I mentioned in a previous blog that I had just read Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell – we are discussing it at Book Club tomorrow. I found the book compelling, intriguing and was totally entranced from the beginning.

For me it had echoes of a book we read at Book Club a few years ago and that was Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Both O’Farrell and Miller took stories we all grew up with (Greek Myths and Shakespeare’s life ) but actually don’t know that much the tales about apart from the received wisdom passed on down to us. They both treated some of the characters with sympathy and gave them much more fully dimensioned characters. O’Farrell certainly develops the character of Agnes and gives her a hearing that history has denied her. I am trying not to spoil the plot to any potential readers out there but the ending is emotional!

I haven’t read anything else by O’Farrell but I certainly will now.

Quiz on some of Shakespeare’s Characters. (if you know Shakespeare it shouldn’t be that difficult although e might stretch you!)

a) Who finally killed Macbeth?    b) Who was the fat, good humoured braggart in Shakespeare’s Henry lV and the Merry wives of Windsor?  c) What is the name of the ghost that haunts Macbeth?   d) What was Romeo’s surname?   e) in Julius Caesar what are the names of the wives of Caesar and Brutus?

I said I would do odd snippets of Peru from time to time.

So the Nasca Lines are amazing shapes etched in the desert of Southern Peru.  There are over 300 figures with names covering an area of close to a 1,00 square kilometres. You can only really see them from above and these shapes were made about 2,500 years ago -there are many theories to why they were made but my blog isn’t really the place!  Were they made for visitors from an other world? The picture above isn’t mine it is of the Spider (I did take some through the plane window but they were not great-one below.)  It was quite an adventure flying in the small plane pictured below-this was before the flight, while we were still a normal colour! The pilots in a past life were often drug smugglers and used to flying in remote spots, good that they have good employment now taking tourists up!

Once we were up in the air it was amazing taking in the views with our pilot saying “On the left -spider, on the right astronaut…. etc” He would bank the aircraft to help us see out of the windows which was an interesting experience (hence why the picture below is before!)! It was strange to see vultures flying below us looking very small!

We will start with a picture today! The Andean Condor was taken when we visited Peru seventeen years ago. Another photo at the end. I decided to put it into the blog because I’ve just been watching a Condor on a nature programme. We had to get up in the dark early morning to get to the top of Colca Canyon by sunrise. As the sun came up and slowly warmed up the canyon we eventually saw the birds coming up from below us. My heart really did soar! I can’t really put into words how emotional I felt to see these majestic birds drifting on thermals up close to us. One of the most memorable things I have ever seen. Another picture at the end of the blog looking down the canyon. I may do some snippets of Peru over the next week or so in my blogs.

Finally Saturday night is always better when your team wins! It was a poor game and the mighty Hatters were struggling for all of the first half. Three wonderful goals soon had me smiling!!!!

Had a lovely ride with Clare this morning enjoying the blossom and the flowers. We knew rain was forecast so we were pleased managed to get it in before the rain. First rain for a while! We enjoyed another view of the River this time from near Purton..

I started on the sequel that I mentioned yesterday. Mainly sketching out ideas and some research although I managed a tentative start on writing but it is a draft idea.

My quiz team won again last night ensuring we will finish either 3rd or 4th in the league which is a great improvement on the last year!

Hope you all managed yesterday’s quiz on Rivers the first question was an interesting one!

a) The River Mersey’s name is derived from the Anglo Saxon “Boundary River”   b) The Taff flows through Cardiff  c) The Volga flows into the Caspian Sea  d) Cologne is the biggest city on the Rhine  e) Texas is the state that borders the Rio Grande

I have mentioned that the last couple of days I have been playing around with a story I wrote a little while ago. Well I think apart from a proof read I have finished it. I have been refreshingly motivated working on this so much so for the very first time with one of my stories I am thinking of a sequel! I have started jotting down some ideas and already it looks like I am having the characters older and pursuing new lives-we will see how this develops!

No picture today despite having a good walk and later a cycle ride! A quiz instead!

Decided it had to be a River Quiz with my recent pictures!

a) Which river derives its name for the Anglo Saxon for “boundary river“?  b) What is the name of the river that flows through Cardiff?  c) Into which sea does the River Volga flow?  d) What is the largest city on the River Rhine?  e) The Rio Grande serves as a natural border between Mexico and which U.S. state? 

