Feel I need to lay down in a darkened room! It has been all go with a large element of unnecessary stress!

Sunday till mid Monday afternoon we were in Exeter playing with our granddaughter Ellen. The main game was doctors again and again and again – she has a bag with bandages, stethoscope etc in. We bandaged many soft toys taking their temperature and giving them “medicine!

We galloped home – Clare had her Book Club at our house while I shot off to see “A Complete Unknown” the film about Bob Dylan’s early years. Superb film full of nostalgia and of course music. Felt quite emotional watching it. The acting was excellent. It obviously re-interpreted history.

Tuesday- was full of various meetings with different people.

Today has been my usual Wednesday volunteering at Wick Court. I am off to talk om red kites this evening.

The stress has come from trying to fill in my visa application for India- aaaaaaagggggggg!!!!!!  

We chose this morning to do the bird count in our garden – not a great choice with strong cold winds. We were delighted to have at least 14 long-tailed tits (there were probably more but we could only confirm 14. Lovely charismatic birds. Sadly for one of them the sparrowhawk (male) came swooping in and took a bird. I watched the whole thing and sparrowhawks are amazingly agile flying deftly round any obstacles like trees, bushes and buildings. That of course meant all birds disappeared for a while! Picture below of a previous visit has been in the blog before.

Yesterday’s football was depressing two teams devoid of confidence playing a scrappy game-sadly the only moment of quality game from the opposition! seriously worried now!

Those of you who read this blog regularly (there are a few of you out there) will have noticed I haven’t written anything recently-I am sorry but I have been on the go all week. Tuesday was ridiculous going from cricket net, to gull survey and onto football. Sadly the football despite being the better team saw us lose yet again! The gull survey  was underwhelming  not many going over our recording point! The cricket net was good and I was actually middling the ball!!! I was glad coming off my bike the day before didn’t hamper my cricket!

Have been busy on preparing and researching for future gigs- have a few in the next six weeks.

Yesterday I was looking after my two grandsons for most of the day- Clare joined me in the afternoon and took over when I went to do storytelling at Wick Court. I was very tired last night!

Had a lovely walk this morning with my friend Moira round the village, she was thrilled when I pointed out a kingfisher flying low across the lake. (not my picture below!)

A quiet morning in here in Frampton before an all action afternoon and evening. I start with my last pre India cricket net early afternoon followed straight away by a winter gull count (I am rushing back for this). Finally I shoot from the gull count to go to Oxford to watch the Mighty Hatters (fingers firmly crossed that we might stop the rot away from home).

Last night I fell off my bike and took a battering!!!! I will approach the net cautiously!

Being a storyteller you often find you have spells when it is quiet and then boom you are in demand. I have a busy week just before I go to India for most of February. Have had some interesting enquiries this last week for future gigs after India that are certainly going to be a different! experience for me!

I went to watch the Mighty Hatters yesterday  – not the greatest game but we were much the better team and lacked a cutting edge. Our position is looking perilous but it was a more encouraging  display

Had a good walk this afternoon hoping to see bullfinches sadly didn’t see any but had a good view of a cetti’s warbler. which you normally only hear The picture below of one is not mine.

Last night I led the Wassail at Wick Court- using my updated verse! We had “wicked time” to quote one of the young people from Ravenstone Primary School.  Our event is certainly idiosyncratic but the more I read about the history of wassail the more convinced I am that you can do your own thing! I kept some of the local traditions but wrote a verse that incorporated Wick Court in it.

Earlier in the day I took the young people bird watching (it was foggy) but we saw quite a bit. They were delighted to see a raven as it chimed with their school name!

Book Club last night (after the wassail) was different we all had to talk about our favourite character from literature.  It was a wide ranging discussion.

Finally some pictures of garden visitors today!

I have managed a couple of rides in the last two days as I build up my fitness for my cricketing tour to India next month. I have my last net next week.

Tomorrow I am leading the Wassail at Wick Court. I have rewritten what we do – trying to keep to tradition but make it special to Wick Court. In fact it is a busy day tomorrow because I will be bird watching with young people from London during the day as well as later leading them around the trees!!! I then rush back for my Book Club where we are all talking about our favourite character from literature.

I see my football team have appointed a new manager today- I hope he can change our fortunes!

Had a good day out at football yesterday despite the F. A. Cup result in Nottingham. Travelled up on the train with one of my cricketing buddies who had a seat in the different part of the ground to me. He was in the directors box while I was behind the goal with my fellow Hatters. That part of Nottingham by the Trent is certainly different with two football stadiums and of course Trent Bridge Cricket Ground ( I have visited all three on a number of occasions.) It was bitterly cold!

Sad day yesterday for the Mighty Hatters who parted company with their manager Rob Edwards. Rob did a great job but sadly things having being going downhill for a while. A good man who was scarred by the traumatic incident when our captain collapsed on the pitch. I hope he now has a good break -I feel he needs a rest. I am off to Nottingham tomorrow for the cup tie- it might be a bruising experience!

I pedalled to Wick Court last night (well wrapped up) to do my first story telling of 2025. Lovely young people who asked me some great questions afterwards.

Lovely day with young people from Bournemouth bird watching at Wick Court. We spotted many diverse birds (26 species spotted). Children got excited to see a deceit of lapwings of 200+ birds up high. My pictures below were another time including the redwing(they managed to see a flock through my telescope.