Happy New Year to all my readers! Have a peaceful and enjoyable 2023. 

It is a soggy end to 2022!  My goodness it has really rained today!

We have just had our family Christmas on the last couple of days. We had both our sons and their families staying with us. You almost forget how little rest you get with little ones around- both our grandchildren are full of energy! We are both resting now they have all gone!

I did manage to watch most of the football last night as the Mighty Hatters won emphatically in West London for the first time in nearly thirty years. Fingers crossed we can make a clean Christmas sweep on New Years Day!

I am hoping to get some writing done in the next few days.

“Bring Me Sunshine in your smiles………” echoed around Kenilworth Road Luton last night after another epic football match. It was apt our most famous fan from years ago signature tune was played at the end of the Boxing Day game; as we felt the sun was indeed shining! It certainly meant our ridiculous journey to watch a football match on Boxing Day Night and was even on TV was well worthwhile! Everyone at our end of the ground left wreathed in smiles although those that had travelled from Norfolk felt differently! Being there in person watching live sport savouring the atmosphere beats watching on TV hands down.

A picture from last night below- I didn’t take it because I was watching the game but Clare took it! This is the regular view from my seat.

Went for an early morning Boxing Day ride- it is a cracking day! Several Buzzards were sitting in the trees but a real highlight was a Peregrine shot across in front of me at head height. Our Blackcaps are now regulars in the garden and we seem to have a resident Moorhen at the moment!

Sad that our Boxing Day football is at a stupid time one of two silly broadcast times we have this week. We are actually going because we haven’t for family for a couple of days! Fingers crossed it will be a worthwhile journey!

MERRY CHRISTMAS  to all my readers!!!  There are surprising number of you out there so many thanks for reading my ramblings!

Some pictures from Tuesday’s Story Telling at Tuffley Library. Note I tried to look festive!

A cricket reference in today’s title! I have to pay tribute to England’s cricketers on their outstanding tour of Pakistan! No team has ever won 3-0 in Pakistan! Ben Stokes has been a revelation as captain showing both imagination, sensitivity and outstanding leadership.  The cricket has been breath-taking and can’t wait for the Ashes this summer!

Signed off with my last Story Telling of the year today with my old friends at Tuffley Library. Hope over the next couple of weeks I get do. They were a radical wn to some serious writing.

We are looking forward to providing childcare for our Grandson Owen tomorrow. 

Sad to hear Terry Hall of the Specials died today- they were certainly a radical

Over the last few days we have noticed our regular Winter visitors in the garden. We have both male and female Blackcap on our feeders. The picture below of the male I took this afternoon. I aim to get some better pictures over the next couple of weeks hopefully on the trees! Last week in the cold we had 21 species in the garden on our regular bird count. Today I even spotted a Redwing in the garden!

Final Story Telling gig tomorrow at Tuffley Library! Currently learning corny Christmas jokes!

I spent Saturday helping my at my youngest son’s house getting a Christmas Tree, put it up and put up their outdoor lights! (picture below). Pete has damaged his shoulder and Nicola is pregnant so they needed me! Good to be useful still! Clare wasn’t feeling too well so I was solo! I also spent the rest of the day playing with my grandson Owen.

I enjoyed the cricket this morning because My team’s game was off this morning (thank goodness!) I even watched the World Cup Final this afternoon which was surprisingly compelling!

My final gig of the year is for young people at Tuffley Library on Tuesday.

We are still in the grip of snow and ice in our part of the world. It was close to -10 last night. So I went bird watching today hoping I might see a Bittern. Not much to see- there is more in the garden. have already recorded 21 species for the week. So instead some pictures of icicles from my walk and the water fowl with a small bit of open water on the frozen lake.