Not sure when I last had a Beatles song title for my blog! I was trying to think of songs about birds so I came up with this one. You may have guessed that birds feature in today’s blog.

I was watching one of my favourite birds this afternoon a wonderful Short Eared Owl. My first one this winter hopefully more soon! We also saw a pair of Cranes, a pair of Stonechats and heard a noisy Water Rail. A great afternoon!

The children I take Bird Watching at Wick Court often ask me what is my favourite bird it is a difficult question and varies almost daily! Every winter I go looking for the Short Eared Owl so it must be in my top ten! I have been out half a dozen times this winter and was rewarded today with great views.

It was to quote that great philosopher “Wallace” a “Cracking Morning Gromit” . I do love these bright frosty mornings ideal for a walk which we did and we managed to avoid the Hunt (certainly not my cup of tea!) I saw a couple of Siskins and about 50 Tufted Ducks on the Lake. had some great views of a Kestrel lit up by the sun.

I climbed onto the bike for the first decent ride for a few days and I needed to after Christmas! I went up Frocester and Stout’s Hill a bit slower than my average speed. Got to steadily get into training for the Pyrenees in May!

I am busy searching for some new stories for bookings in the New Year. I have to find stories from Brazil and Italy!

Well thought I would have one of my favourite carols for this Christmas Eve Blog. Just thought I would take the opportunity to wish my readers (there are a few of you out there who read my intermittent ramblings) a Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

No song title today, just noting the date! Just think the days (well daylight) will start getting longer!

Last bit about the weekend. On Sunday we went to Crosby Beach and saw  the Gormley Art work  of human figures all over the beach and in the sea. We watched the sea swallow up some of the figures. See the picture at the bottom.

Finally I think I have an illustrator for my book. I will keep you posted!

Had to use the well-known  Christmas song as my title if you know how football fans adapt it when playing away. At the end of today’s blog is my comments about my wonderful  Saturday at the footie but first a few words about last week’s Story Telling adventures.

I visited my village primary school last Monday. I am well-known  at the school and over the last year I have been in to do stories on the First World War, Shakespeare and World Book Day themes. I told my Angel story to K.S.2 and the Angry Snowman to K.S.1. Both are stories I know well and the children participated fully in the stories. Last Wednesday saw my Book Club present an entertainment extravaganza in the Three Horseshoes pub. It was a super evening with a fantastic mix of stories, poems and songs. The performers did really well and I think it was our best night ever and it has set a high bench mark for future evenings. I told a new story that I managed to learn in 10 days! I followed that up with two performances on Thursday in two different venues that were certainly different (stories and audiences).

To round off  a busy Thursday I went back to my old school for a retirement do. I had to speak at that as well! It was great seeing so many old friends. I was really lucky to have worked there for so long.

Finally the football. Clare and I went to Liverpool for the weekend. We were staying right by the Albert Dock. We went to an exhibition called The Danger Tree which has been going round the country commemorating  the Battle of the Somme. It involved using modern technology when you looked at the paintings which were on huge canvasses. It is difficult to find words to describe the whole exhibition but it was unbelievable and certainly brought the futility to the fore. Poems were read by famous actors that were played via an i-pad in a flurry of images through headphones as you viewed the paintings. It included how the painting’s layers were built up.

I shot off to Blackpool on Saturday to watch the mighty Hatters. It was a superb performance and a comprehensive win. The last two games have seen us playing us much more fluent football. I am hoping that we will be playing in a higher division next season, certainly confidence is growing. I won’t mention the cricket! Oh dear we are certainly coming second.

More about the weekend in my next blog!

This was to be the title for the last post but I advertised the Three Horseshoes this Wednesday.

This title is courtesy of the Dave Clark Five and because I heard it at football last Tuesday. I went to Swindon to watch my team playing them in the Mickey Mouse Cup; it is a bizarre competition and one my club have used to blood youth team players and have been fined for it despite beating teams from the division above. Every time Swindon scored the above title was blasted out over the P.A. , when we scored nothing was played! We helpfully sang “Glad All Over” for them. I am now going to show my prejudice and say I hate football clubs manufacturing music to celebrate a goal bit like I detest  drums at games! Modern Football -Bah Humbug!!!!! Did see a super game on Saturday that had everything apart from us winning (it was a draw).

I had a busy week last week working in an Infant School in Birmingham all day Wednesday and telling Christmas Stories at Wick Court on Thursday, as well as my normal commitments. I also went to a fascinating talk on Buzzards, it did show that since persecution had been stopped their numbers have soared. One day perhaps land owners of Grouse Moors and Pheasant shoots will leave the Hen Harrier alone so we might see it breed in England in the future.

I have just been telling stories at the Village Primary School and also corny Christmas jokes. The children told me some great ones as well. I have one more Gig for young people at Wick Court on Thursday.

Don’t forget anyone reading this, that on Wednesday at 8 p.m. my Book Club are putting on our Christmas Extravaganza in the Three Horseshoes Frampton which includes songs, poems and I will be doing a story. It will be good old fashioned fun and it is free! So come along and join us. It is free!!!!!!!!

No song title today but I thought I would give some publicity to next week’s Gig in the pub. It is our Book Club’s Christmas Entertainment. It is a super old- fashioned evening there will be songs, poems and a story from yours truly. It is free! We might hold a collection for Farms for City Children at the end of the evening. My brother Mike is coming over to perform his poems he is a fantastic Performance Poet. My fellow “Blunderbird”, Brian Dimmock will be singing a couple of his songs and doing a poem. There will be other contributions but not sure what yet! I am hoping Dan who lives opposite me and is a professional musician will be doing a couple of numbers. So come on  have some fun and Join US on the night!

I will do my latest news from the last week over the weekend-there is quite a bit with recent Gigs and footie.