The reason for today’s title is because we went to see Boudica being performed at the Globe yesterday. Note the spelling is different to how I spelt it on the web site! These things seem to change every few years! Really enjoyed the play and Boudica (how they spelt it) was played by Gina McKee one of my favourite actors. Those of you who have known me for a few years will know Boudica is a story I frequently performed in other schools when I was teaching. I often had whole classes of young people shouting and yelling ahead of the final battle. “Stuff the Romans” was a popular refrain! Yesterday seeing the actors move in tortoise formation reminded me of the times I did that with young people in the playground.

Lovely Story Telling again this afternoon in the wonderful Round House at Wick Court. On a Bird Watching earlier in the week at Wick Court everybody saw a Stonechat a Wick Court first!

I didn’t mention last week’s Book Club meal so I thought good old Oliver will provide today’s title. We held our planning meeting for the next year and discussed the book  “Stoner” over some fantastic food. The chaps produced a wonderful feast, going with the book our theme for food was Southern Mid West in USA. I did Mom’s Sweet Potato Pie which was a first for me. Some good books chosen for next year! Following on the food theme Clare and I pedaled for lunch on Friday.

Lovely Story Telling on Thursday afternoon. Really pleased with the new story I mentioned previously. The Round House at Wick Court is becoming a wonderful venue for performing stories.

Good walk by the River today on the bird survey. Mixed results, slow beginning but a Great White Egret at the end! Also saw the Bore while we were out; always a magical moment.

I had a lovely Story Telling at Tuffley Library on Monday with little ones. A good pedal as well. I am telling a new story this afternoon at Wick Court; a Japanese Folk Tale. I always like the challenge of a new story you are never sure how it will go, what you forget and what you add!!!

We had the pleasure of having our Peter with us for a few days, he needed Internet Access for his work. This followed a wonderful Saturday with David who was driving a steam train. A long story but it was delightful.

I had a lovely bird watch with children from Leicestershire on Tuesday. They were full of enthusiasm and asked some searching questions.

I thought I would start with the last part of my Story Telling on Wednesday night. For various complicated reasons I had to do my regular Thursday afternoon slot at Wick Court on Wednesday night at twilight. We were in the marvellous Round House as I told my first two stories the gathering gloom gradually engulfed us till I couldn’t see my audience. I was asked to tell a “horror story” to finish. I told the Running Companion (a story written by Phillipa Pearce) as I told it a Tawny Owl was hooting regularly, bats were flitting through the building and the adopted cat had joined us and was munching on a rabbit! All the ingredients to embellish the story! I felt guilty when some young ladies got spooked by the story.

It has been a busy week and I have been whizzing all over the place both on bike and in the car. I didn’t enjoy being stuck in London traffic yesterday while moving furniture for our Pete! Bethnal Green to Maidenhead, so twice across town! The compensation was when we eventually arrived at his new abode a Red Kite was circling above his garden.

Well we are back from our cycling adventure. We did do 300 miles altogether through mixed landscapes with some significant climbing and some strong winds into our faces on the way back. The boys were great and Clare’s support was invaluable. We went from the beauty of the Lake District, the bleak Pennine Moors to the iconic bridges over the Tyne on the C2C. On the way back we enjoyed the Roman Wall as we followed Hadrian’s Wall  Cycleway, finishing with the rugged beauty of the Solway Coastline. You do realise what a beautiful and diverse island we live on. So it is back to reality now! Wick Court with the bird watching on Tuesday and my first Story Telling for just over a fortnight!

When pedalling along you often see things. Latest on our adventure on that front. Three sightings of red squirrels, one we stopped and watched it for a while. A weasel shot across in front of us as well. Nothing surprising on the bird front although we have seen plenty of kestrels on the moors.

Will do some photos from our trip when I get home. A Roman day today as we rode by the wall, stopping at Vindelanda. Only a day and half to go! We will be close to 300 miles by the end. We had a real soaking on Tuesday and rain forecast on Thursday and Friday. Body holding up well.

Over half way on our cycling epic. Got soaked today as we completed the Coast to Coast. Have embarked on the return on the Hadrian ‘s Wall Cycle Way. We have currently covered about 170 miles and climbed over 11000 feet.

We are all in good spirits despite two of our number having tumbles and one puncture. Brian has problems with his cleats so often finds his shoe stuck to the pedal.

We have started our Coast to Coast ride. Long drag up to Whitehaven yesterday. Short ride to Cleator for our first stop. Today is a proper ride around Lake District finishing in Penrith. Should be fun. The hills look wonderful.

Had a good proof reading meeting with Terry on Friday so book moving closer to publication! Should have more news later in the month.

Well tomorrow we finally set off on our Coast to Coast epic. Clare and I are driving up in “Cedric” with all four bikes. We will meet the others at Whitehaven for a little spin to our first stop. Sunday will see us climbing the hills in the Lake District. Clare is meeting us each evening at the B/B and taking our stuff. She volunteered! I will try to blog during the week but will depend on WiFi. We turn round from the East Coast on Tuesday and pedal back on the Hadrian’s Wall Cycleway arriving back in Whitehaven on Friday.

Sadly my cricket didn’t finish on Tuesday because of a persistent Mizzle all afternoon, the boys are now playing it in Bucks on Sunday. Probably can now pack my kit away for another year.

Great discussion at Book Club on Wednesday over the David Grossman book. It certainly was an uncomfortable but compelling read. It certainly was provocative and had many layers to it.