The play Between Severn Tides we performed a couple of weeks is now going on tour well across the River Severn at Newnham -on-Severn. We had a preliminary rehearsal today. It will be different this time not every can perform this time so some of us are playing more than one character and it will be more like a radio play in Under Milk Wood style.
Still buzzing from yesterday’s football. Just ordered my ticket for Friday night. COYH!!!!!!
Phew!!!! Of course I am referring to today’s football result in deepest Bedfordshire where the Mighty Hatters secured their place in the Play Offs. It has been a wonderful season whatever happens now. Of course the money is silly in the Premier League but if we were to get there it would build our new stadium. Atmosphere was fantastic today and the old girl (our current stadium was rocking!) Still now I will just dream! Picture from today!
I went back to an old friend for Story Telling today. I told the Japanese Folk Tale Shippeitaro it is only the second time I have told it since the pandemic hit. A story that grips the audience with the hint of the supernatural.
I am busy at the moment researching British Folk Tales particularly linked to the West Country for new stories to tell. That is for both older and younger audiences!
Saw my first Hobby of the year today high above the Sailing Lake -a great bird to watch. Did well for migrants Little Gull, Common Tern, Whitethroat and a few Swallows. Just need to hear a Cuckoo now! When I was cycling to Wick Court I stopped to watch the Swallows by the canal swing bridge (actually didn’t have a choice). They were checking out underneath the bridge for their nests they do this every year never worrying about the bridge opening and closing!
Pictures below are of a Hobby and a Swallow- they are not my pictures!
Took lovely young people from Streatham bird watching at Wick Court today. Watched the tide come up which is always magical. I did take a video but struggling to put it onto this blog. I am Story Telling for the school tomorrow.
Despite the awful football result yesterday had a lovely day with my family. We had a super walk with my grandson Owen and family. We thoroughly enjoyed the Bluebells ( I always do) they make woodland so special at this time of the year. It was extra special seeing Owen walking and of course playing with a stick! I deliberately don’t put pictures of my grandchildren on my blog but I had to put the one in below!
Had a long bike ride this morning after visiting a friend who has been poorly and saw plenty of wild garlic and of course that distinctive smell hung in the air.
Fingers crossed now for Saturday- I don’t want to see it become an anti-climax!
The less said about today’s football the better! Sadly the injuries have caught up with us and the team look very leggy!
Despite the football had a lovely weekend with my family in Maidenhead and enjoying playing with my delightful grandson Owen.
Proper blog tomorrow with some pictures!
The title of course refers to football. I have all my fingers crossed hoping that the Mighty Hatters get the point we need to get into the Play Offs. Will be very nervous watching how we do at Fulham on Monday.
I hinted my life was busy well Thursday was relentless. Up early for our monthly Bird Survey by the River. Plenty of Swallows moving through and a good variety of species. We had excellent views of a Whitethroat and a Grasshopper Warbler that was singing its heart out! Picture of the Grasshopper Warbler below. (not my picture).
After the survey I rushed off to play my first game of cricket of the season. It was a Gloucestershire Seniors friendly. I was pleasantly surprised by my batting hitting the middle of the bat although I didn’t quite get into double figures. It was then off for quiz league match in the evening we came second!
Did a Story Telling at Wick Court yesterday telling a couple of old favourites!
An early morning pilgrimage to the Forest of Dean to one of our favourite places the RSPB reserve at Nagshead looking for Redstarts (picture below not mine because I forgot my camera) and Pied Flycatchers. Great views of Redstarts – I didn’t see an Pied Flycatchers although Clare got a glimpse. a wonderful Treecreeper captivated us near the Hide. The Oak trees looked magnificent.
Incredibly busy couple of days where I have hardly had time to draw breath more on my busy couple of days in tomorrow’s blog. I have to rush off for my Quiz League Match.
Yesterday at Wick Court with the children from South London we spotted a Whinchat from our bird hide. I don’t see them that often and certainly it was a Wick Court first. Picture below isn’t mine!
A real treat tonight we went to the theatre!!!! It was our visit to the Barn Theatre in Cirencester (a small intimate theatre) to see an adaptation of The Mozart Question by Michael Morpurgo. It was a moving story with plenty of music. The actors were all musicians. Good to see live theatre again.
As a Story Teller you always think carefully about your performance, where you stand where in your mind your characters are in relation to you the Teller, your voice etc! Obviously you have a script of sort floating in your head but it can be fluid- I will react to my audience. Acting in a play is obviously different because you have lines that others rely on for cues etc and you are directed by somebody other than you! As I mentioned previously I have just been performing in Between Severn Tides by my Brian Dimmock– a play inspired by Under Milk Wood but located in our community near the Severn. At the heart of the story was a Second Coming this time the messiah was going to be female and certainly had a strong feminist theme running through it.
It was well received by all 3 audiences and the songs/music enhanced the whole performance. Many of you who know me well might be surprised I was actually singing in it (not on my own see one of the pictures below) – although I do occasionally have snatches of songs in my Story Telling but usually tongue in cheek.
The set, if you look at the pictures, was supposed to resemble a workshop hence the scaffolding and the sheets of corrugated iron. The cast were dressed in dull colours so we could blend into the set. I started by wearing a jacket and trilby as a hen pecked husband and verger for the local church. When I throw of the shackles of my nasty wife Lavinia I throw away the jacket and put on an ethic style hat as I run off with Meryl the Rock Chick on her boat!
I did enjoy being part of a team and it was in every sense a real community play and I got to know different people. It has taken up much time and I haven’t been able to develop new story ideas both writing and performing! I have a busy period coming up next month so I need to get down to some grafting.
Picture 1 -The cast singing (including me!) Picture 2 My domineering and spiteful wife Lavinia with me being hang dog! Picture 3 Bradley (me) as ghosts with Meryl the Rock Chick!
