My day has been dominated by a memorial service for my dear friend Chris. She worked along side me for seventeen years in the office at my last school where she looked after me and covered my back. A talented lady who could speak several languages. We had a lot of fun in the office and  laughed and on occasions cried together. I read at the service Ivor Gurney’s poem The Songs I Had which had a special resonance to both of us.

I am back to birdwatching with young people at Wick Court tomorrow. I did top up the bird food at Wick Court this morning there and managed to see a bullfinch (a lovely bird). My first storytelling of 2025 is also at the farm on Thursday.

Currently in deepest Devon looking after our delightful granddaughter Ellen. Probably a good thing we are not in Gloucestershire today with the flooding. We hear Frampton was almost cut off with the roads all flooded!!!! We are back later today! We actually missed the snow and rain on saturday as we travelled down ahead of it coming in.

We had an enjoyable visit to Exeter Museum yesterday. Provincial museums are wonderful places and are all very different!

We were looking after Jake a charismatic little dog. It meant I was up for sunrise this morning. A few photos below from my walk.

A hectic couple of days for The Story Traveller (nothing to do with storytelling!) We had a super couple of days with our Bishop’s Cleeve family and seeing in the New Year with them. My two grandsons Owen and Robin are great fun to be with – Owen is 4 and directs us into some very idiosyncratic imaginary games!

After helping them over breakfast we dashed back to Frampton so I could go off to football. Despite a good performance by the Mighty Hatters we were unable to convert our chances so fell to a sucker punch late on. Beginning to worry now!

A beautiful frosty day and had an enjoyable walk with Jake the Jack Russell we are looking after for a day or so.

Off to play a quiz match later.

Picture below is me entertaining my three lovely grandchildren. We had a great time and of course I got them as high as kites! Surely that is what Gramps is for!

Met my brother yesterday and went together to see the Mighty Hatters lose yet again on the road at Swansea! Good to spend time together even if we were disappointed by the result.

An amazing number of hits on my website today-thank you!

A lovely Christmas Day which included us having a cycle ride to the River and of course viewing the new Wallace and Gromit. Yesterday saw me drive down to meet  my eldest son David at the Services where he was being dropped off by his family. We then drove onto to Bristol for football. having worried about  where to park but it being a Bank Holiday the were no parking restrictions so we were able to park for free near the ground and conveniently close to Bristol Beer Factory Tap Room! That is where our luck ended! A poor game saw the Mighty Hatters lose to a single goal.. Still got back in time for my granddaughter’s bath time!

Merry Christmas Loyal Readers!!!!!!

We are almost all ready here. We have a quiet Christmas Day with just the two of us. However, Boxing Day  sees our Exeter family arrive (I am meeting them at the services near Bristol to pick up David so we can go on to the football.) and on the 28th we have all of them here including three young grandchildren and the dog! It won’t be quiet!

A few days ago I checked all our Christmas Lights– they all worked! On Thursday I put up the outdoor lights in our apple tree like I do every year. It means up and down a ladder as I move around putting them up. I went for an artistic look making sure I varied the levels and filled the tree. I was quite smug when I went to switch on- they didn’t work! I fiddled with them- they still didn’t work! Yesterday I checked all connections – THEY STLL DIDNT WORK!!!! Today I took them all down- takes ages! I put up our second set I checked them again and guess what they are working! Not as good but at least we have something.

I was relieved to see the Mighty Hatters win last night- snatching another last gasp winner. Not a great game but the three points matter!

I took a mature decision today and decided not to drive up to watch the Mighty Hatters tonight. (watching on TV instead) All the noise about it being a bad day for traffic influenced my decision. It has been hard this season with so many evening kick offs. I am going to the two away games over Christmas as well as a home game on New Years Day! I am asking Santa for three points tonight as well as some points on the road!

I had another story telling in a care home yesterday. It was second gig within three months at this Cheltenham setting. It is encouraging that I keep being asked back!

Finally managed a good ride today over Frocester Hill!