Heard  plenty of chiffchaffs and on the top and we were serenaded by many skylarks trilling. Also saw yellowhammers on the ride. To cap it all I had a chiffchaff in the garden this afternoon. We have had a couple of swallows in the village but I am yet to see one.

Following on with this spring theme I had a lovely time bird watching yesterday at Wick Court with young people from Camberwell. We saw a chiffchaff then as well! I am storytelling with them later this afternoon.

Pictures below – my picture of a skylark from last year and a chiffchaff (not my picture)

A busy sort of day here. A lovely Spring day as well. Did some jobs in the garden, some writing (more about in future blogs) and a special visit to Wick Court to say goodbye to the Chief Executive of the charity Farms For City Children.

I will also be there tomorrow (bird watching) and Thursday (Story Telling).

Just off to Book Club to discuss Jules Verne!

How on earth did my team not score a goal yesterday? We created so many good chances especially in the first half. It should have been three or four nil at half time!!! The visitors only got into our penalty area once in the first half!

Currently in Exeter having great fun with our lovely granddaughter Ellen.

Our David and Vicky’s dog Tully sadly passed away last night. He was a good companion to our Exeter family and they did him proud, he was a retired racing dog.. The joke in our family he was the only professional sportsman in our family! A couple of pictures of him in action in his younger days below.

The other sad news is the sparrowhawk that I took a picture of on Wednesday also died.

had a lovely story telling last night at Wick Court.

Off to football tomorrow hoping the Mighty Hatters carrying on where they left off on Tuesday night.

What a relief. I went to Cardiff last night and actually saw my team the Mighty Hatters win an away game. It is the 6th away game I have been to and the previous 5 have all been defeats! Scoreboard at the end in the picture below.

Also a picture of a sparrowhawk taken on my phone at Wick Court today. We first saw it tucked under a hedge behind a wire fence. Surprisingly it was still there a couple of hours later. I told the children you don’t normally get this close to a sparrowhawk! The young people from Maidstone asked some great questions 

had a bit of a disaster last night I dropped my laptop and it still had the plug attached and the pin sheared off! So I had to get a new plug unit – you won’t believe how many different variations of pin there are! I got one in the end. Talking of accidents when I was away I fell into a hole (wearing sandals) and hurt my toe- had a lot of swelling and although almost back to normal still hurts! There is picture below of it!- it is a little way down in case you don’t like horror pictures!

Did my third successive monthly visit to a care home in Nailsworth yesterday- they must like me!!!

I am off later to watch the Mighty Hatters later. Fingers crossed it is now getting desperate!

We had a lovely time today with our two wonderful grandsons. There are at that lovely age where everything is full of fun. Owen loves riding his bike  and is now able to stop which is a positive development. His two year old brother Robin now has a speedy waddle with a permanent grin and is always wanting to share a book! It is good for the soul, I do love the whole grandparent role!

Bitterly disappointed with the football yesterday where the referee certainly had a significant impact on the game – didn’t think I would ever say this but VAR would of helped us yesterday. I am off to Cardiff for a real six pointer on Tuesday- some might say I am glutton for punishment!

Since we have been back we have seen our male blackcap frequently but it might soon be on it’s way. The first summer migrants are beginning to trickle through!

Story Telling at a Care Home in Nailsworth tomorrow.

It is all action in our pond at the moment- counted 6 frogs frolicking in there today. Loads of spawn both frog and toad- some pictures below.

Quiz update- we had an emphatic win last night which has cemented our second place in the table!

Lovely Story Telling with young people from Bromley last night- they were transfixed as I told my “shaggy dog” story. More random pictures from India below!

First picture is my last game in the hills above Mumbai!

Managed to live up to my name as The Story Traveller today by cycling to my gig. I always vowed where possible I would cycle and not drive. Of course it isn’t always possible. Today was a perfect day to be on the bike- lovely sunshine both ways! I was asked to do poetry today so I performed a mixture of my own poems and some well known ones.

Off to a quiz match later- think I might be rusty! We are currently second in the league- we might slip back later!!!!

No time to sort pictures today but I will keep putting India ones on over the next week or so.

We are both gradually adjusting to being home but at the moment we are tired and go to bed early only to wake in the early hours!!! I have been really busy with a full day story telling in Bristol on Tuesday and my volunteering today at Wick Court. Also story telling tomorrow morning – well the school has asked me to do poems.

A few random pictures from India below. The first one is the laundry in the Mumbai slums. Often 7,000 + items of clothing drying at the same time!

Below is me covered up at the Delhi mosque.

Some views from Shimla below!

Finally a cricket picture one of me just out has been in the blog before but I have fiddled with it! Do like the temple in the background plus the other games going on!