Currently enjoying a relaxing time up in the hills north of Mumbai. It has been full on cricket and for old men it is a tough ask. The first picture below is from my room!

We have played cricket against some wonderful Indians who can certainly hit the ball a long way! The grounds have been diverse and have played two games under lights. The Brabourne Stadium under lights that has hosted Test Matches has to be one of my top sporting moments. Two more pictures below featuring yours truly. I am the departing batsmen in one.

I even did some storytelling yesterday at an orphanage. Will post a picture in my next blog.

We are here and have played 2 and lost 2! Bit like England! We started at Shivajjl Park which is an amazing place, over 1000 people playing cricket at the same time Sachin and Sonny two Indian legends started on this Midan. You encounter overlapping games, bicycles rocks, debris etc. Team picture below, the second game on the edge of Mombai (pitch picture below) where I got in some bird watching as well. Will try and blog some more this week.

I am all packed and ready to go for sub continent adventure. Just hope I haven’t  forgotten anything!

Went bird watching with young people from Swindon at Wick Court. We saw plenty of small birds fliting in and out of the feeders.

Short blog today as it has been yet another all go day in an action packed week. I visited two schools in the North of the County today storytelling (they were both run by the same head.) Despite being tired from my exertions but we went to Cheltenham Film Society tonight to see a French film “Night of the 12th – we are enjoying our film society membership.

I am called The Story Traveller because the idea is that I will cycle to me gigs whenever possible. Today I pedalled a round journey to Nailsworth of over 23 miles to tell stories in a care home that I visited just before Christmas. Had a lovely receptive audience. I get quite nervous on these gigs because I don’t want to patronise my audience because the  needs can be wide ranging. hard to get clothing right on the bike I was chilly to start with then far too hot!!!

Started packing for my sub continent adventure. nearly there! And yes I am story telling out there!!!

Went to a superb talk on the reintroduction of red kites on Wednesday night. it has been a busy few days. We did the monthly bird survey out on the River Severn on a lovely Thursday morning. Bird numbers are down but we watched a marsh harrier flying over what we call the snipe field flushing the snipe. It was quite a spectacle.

Been faffing around sorting out my visa and stuff. Apart from packing (which will be another faff).

It is a busy week before I fly out on Thursday I have a couple of gigs this coming week as well as my usual volunteering at Wick Court so I do need to be organised!

Feel I need to lay down in a darkened room! It has been all go with a large element of unnecessary stress!

Sunday till mid Monday afternoon we were in Exeter playing with our granddaughter Ellen. The main game was doctors again and again and again – she has a bag with bandages, stethoscope etc in. We bandaged many soft toys taking their temperature and giving them “medicine!

We galloped home – Clare had her Book Club at our house while I shot off to see “A Complete Unknown” the film about Bob Dylan’s early years. Superb film full of nostalgia and of course music. Felt quite emotional watching it. The acting was excellent. It obviously re-interpreted history.

Tuesday- was full of various meetings with different people.

Today has been my usual Wednesday volunteering at Wick Court. I am off to talk om red kites this evening.

The stress has come from trying to fill in my visa application for India- aaaaaaagggggggg!!!!!!  

We chose this morning to do the bird count in our garden – not a great choice with strong cold winds. We were delighted to have at least 14 long-tailed tits (there were probably more but we could only confirm 14. Lovely charismatic birds. Sadly for one of them the sparrowhawk (male) came swooping in and took a bird. I watched the whole thing and sparrowhawks are amazingly agile flying deftly round any obstacles like trees, bushes and buildings. That of course meant all birds disappeared for a while! Picture below of a previous visit has been in the blog before.

Yesterday’s football was depressing two teams devoid of confidence playing a scrappy game-sadly the only moment of quality game from the opposition! seriously worried now!

Those of you who read this blog regularly (there are a few of you out there) will have noticed I haven’t written anything recently-I am sorry but I have been on the go all week. Tuesday was ridiculous going from cricket net, to gull survey and onto football. Sadly the football despite being the better team saw us lose yet again! The gull survey  was underwhelming  not many going over our recording point! The cricket net was good and I was actually middling the ball!!! I was glad coming off my bike the day before didn’t hamper my cricket!

Have been busy on preparing and researching for future gigs- have a few in the next six weeks.

Yesterday I was looking after my two grandsons for most of the day- Clare joined me in the afternoon and took over when I went to do storytelling at Wick Court. I was very tired last night!

Had a lovely walk this morning with my friend Moira round the village, she was thrilled when I pointed out a kingfisher flying low across the lake. (not my picture below!)

A quiet morning in here in Frampton before an all action afternoon and evening. I start with my last pre India cricket net early afternoon followed straight away by a winter gull count (I am rushing back for this). Finally I shoot from the gull count to go to Oxford to watch the Mighty Hatters (fingers firmly crossed that we might stop the rot away from home).

Last night I fell off my bike and took a battering!!!! I will approach the net cautiously!