Short blog today!

Delightful visit to the Care Home in Cheltenham on Friday to tell stories. One of my audience was 103, I have now told stories to several Centenarians over recent years. I am visiting another Care Home this Friday.

A great day out yesterday in Bristol! I was watching the Mighty Hatters at Bristol Rovers. I met several friends both Rovers and Luton supporters in the wonderful micro brewery pub The Drapers Arms which was an enjoyable start. I went full of trepidation to the stadium not a happy hunting ground for us. We were smiling at the end with another three points in the bag. Happy Days!

I suppose the title could be me, I know my family would say that!  However, I chose this one after being in Cheltenham last night to see Seth Lakeman and the support group was fronted by Robert Plant formally of Led Zeppelin fame! So an old Zeppelin song for the title! Marvellous concert and the Town Hall was rocking! Plant’s group are called Saving Grace and were bluesy gospel Americana and were certainly different, some superb musicians. Seth was on the top of his game (well he had to be coming on after Plant), and a good mix of ballads and rock.We are seeing Kate Rusby next week.

Had a lovely bird watch with children from St Johns and St Clements on Tuesday, the weather was great. The children saw 28 species through the day equalling the Wick Court record. I enjoyed telling stories to them yesterday afternoon, changing slightly my shaggy dog story about the Saxons on the River.

This afternoon I am performing at a Care Home in Cheltenham, may throw in one of the stories I am doing with Two Severn Bores.

Talking about Two Severn Bores we have 3 gigs at the end of April hope to see you at one of them.

Wednesday 24th April   Folk Tales (Ben Parry Scout Hut near Thekela, Bristol 8 p.m. It is £5 entrance. (free coffee, tea and biscuits!)

Friday 26th April         Frampton Village Society (Frampton Village Hall) 7.30 p.m. It is £3.50 for non-members (a glass of wine will be provided)

Tuesday 30th April  Wotton Arts Festival (The Star in Market Street ) 7.30 p.m. Free but a collection at the end of the evening.

An old Nina Simone song to celebrate the what feels like Spring weather! Glorious day and I had a great ride over the tops enjoying wearing my shorts and no coat! Flowers were great daffodils, primroses, and wood anemones prominent. Birdsong especially my favourite the Blackbird now filling the air as well.

We did see the 5 star Bore on Friday morning and loads of people surfing it. I did take some pictures but having a technical issue down loading so will try and add a photo later. I have said it before but it is magic witnessing the Bore, many people had come from far and wide to watch it.

Another great footballing performance from the Hatters on Saturday once again fluent one touch football had us all purring with pleasure. Fingers crossed for the final seven games!

Another first for the blog title a Nick Drake song! It was another high tide on the river today and we are anticipating the biggest Bore of the year tomorrow. We are hoping to see it, never know maybe another photo on the blog tomorrow! Was out by the River today for the Bird Survey. Saw many Curlews avoiding the Tide and a highlight was being close to an Otter swimming up the Pill from the Severn, it was a first for me to see an Otter in Gloucestershire.

Have had a couple of delightful rides this week including in and around the Malverns which was beautiful, we also had a wonderful cake and coffee stop which is a big motivation to keep pedalling!

My only Story Telling this week was today at Wick Court telling a few old favourites.

A song title all the way back to 1968 from The Move. Short blog today on our cycle around the Newent Loop mainly to see the Wild Daffodils which are different to the cultivated ones we are used to. Yes and it rained although it was more like persistent drizzle. Despite that it was a lovely leisurely cycle with friends see the pictures at the bottom of the daffodils!                                                                                                                                               

Forgot to mention Book Club in previous blog, hence the Simon and Garfunkel title! We met on Wednesday for one of our themed meals prior to the discussion the following month. As always excellent food we were supposed to bring our offerings on a science discovery theme. As always people came up with imaginative offerings and plenty of food!

I thought I would use my story title today as this blog is mainly Story Telling with a bit about birds.

I told my Mollie story to finish off my Story Telling at Wick Court yesterday as I do every week. I think I have now probably told that story to well over 3,000 people on my regular Thursday slot over 3 years and no Telling is ever the same! Really enjoyed telling stories to the delightful young people from Maidstone. Mollie was also mentioned on my visit today to the lovely Stroud Valley School while promoting my book. I got a real soaking cycling home!  I can now concentrate on writing more because my busy spell eases off now. Got very excited this morning before I set off to Stroud when I got a text saying an Osprey was by the lake at the end of our road, didn’t see but hopefully it might be around for a couple of days.

Had to have the Morecambe and Wise song again. Sorry this will be a football related blog today, normal service will be resumed in the next blog! It has been an extraordinary week to be a Hatter (Luton supporter) and emotional as well. On Monday probably the most important moment in the club’s history saw the Council grant planning permission for the enabling development to fund the new stadium. Hopefully the Secretary of State won’t call it in because it will rejuvenate and regenerate the Town and it does need it. The Stadium is going to be cutting edge and is really exciting.  Added to that we won again a tough away match last night to cement our place at the top of the table

A very Happy Hatter here!!!!!

Don’t think I ever had a Martin Carthy song title before my blog! Felt I needed wind in the title after being blown across my garden today! It certainly has a real bite today!

I did indicate in my last blog how busy I’ve been over the last week. I drove up to Leicestershire for World Book Day to perform to old friends in Syston. A delightful day impressed to see a whole year group of Dalmatians and another all bedecked as Wally. I then rushed back to an evening of stories at Wick Court. So a busy day! Pleased to say next week isn’t so hectic!

Had a good day at Plymouth watching the Mighty Hatters who surprisingly failed to score after dominating for long periods.

A song title from the Boss for today but a fairly tenuous link with the blog. I suppose I am in some sort of dreamland at the moment. I am also tired after the exertions of the last few days. Some great fun Story Telling last week to very different audiences and a lovely day up at Ashmead School Aylesbury on Friday working with the children on bird migration. Our gig as Two Severn Bores on Friday night went well but lets just say we had a select audience!

I had fun at Kingsholm School yesterday, I cycled both ways and the wind coming home was a challenge. Talking of bikes I purchased a new bike last week which should be ready to go later this week. I am passing on one of my old bikes to my Peter. We had a new school from Birmingham visiting Wick Court  this week and today they enthusiastically enjoyed their bird watching.

Finally today’s title refers to a wonderful day enjoying hospitality at Luton Town on Saturday. Last year I won a signed football by guessing the result correctly, this year I won another football by guessing the crowd size!  Perhaps I should do the lottery!