Some pictures from the last few days. More tomorrow!

Have to say there are wonderful hedgerows in this part of West Wales. Full of flowers with foxgloves and red campion a plenty. Many of them have obviously been there hundreds of years. Brilliant for a diverse wild life. The hedgerows were obviously so attractive to me I crashed into one today on a long cycle round the area. Bloodied and bruised but ok afterwards. Saw a Weasel shoot out from one hedge (might of been a Stoat but I think it was a Weasel). Walking the coast tomorrow hoping for plenty of seabirds.

Currently in deepest Pembrokeshire in our wonderful camper Cedric. Wonderful sea views as we cycled around the area. Great views of  Raven alongside other corvids so you realise how big they are. Still hoping for a Chough they are around.

I am off on a long cycle ride tomorrow believe it or not I have brought two bikes away so my number one bike for the ride tomorrow!

Lived up to my billing as the Story Traveller by cycling to Thrupp Primary School to run a writing/story workshop based around my book Pig The Legend with Y5/6 today. It was a delightful class who had a great relationship with their talented teacher. I was asked some super thoughtful questions both on my writing to searching questions on my own reading! I was impressed they have regular class book read to them – sadly not the case in all schools now. It always used to be one of the things I loved doing when I had my own classes.

Managed to get back home before the rain which may put my cricket tomorrow in jeopardy.

The title refers to me! I played league cricket for my club and everyone in my team was more than half my age!!! The opposition had a similar age profile! I was apprehensive how I would get through the game without embarrassing myself! Well I got through unscathed and even opened the batting reaching double figures  and seeing off the opening bowlers -the bowling was appreciably quicker than what i have been accustomed to in Seniors Cricket.  When it came to fielding I surprised everyone by doing a run out! So there is life in the Old Dog!!!! On to Buckinghamshire on Tuesday with the Gloucestershire Seniors!

I went looking for Hobbies this morning -didn’t see any but I managed to snap the Wren pictured below on the wires.

How about a Radiohead song for today’s title! I am sure some of you may think I may of been sulking following Monday’s football. I haven’t been I have been super busy!

I was really proud of the Mighty Hatters who played really well and were desperately unlucky not to win. It has been a marvellous season and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Onwards and upwards!

My cricket got abandoned on Tuesday we didn’t quite get enough overs in to make Duckworth/Lewis come into play we were in a winning position. I am turning out for my club tomorrow which will be interesting playing alongside much younger players!

Live performance is good for the soul and last night we went to an excellent concert by Show of Hands who were accompanied by a band called Track Dogs (I had never heard of them before). We took our friend Dave who was raving about the quality!

Off Story Telling now!

I am of course referring to tonight’s football more later but as this is supposed to be a Story Telling Blog I will talk stories to start with.

I am entering a busy period over the next few weeks with some interesting gigs ahead of me so i am currently learning a couple of new stories. I sometimes get asked to do stories on themes – in  fortnight I am at Kingshill House with the theme body/movement – I think I have it covered! I am in three schools over the next few weeks to do a post SATs workshop on stories and where ideas come from. I will use my last book as the basis for this work and hopefully it will be fun. Other exciting projects are in the pipeline.

The nerves are jangling already as the Mighty Hatters play the second part of the Play Off Semi-Final tonight. I did enjoy Friday’s game and hope we have enough fit players to compete! The injuries have caught up with us. I am watching it home because of my cricket tomorrow-fingers crossed!!!!!! I was just arranging to go on a long bike ride on Saturday but have been asked to play club cricket instead where I am likely to be the oldest player on the pitch!

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I nearly titled the blog where have you been? We had three days in the Warwickshire countryside as a short break. Had a lovely time visiting the gallery at Compton Verney, National Trust properties of Baddersley Clinton and Packwood House (picture of the Wisteria on the house below.). We finished up at the idiosyncratic Sezincote (A picture of the House below) near Moreton in the Marsh . The gardens were all different and with the good weather we made the most of them. Clare and I then separated she caught a train home while I hurtled across the country for a date at the Theatre of Dreams better known as Kenilworth Road for the Championship Football Play Off Semi-Final.

The match was tense and a draw was a fair result and the second leg is on Monday night-sadly I won’t be going because I have a game of cricket on Tuesday with an early start. During the match and subsequently afterwards I got many messages saying a sad old man had popped up on the TV broadcast of the match. so I was besieged with pictures of him! His picture is below!

A narrow loss yesterday in our inaugural Gloucestershire Third Over 60s team league match yesterday. I blame the captain! Really enjoyed playing despite result

Hoping my favourite football team don’t come second in the up and coming Play Offs. Fingers crossed The Mighty Hatters manage to break our playoff hoodoo we have lost all five so far!

We are currently away so blogs may be intermittent for a day or two!

The title sums up a good part of the day. Had a great ride with my friend Brian. The Wild Garlic was certainly well and truly out as was the Oil Seed Rape. Strange mix of aromas filled the air. The hedgerows look great and plenty of small birds popping in and out of them. There were many Buzzards soaring throughout the Vale. We thoroughly deserved our cake at our coffee stop-I should of taken a picture of my chocolate fudge cake -delicious and indulgent!

Looking forward to my first cricket league game tomorrow for the Gloucestershire Over 60s.