I have spent quite a bit of time today working on the story I mentioned I had found yesterday. I think I might need to develop another a piece of action to enhance the main story and possibly flesh out another character as part of that. I will need to be careful that it isn’t contrived to disturb the flow of what I’ve already got.

I will attempt to do a quiz tomorrow but brain is exhausted now!

We ventured out for a ride this afternoon down beyond Arlingham to the River right on the middle of the Horseshoe Bend. So another two pictures today looking across the  River, the boat has been in that spot for a few years now. The buildings (mainly the church) in the second picture is of the village of Newnham on Severn. It takes about an hour to travel to Newnham by car from here. In 2000 as part of a Millennium Project the army ran a hovercraft across this piece of river and mud. So we got to Newnham in five minutes. A memorable day!

Today’s title refers to stories. Over the years I have written many stories and quite a few of these just disappear into the mists of time. However, occasionally I find them again for a whole host of reasons and enjoy being reacquainted with them. Today I found a story I wrote when I first retired from teaching which itself was a reworking of a story I wrote when my boys were at Primary School. The theme was magic long before a certain wizard with a scar on his forehead appeared. I think that was the reason why I eventually left it was because I thought the world might have had enough of wizards! Well having looked at it I have decided to do some tidying up of the story over the coming weeks. It does have environmental and co-operation themes running through it.

I also enjoy coming across stories that I have learnt  told over the years and put to one side. One was a Norse Folk Tale I frequently I told and have neglected in the last two years. I retold it on my recent school visit.

I had an unsuccessful look for Spring Migrants early this morning but the River Severn at low tide looked beautiful. The first picture below is looking down the River to Sharpness and the second one is looking across to South of Frampton you can just make out the spire of Slimbridge Church and you can see the edge of Dursley on the hill in the distance. (the quality of the picture loses something as I insert it into the blog so on the original the church is much clearer than in this reproduction!)

Disappointed by the performance of my football team yesterday. I do want them to finish the season well. Who knows if I will be able to go in person next season? I have tickets for  cricket this summer but not sure if that will happen.

What a super day today, sun shining and the wind had dropped. Tomorrow sounds like it is back to Winter so shorts might have to go away! Ironically did some preparation work down at the cricket club!

I went looking for migrants this afternoon (had seen a Willow Warbler yesterday) and apart from a solitary Swallow no luck but did catch a fleeting glimpse of a male Merlin (one of my favourite birds) which is unusual here at this time of year.

Completed our family catch up yesterday visiting my eldest son David and his wife Vicky in Exeter. Wonderful! It has been lovely to see many families reunite this weekend-many have chosen Frampton for this!

Yesterday’s April Fool answers

a) Richard Dimbleby and the BBC Panorama programme had spaghetti growing on trees.  b) Marvin Gaye was murdered on April 1st 1984  c) Burger King had the left handed burgers!  d) It was flying Penguins that were supposed to migrate to the Amazon reported by the BBC in 2008  e)  France is the country where April 1st is known as April Fish

Just a quiz today on April Fools’ Day

a) Who famously reported spaghetti grew on trees on April 1st?   b) Which restaurant chain fooled the public with it’s fictional sandwich for left handed people on 1st April 1998 ?  c) Which music legend was murdered on 1st April 1984? d) A 2008 a BBC news report suggested a flying colony of which bird species had been discovered in Antarctica, tracking their flight to the Amazon?  e) Where is the April 1st tradition known as April Fish?

I had thought I would do something on April Fool yesterday but I forgot! I always enjoyed April Fool at work and as a young teacher (it was a long time ago) I would often arrange something for my class. As a Head I would often think of something on my way to school and caught my colleagues out on many occasions (I may share one or two over the next few blogs). In my last year in school staff were determined to get me back! I arrived at school at my usual crack of dawn time to find a lovely typed letter on distinctive and branded paper. The heading was Dorset Ornithological Society…… the letter went along the lines that a Penduline Tit had taken up residence in the school wildlife area and recommended that I shut the school immediately. I smiled as I read it because somebody had done their homework because Penduline Tits are rare visitors to Britain especially in the West! To play the part I visibly picked up a pair of binoculars (Always had a pair handy at work) and marched outside. Ironically about three years ago I saw a pair of Penduline Tits in Gloucester. I remember smiling as I watched them!

Not mentioning sport today as my team lost to a struggling team!