In The Pipeline

Greetings, Peasants! Welcome to 2008! The year ahead looks likely to be a nice busy one. I am back at Leeds Castle for a few jousting events in the summer, plus over the second May bank holiday weekend I am back at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire. I am making an appearance over a weekend in March down at Abbotsbury in Dorset, plus a weekend at Barrington Court in April.

Schools coming up inlcude Dene Close Prep and Grange Primary, both in Gloucestershire, Beauherne in Canterbury, Kent and St Michael's in Wimborne in Dorset, among many, many others.

I will be back on BBC Radio Somerset within the next couple of weeks (now broadcasting on FM as well as good old MW!) and after my recent publication in The Guardian newspaper I am soon to be immortalised in a periodical of equal gravitas - namely the "Real Life Stories" Magazine. You heard it here first folks.

So a happy new year to all my friends. Here's to a great 2008.

Dunster First School

Dunster! Ah, fair Dunster! This is one of my all time favourite schools and it was so nice to be back there for the fourth year running. However, today was to be a little bit different.

I arrived early as for once, Taunton was in a benevolent mood and I managed to sail through the usual bottle-necks. I was greeted as warmly as ever with some lovely kids and the usual wonderful teachers.

The opening morning talk went really well with some of the children laughing so much at some of the jokes that I did wonder if we might see the occasional accident. The floor however remained thankfully free of suspicious puddles.

The other big thing today was that I was due to meet the photographer from The Guardian today who was doing a shoot of me dressed as Father Christmas for a feature for their magazine of the 15th December. He arrived almost spot on noon so instead of my usual lunch break, I was now dressed as Father Christmas and gurning at a camera in a small courtyard in Dunster School! Steve, the photographer, must have shot off about 100+ pictures of me being silly, pensive, jolly, wistful - nearly every conceivable pose you could imagine. We finished off with some nice ones of me in my Henry costume with the Santa robes draped over my shoulders. I will be interested to see how the pics look as they come out.

The afternoon was good with a great joust with a superb gents team just nicking a win from a very creditable ladies team.

Tomorrow I am at Holway Park school in Taunton for a morning visit, and then I am on my way to Kent to begin my residence as Santa at Leeds Castle.