I had a lovely time at Kingshill House on Wednesday. I had a mixed age audience so had to be careful I wasn’t that frightening but still appeal to the older children. Humour and some audience participation was the way I went. It did work!

It was certainly a horror show watching my beloved Hatters yesterday. Second best all over the field- we did seem really sluggish. Hope we get our game back for the two matches this week.

I promised a few photos form our birding at Leighton Moss. A marvellous Nuthatch who posed for several photos. Also included is a Marsh Harrier and Black-tailed Godwits (one shot is my arty shot of the birds in flight some people  might think it is just a blurry photo!)

Currently on the Lancashire/ Cumbria border doing some birding. It is a birthday treat! I have Limited resources to write blog properly so apologies. I need to write about my Halloween Storytelling on Wednesday at Kingshill House also my brilliant sightings up here and hopefully I will be in a good mood to write about tomorrow’s football which we will be watching.
I will include pictures in the next blog!

A catching up type of day working at admin and tackling an ongoing gardening job. Spent quite a bit of time going over possible Halloween Stories for Wednesday at Kingshill House. It is a difficult one because you have no idea of the age range of the audience. I have some good provocative stories for older children but needed to have a few options for younger children that are not that scary! Think I have now plenty up my sleeve!

Thought we needed a picture today to make us smile – no link to the blog but it is  yours truly at a school fete. The theme was Kings and Queens so I went as Marie Antoinette! 

Been a busy action packed few days. Friday was a special day for us as it was the first time all the family had gathered together since our two grandchildren had arrived. Absolutely wonderful – little Ellen (now three weeks old) was much more alert and Owen (now ten months) was his usual charismatic self. Looking on how our incompetent government continue to be slow off the mark with the pandemic we may find we will have to have restrictions imposed on us again so it my be some time before we can meet together again.

I have just finished reading 1,000 Ships by Natalie Haynes which had me totally captivated. Those of you who know me well will know how much I love the Greek Myths – well this book was basically The Iliad, the Odyssey and other myths relating to the Trojan War focusing on the female characters. Certainly has given me food for thought for future Story Tellings.

Involved in a community litter pick today organised by Esther (aged 14)!

My football team rather ran out of steam yesterday but still managed to win.We were surprised to find we are now 5th in the league! Have to temper that to point out 7 teams are on the same number of points! We are really chuffed. COYH!!!!! 

Had to be that favourite old classic for today’s title as I have seen rainbows on successive days. Magnificent one tonight as I pedaled off for Story Telling at Wick Court-didn’t manage to find the pot of gold! I nearly stopped to take a photo. I brought out of the bag another old favourite to tell The Running Companion based on the Phillipa Pearce. story. It always causing a few nervous flutters in the audience!

We surprisingly managed to avoid the rain yesterday when we were bird watching with the young people at Wick Court. Pleased to see some Meadow Pipits near our hide.

Had a delightful Autumn Colours ride with one of my fellow Old Groynes today. Stunning!

Wow it is raining Horses and Cows out there at the moment! It has been a strange few weeks really dry  for most of the time and then torrential rain.

Had a delightful lunch out today with old friend Moira and a good catch up sharing news on our respective families.

I think I have planned my Halloween stories for next week but it might change!

The football tonight was poor and I have to say the worst performance I have seen from my football team but luckily the opposition was equally poor! A draw was probably a fair result.

Watching the weather forecast for tomorrow’s bird watching at Wick Court with our young visitors.

I have to do a Halloween Story telling next week at Kingshill House. I have got several ghost stories up my sleeve mainly for older children and adults, however, my audience for next week is likely to be fairly young. This presents me with a dilemma because although they want to scared obviously it can’t be too scary! I am currently sitting trying to write something appropriate for younger children. I do tell a shaggy dog story at Wick Court which I could adapt and of course the folk tale Baba Yaga is a possibility. I will report in next week’s blog if I manage to come up with something.

Not  ghost pictures for the blog but the pictures below are  of a Tawny Owl and a Barn Owl. The male Tawny’s call of course is often associated with night time and Barn Owl is often called the Ghost Owl.

I have to start with the Hatters wonderful win today at Millwall. We are certainly playing well and no longer bullied by teams like Millwall. Our injured players are gradually coming back so the future is looking encouraging!

Lovely ride with Clare into Stroud to pick up a few bits and pieces before sitting down and listening to the football.

I am slowly bringing out all my old favourites in recent days. Today Pirate Pete my whole school story came out for the first time in nearly two years. Like Mollie yesterday I was  a little rusty in the Telling! You do realise when you are telling regularly some of these stories become a lot more polished. It does feel  good that I am  gradually getting back in the groove! The last two gigs I have lived up to my name The Story Traveller because I have been able to cycle to them!

No not Game of Thrones! Yesterday I saw my first of this year’s Winter Migrants with the young people at Wick Court 50+ Redwings flew over. I suspect these birds had just arrived after their journey possibly from Scandinavia. (there is a picture I took last year of a Redwing in Frampton,)

After my day at Wick Court I rushed off to Cheltenham for another Festival treat. It was touch and go with the traffic if I would make it on time – I had to run after we had parked (Clare was lucky her event listening to author Ann Cleeves didn’t start till 15 minutes later than mine!) I went by the skin of my teeth onto enjoy the multi-talented Amy Jeffs author, historian, artist and musician  telling stories from her book Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain she even had a band with her on stage. Amy and the band sang songs she had written based on the stories and poems in the book. It was a stunning hour and I was completely enthralled  – the songs were beautifully crafted. To finish off my action packed day I had Book Club in the pub with food! A provocative and thoughtful discussion on David Baddiel’s book Jews Don’t Count.

I was Story Telling tonight back at Wick Court for the first time in eighteen months. I told my  Mollie the Sheep story and I have to say I was a little rusty in the telling! Good to revisit the Story again after so long!