Had to be Show of Hands wonderful anthem like song for today’s blog. Went to a superb concert last where the band were certainly on the top of their game! We came out buzzing!

Thoroughly enjoyed working with the young people from Western Primary School this week. Story Telling in the Round House yesterday afternoon wasn’t as cold as the previous week! They enjoyed my Christmas Angels story.

Don’t forget next Wednesday’s “Entertainment” in the Three Horseshoes Frampton starting at 8 p.m.-also a chance to buy books for young people’s Christmas presents!

Good old Neil Young title for today’s short blog. A provocative song at the time and you might argue not much has changed in the last 40 odd years!

Had to blog today because after doing the bird watch at Wick Court with the young people from Grimsby I rushed across the country through much traffic with my fellow Hatter to watch my team win! Yes! They won! Of course it is the hope that gets you!

Finally yet another reminder about the Beer and Books entertainment at the Three Horseshoes in Frampton next Wednesday 4th December starting at 8 p.m. Hope you can join us for a fun anarchic evening.

What a wonderful collective noun that one is! This was because we had about 100 Lapwings on the Bird Survey last week. Love seeing them when up in the air in numbers especially on bright sunny days-alas where have they gone?

Busy on writing and learning stories at the moment. Working on script for our show next year.

Telling my first Christmas Story later this week!

Don’t forget the entertainment at the Three Horseshoes Frampton next Wednesday 4th starting at 8 p.m.

We was robbed!!!!! This was football on Saturday where we lost in the last minute to the best side in our league,  Leeds, if there had been VAR (which I don’t like) we may well of won  (hey ho!) Roll on tomorrow.

A Jon Boden and the Remnant Kings song for today. We thoroughly enjoyed last night’s brilliant concert. It was top quality performance from some wonderfully talented musicians. It was our first visit since St. George’s had been revamped, it has certainly enhanced the whole experience.

Today’s Story Telling was a shorter one because of the cold. I told a Philippa Pearce Story the Running Companion, I have told it many times but today I added some new variations.

I think possibly my first Van Morrison song for a title! Talking music we are going to see Jon Boden and the Remnant Kings at St Georges in Bristol tonight really looking forward to it!

Busy preparing stories for future gigs. I Start some Christmas ones in schools soon (still got a couple of gaps in December-I’m doing my Christmas Angels story for K.S. 2 and for K.S. 1 I’m doing The Angry Snowman.) Both are enjoyable fun stories to tell.

I am also learning a new story for the Three Horseshoes for our now traditional entertainment. Anybody that hasn’t been before it is our Book Club that take over the pub and provide old fashion entertainment. This includes Poems, Songs, Music and of course a Story. Mike my brother will be performing his poems and selling an array of delightful and wonderful picture books on a variety of themes so if seeking Christmas Presents for young people come along.

Wednesday 4th December Three Horseshoes Frampton starting at 8 p.m. Join us! It will be a good night it is free although there will be a collection for Farms for City Children!

Can’t believe the awful weather yesterday (Thursday) non-stop heavy rain and it was cold! There was snow nearby as well! I foolishly cycled to Wick Court for my Story Telling in the wonderful Round House. I did have waterproofs and overshoes but didn’t really prepare me for roads awash with water. Quite challenging riding through the water -thankfully nothing like Yorkshire.

I had to do a winter bird survey near Slimbridge today-ground of course was saturated. Highlight was seeing two Great White Egrets and a Cettis Warbler. Many Fieldfares overhead as well. Also managed on my way there to see  the Shag (a sea bird) that has been on the local canal for the last week as well.

Short blog today! Last night saw June Tabor and The Osyterband at Cheltenham Town Hall.  A superb concert from some talented musicians. We really enjoyed it, we have four more concerts to look forward over the next few weeks. Nothing beats live performance! The Bonny Bunch of Roses is a song about Napoleon.

At Wick Court yesterday I enjoyed my weekly Bird Watch with the young people from Old Oak Primary School from London. They had good views of Lapwings on the River and many Redwings flying over.

Tonight at Book Club we are discussing Border Country by Raymond Williams.

Hopefully another bog tomorrow after my Story Telling.

I’ll use the title of my favourite Dickens book for today’s title. It really refers to my Story Telling on Thursday the lovely young people visiting the farm pester me persistently to tell the story about Mollie the famous idiosyncratic sheep. I think it is the story I have told the most often -(might be close to 3 figures and to around 3,000 people who have now heard it!)

Thoroughly enjoyed my visit to St Andrews School on Friday where I was looking at writing of stories with Y5/6. It was a delight talking literature with some of them afterwards.

Today we cycled to Stroud for the Book Festival. Three female writers with links to Stroud talked about their books and writing. One was Rosie (an ex pupil) who I mentioned in a previous blog and once again she was thoughtful and impressive.

My own Book Club is this Wednesday! So this is my first opportunity to mention our entertainment on December 4th at the Three Horseshoes Frampton starting at 8 p.m. It is always a great evening with a mixture of music, humour, poems and of course a story from yours truly. It is free but a hat is there for donations that go to Farms for City Children. Hope some of you who read this blog can join us. More details in a future blog!

You will notice my reticence to mention football following two lacklustre performances from the not so mighty Hatters not helped by being soaked on both occasions. Yesterday we were abysmal and that is being generous! Enough Said!

Today’s title is because last night went to a superb talk on the Peregrines of Exeter. Really informative on all aspects of the bird. There was also great and unusual pictures of the bird and footage of the amazing attacks by the Peregrines on a Buzzard. apparently this happens frequently when the young peregrines are about to fledge often killing the unsuspecting Buzzard. This behaviour seems only to happen with Exeter  birds!

About to go off Story Telling this afternoon and tomorrow I have a book promotion in a school.

Children from St John’s and St. Clement’s had a marvellous bird watch with me on Tuesday the highlight seeing a Deceit of Lapwings (great collective noun!)

A picture below of Peter’s and Nic’s wedding-look at the waistcoats all the boys are wearing- the wonderful Clare’s handiwork!

Not sure if I had this song title before but seems appropriate looking at the grey sky with leaves strewn all over the lawn. We did get wet away last week in deepest Cornwall!

This is a short blog but I promised some photos from Cornwall a couple from Tintagel and a lovely Stonechat at Marizon Marsh.