Another blog from Spain! We have now played 3 lost 1. I have played in 2 games and am playing in the final game tomorrow. I hope the body survives! Another enjoyable walk today.

Will be thinking of home tomorrow where several old friends will be attending Maggie’s funeral. Clare is representing the Church family.

Feel like this should really be a postcard! Having a lovely time wish you were here etc. We have played one game so far and we won. Weather is what you would expect almost scorchio today. Saw my first swifts of the year as well. Had a great walk today up a decent size hill.

Been having a few thoughts on my current story I am writing based around the Severn.

I’m off to Spain on Wednesday to play cricket. Yes that is Spain to play cricket! it is with the Gloucestershire old men! Tomorrow it is my usual voluntary slot at Wick Court to take the children bird watching and then I will go through my usual football agony watching Luton (have to watch it on TV because we leave at the crack of dawn Wednesday.)

I survived our David’s Stag. He had a great group of friends who all had a super time. I shall see them all at the wedding on Easter Saturday.

I will try to blog from Spain.

I thought I would use the Show of Hands song for today’s blog title as it is a day after the Budget. If you don’t know the song check it out (unless you are banker). Steve Knightly does sing it with real passion and anger. I am listening to it as I write!

Just back from my monthly bird count on land by the River. Good birding and at least today I didn’t get soaked! Although we didn’t see any migrants coming in I did see 3 Cranes from the release programme. It was the first time we had done it at High Tide so we had Ducks, Curlews and Snipe whizzing around.

Another Story Telling this afternoon (trying out the Japanese story about the man who loved stories) and then a bit of time off for various bits of leisure!

Tomorrow I am joining my son David’s  Stag weekend, I think it will be fun even though I will be double the age of everyone else! It won’t be over the top. I am off to Spain in the middle of next week  to play cricket! Then back for David’s wedding!

It has been a busy spell for me with all the gigs clustered  around World Book Day. I had another couple last week. One was on Friday night for a special Story Telling Evening to a family audience outside. It was cold but very enjoyable! This week is hopefully quieter! I am working on learning another new story; this one is from Japan.

Not going to mention football as the wheels have come off for the not so mighty Hatters! I did manage to cycle almost every day last week including to my gigs, wind was a problem.

What a beautiful day it has been today. Makes you feel better feeling the sun on you. I spent the day doing my birding with children at Wick Court. Wick Court is a Farm for City Children set up by Morpurgos. Michael visited today and the children loved meeting him. I have said before what a privilege it is to take the children out looking at birds around the farm. The children learn so much by being on the farm, hands on learning. It is real education and a million miles from the Prime Minister’s vision he outlined yesterday. What a charade the whole Free School nonsense is! I could go on and on about how politicians are ruining our education service but you will be pleased that I won’t!

Yesterday I did even more travelling following on from the intensive Story Telling spree. Went to the Theatre of Dreams yesterday and watch my beloved boys unexpectedly lose. Very poor for the first 35 minutes but played well to come and back from 2-0 down to equalise. We then looked likely to win but a lucky own goal finished us off. Those that knew me when I was playing will recall I was known as OG Church so I know how it feels!

This week is potentially a quieter one only my regular gig at Wick Court (Thursday) and another on Friday night to come. Hopefully I will be able to get on with my story writing this week.

Well I am now sitting at home following my intensive 3 days story telling (5 gigs in all.) I haven’t tallied up how many stories I told in that time but it was a lot! Impressively the voice stayed in tact!

The schools I visited this week were delightfully different and I had a lovely warm welcome at all of them. I was pleased because I performed two new stories as well. I was asked how many stories I have learnt for telling? I answered I don’t know! My final school was Harlesden today. Clare and I travelled up last night and she had a lovely day at the National Portrait Gallery while I was jumping around telling stories. It was good to perform in London and it was a super school to visit. The atmosphere reminded me of the two schools I ran.

Well morning actually! Lovely ride this morning one of my favourite climbs up from Nailsworth to Minchinhampton with my friends. I did more miles in February 400 than I did any month last year!

Over the last few days I’ve been busy getting the stories ready for the stories I am performing this week. More work tomorrow on learning some new ones!

Saw some lovely old friends at a meal on Friday and saw the boys win yesterday!