How good is it at last to be proud of an England Football Team? I have to say the work Gareth Southgate has done with the national team over the last few years has been impressive. Talking sport the last day of the in Pakistan tomorrow looks like it will be a tense affair, fingers crossed. Again the new management of the cricket team has encouraged players to blossom.

Sadly the Starlings last night was an anti-climax- they tended to come in small groups and dropped fairly quickly into the reed bed. I will try again this week.

You often read about people swimming with dolphins etc- well yesterday as I set off on my bike as dusk was approaching I had about 1,000 Starlings flying backwards and forwards above my head. I could hear both their chatter and their wing beats. A  special moment. Aiming to go later tonight to watch them at Splatt Bridge – there have been reports of close on 20000 birds coming into roost. It is good to have such a wildlife spectacular on your doorstep.

The cricket has been a feast of runs- hope the pitches for the next Tests are not so dead!

Have managed to knuckle down on learning stories for next week for Dursley W.I. I find I need to go over each story at least half dozen times and at couple of times saying them out loud.

Don’t forget my Book Club are doing our traditional entertainment at The Three Horseshoes, Frampton starting at 8 pm on Wednesday 14th December- all welcome! I will be telling a story and wearing my new super top hat. Will try and get pictures for the blog.

Short blog because it has been a busy day.

Started off  43 miles with a chilly bike ride with my pals – sadly because of circumstances I could only use two gears so it was quite an effort!

Fascinating talk on peregrines tonight from the Gloucester Raptor Group. Gives me a chance to share my peregrine pictures from last January again! Still can’t get over how close we were to the bird!

Despite my lukewarm feelings to this World Cup I do enjoy watching this England team – I didn’t watch the USA game ! Young aggressive and highly talented. Will be interesting to see how we get on against stronger opposition. Bit like sporting heaven- on Thursday morning looking forward to watching the cricket from Pakistan!

Pedalling with my pals in the morning and going to a talk on Peregrines tomorrow evening. Will try and cram some Story learning somewhere in the day!

We have returned from a wonderful weekend on the Somerset Levels celebrating Clare’s birthday with all the family. Our two delightful grandchildren kept us fully entertained. You can see someone really enjoyed the many puddles on offer!

The Levels were flooded as they always are at this time of year making a surreal atmospheric landscape. Certainly  you can see why this area is a land of myth – we were close to where Alfred hid from the Vikings and was alleged to of burnt the cakes. Of course the Arthurian legend swirls around this area.

I took the the picture below was taken just after sunset from the window of our accommodation of my eldest son David and his dog Tully!

Last night – glorious sunset over the flooded Levels!

Proper blog when we get home.

Thought the Sister Sledge song would be appropriate for today’s title. We have had the delight of having our charismatic Grandson Owen staying with us. He will be in 2 in a couple of weeks and I was chuffed that today he could identify a Blue Tit – talk about indoctrination! We have a family weekend in Somerset to look forward to.

I mentioned yesterday we saw Show of Hands on Tuesday night , nothing beats live music or theatre! |Think the same about sport so much better in the flesh than through a screen.

Talking of live performances have three gigs coming up next month as well as turning out dressed as the man who lives on the North Pole and only works one day a year!

Short blog again today. We went last night to Cheltenham to see Show of Hands. Brilliant night they are superb musicians who never stand still and always try out different angles on songs etc.

After a soaking this morning taking stuff to the tip I settled down to watching  a young dynamic England team thrash Iran in the World Cup. Great stuff! Tonight I watched Wales – always jealous of their National Anthem always sung with great passion. Sadly our National Anthem isn’t about our country and is underwhelming in comparison!

Lovely pedal up the Slad Valley this morning. It is a beautiful valley and of course it is  synonymous with Laurie Lee’s Cider with Rosie. As I was pedalling up the hill I was remembering my early days in Gloucestershire when I arrived as a young teacher fairly wet behind the ears!

I may of written about this before but my first teaching job was in Stroud I applied for the job because I had read Cider with Rosie (I had never been to Stroud before my interview.) The first two weeks I lived at the School Secretary’s House who it turned out had been at school with Laurie Lee – I did ask her if she was Rosie- she just laughed!

In those early months in Gloucestershire I didn’t know anyone so I went on long walks on Sundays  often in the Slad Valley and I would call in at the Woolpack- Laurie’s local. He was often in there sitting by the bar.

Finally I just got home before it poured down!