Well my third book has just been published! This one is different only one copy has been printed!

It is called Owen’s Magic Blue Tractor and was written for my grandson Owen’s 3rd birthday. It is a photo book that Clare managed to edit. I was inspired to write after he has “read” to us from some of his small books and his favourite toy that goes everywhere with him is his Blue Tractor! So the pictures are a mix of his toy tractor and the Blue Tractor we have at Wick Court. So I wanted it to be one he could memorise  and then “read” it to anyone. I read it to him 6 times this morning and already he has learnt some of the words!     Phew!

Sorry but I am talking about last night’s football. It was a fraught night all round. Normally I travel up with my pal fellow Hatter Mick from the other side of Stroud. He couldn’t go so I was on my own and the journey both ways was full of hitches – accidents, road works and traffic. I eventually got to Luton in time but struggled to find a parking spot. I got into the ground with about 15 minutes to spare dreading what one of the best teams in the world would do to my beloved Hatters. What a game it turned out going toe to toe with Arsenal coming back twice and even going ahead. At 3-3 as we watched biting our nails the added time tick down. A silly mistake gave Arsenal the chance to get the ball into the box and with the last action their £105 million headed a cruel winner. The collective groan of thousands of people told the story. So yes as sick as a parrot! I got home about 1.30 in the morning. My picture below is from a banner at the ground (I took 5 years ago) from my happiest moment as a Hatter when we beat Arsenal in the League Cup Final! If you read Fever Pitch it was Nick Hornby’s worst day of his football life! See I can mix a well known author with football. COYH!!!!!

My goodness what awful weather we have had! What with the weather and the resurfacing work going on here in Frampton it was a logistical challenge getting out of the village. We had to park vehicles at one end of the village in the early morning and cycle back to our house and repeat it the other way when we needed to get out later.

I had to get out to do Story Telling for Upton St. Leonards W.I. I had a lovely afternoon and finished with my own Christmas Angels Story, a story I am very fond of. I even had audience participation as well. Coming home afterwards was interesting as I had to drive through plenty of deep surface water.

Dreading the football tomorrow night, the Mighty Hatters are playing Arsenal with the likelihood we wont have any fit defenders! I will have everything firmly crossed (fingers and toes!)

Of course the title refers to yesterday’s football! Hard to think of anything positive from my trip to Brentford. Maybe it being a new ground and better than my last visit to their old ground when we got beaten 7-0! We were really poor yesterday and for the first time I think our manager made a tactical mistake. To be fair we lost two centre backs to injury. I dread to think of how the Mighty Hatters will fare in their next two matches – it is against  Arsenal and Man City!!!!

Off for a Story Telling tomorrow for Upton St. Leonards W.I. I going to sneak in a Christmas Story my Christmas Angels. Have a bit of a logistical challenge getting there as many of our roads in Frampton are shut for resurfacing tomorrow!

Finally the poster below if for our Book Club’s traditional anarchic Christmas Entertainment (click on the link!). All welcome it usually a lot of fun and my brother Mike is performing for the first time since before the pandemic!

Poetry Poster 2023

I thought I would give an update on the sales of my two books and the dilemma I now have. Having sold quite a few books on Sunday at our Berkeley Castle Gig,  I decided to do a stock take.

My first book “Don’t Look at Me Like That” we printed 500 books and all the proceeds go to Farms For City Children. I have only 5 copies left and they have 32 left at Wick Court! Selling them for £5 we have raised over £2000 for the charity. Do I now do a reprint? If I do will we sell them?

300 books were printed for Pig The Legend but these books retail at £7.99 and the profits all go to Alzheimer’s Society. The publisher and book shops obviously take some money although every book I sell in person all money goes to the charity. So far almost £1200 have been paid into the charity.

Walking through ice today doing the monthly bird survey with a wind that was bitter! We saw four Bewick’s fly over- this was a first for us on the survey. Got good views of a Peregrine as well. My toes were like blocks of ice at the end! The picture below is a Peregrine I took on another occasion

Had a freezing ride into Stroud tonight to meet with friends from Wick Court to the Long Table a community food hub. So twice today I have got frozen!!!!!

At last we have winter weather! I was certainly cold setting off on my bike this morning. Tomorrow morning I will be up with the larks to do our monthly bird survey. Forecast is even colder for the morning so I will wrap up warm!

I have to re-book my train ticket for Saturday because the train I was going to catch has been cancelled! It now means I will have some time to kill in London before the game.

I was sent to the north of the county for my second of my map squares where I record every bird I see. I get given 2 squares in November and another two in February. I do enjoy these tasks because they are usually places I wouldn’t go bird watching. Plenty of winter thrushes (Fieldfares and Redwings). A surprise was a pair of Goldcrests.

Stop Press:       The Great Northern Diver was released in the sea at Clevedon last week! Good news!

Pictures below are of a Fieldfare and a Redwing I have taken in previous years.

This was written on Monday but i forgot to post it-might be another blog later!

A super weekend! Apologies for no blog but I was otherwise occupied!!!

I was a Happy Hatter on Saturday after watching the Town win their first home win of the season. It was a hard fought game and the 13 minutes of added time was nerve wracking especially as Crystal Palace had brought on a “giant” ( a very tall player) near the end! We have many difficult fixtures coming up in December!

I had a wonderful day yesterday. We had a delightful time with my two grandsons and their parents. Owen who will be three next week and he sees me as a playmate so I am always on the go! The body aches afterwards!

The picture above is the first picture I have from yesterday’s Two Severn Bores gig at Berkeley Castle. I have been promised some more so watch this space! It was one of the most atmospheric venues I have performed at (Dan said the same!) We were pleased with our performance; we were doing our Destiny or Fate show and we are now looking for more venues to perform this show.

Finally I went looking for a Starling Murmuration tonight not many birds! However I saw a Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Kestrel, Fieldfares and a Kingfisher. The picture of a Marsh Harrier below is from one of my birding pals- I have put it in the blog before!

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!