Happy New Year everyone! I’m not doing any resolutions except I will make sure my story “Don’t Look at Me Like That!” gets published. Just need the illustrations to be finished over the next month or so.

Have a great time!!!!!!!!

Well the first part of the Christmas Holidays has just about finished. It was even dry today although still windy and I managed to get a decent ride in with a climb up Stouts Hill. I had persuaded Clare and Peter to come to Luton with me on Boxing Day. My goodness what a dreadful game and that is being polite! I think we have settled for mid table mediocrity, so it looks like being a long second half of the season. At least the cricket is encouraging at the moment!

Obviously a quiet week on the Story Telling front but I am starting to prepare for next Tuesday’s gig at Westonbirt. Hope to also get on with some writing over the next couple of days.

Merry Christmas to all of you who read my ramblings on Story Telling and stuff!

I am currently looking up stories/poems suitable for K.S. 1 children for after the holiday. I am Story Telling at Westonbirt Arboretum at the beginning of January. I’ve got a few ideas but any ideas let me know please!

Busy getting ready for Christmas and I think we are nearly there! In theory a quiet Christmas here. Both boys are around and Vicky. Our traditional walk and “The Shoes” for a drink at lunch time are all on the agenda.

Entertaining Saturday for me. Went to watch my favourite football win a match at Exeter yesterday; a pleasant surprise after a depressing month where we frequently managed to self destruct thanks to not being able to put up any sort of defence. We were lucky yesterday but my David paid for it! Going back to his house after the game for a cuppa he discovered he had lost his keys! Thought he might have dropped them on the bus so he had to flag down the bus! Turned out he had dropped them at the football and because we were in the away when discovered the nice people at Exeter had put them on the Luton team bus! Might be a story to develop there about travelling keys!

Reflecting on the recent flurry of Story Telling gigs, I was pleased with my performance which I feel I am taking to a new level. Not sure if that is down to confidence or experience!

Very tired after a busy week Story Telling to a variety of audiences including last night in the Three Horseshoes where I told a new story. It was a ghost story one of those that doesn’t become apparent till near the end. It is one I can add to my repertoire.

Will blog properly tomorrow when I’ve stopped yawning!

Did two school gigs today and one of the developments to my “Angels” story is some new audience participation. The audience provided me with department store “Music” today I asked the staff to do Slade’s Merry Xmas, we added air guitar as well. Great sports and great fun!

Two gigs left before I finish! One in my old school and Wednesday night in the Three Horseshoes Frampton. It is my Book Club’s Christmas entertainment. Please feel free to join us for good old-fashioned entertainment. My brother Mike will be doing his poems and others will be doing songs and poems. I am doing a new story with a Christmas twist!

An old Beatles classic for today’s title. I trying to think of one with Owl in it, didn’t do very well. Only because I went to talk on Little Owls last night. As a result I am signing us up at Wick Court to be part of the monitoring project on Little Owls. We do have a nest each year at the farm. It is a lovely bird but they are declining in numbers so it is important to monitor them.

I enjoyed yesterday afternoon’s Story Telling. I am pleased with the way my “Angels” story has developed as well as Savitri. I add something new to each telling.

Tomorrow I am off to footie or the “Theatre of False Dreams” or maybe “Fading Hopes”. You can tell I am not too confident but you never know!

Testing me out to come up with song titles with wind in it at the moment! I still have Cat Stevens up my sleeve! I am getting fed up with the wind while cycling. This morning I hurtled down the Green in Frampton and then had to battle my way back up. It is worse when doing the hills because you get quite a buffeting! Anyway just heard I won’t have to battle against it Story Telling by the camp fire today it is indoors! Much easier for me. Just entering a busy spell with Christmas Stories. I am learning a new one for the pub next Wednesday, a ghost story of sorts! Don’t forget anyone who wants to join us in the Three Horseshoes Frampton we will be starting around 8 p.m. Mike my brother will be there, Brain and I’m sure others will be performing. Should be good old-fashioned fun!

Today’s title covers the last few days both here and in London. My Thursday Story Telling at Wick Court proved difficult because of the conditions, it was really windy and wet. Normally I can adapt well but I struggled! Friday’s performance  for the adults  proved much easier to adapt my performance. Stories went really well and Edwina’s cello certainly enhanced the atmosphere. Hence the title because we had “Streets of London”  in one of the tales I told. My Christmas Angels continues to develop and I have another couple of ideas for the next telling of this story.

After Friday morning’s performance we made our way up to London to see Peter and Nicola. So we really did walk the Streets of London. We did go to see “The Celts” at the British Museum. I was underwhelmed by this exhibition which could have been curated more imaginatively because there were some wonderful things to see. We all went to see Miss Saigon  on Saturday evening.