The BSC companies should be feeling very proud of themselves this week. Three more 4 star reviews appeared today for Whales and Jungle Book - and as the Whales review put it "BSC have done it again".

Six rave reviews in two days for all three shows.

Big congrats to all the actors and technical teams on the shows! And the creative teams who put the shows together!

It's good to get three 4 star reviews on the same day.

Two reviews for Frightful First World War, our new HORRIBLE HISTORIES show which is currently in Coventry, and another for The Jungle Book, which this week is in Cardiff, as it nears the end of its 7 month tour.

The Guardian were in tonight to see Why the Whales Came in Richmond, so we'll have to wait for their verdict!

Ian Tilton's fabulous photos of HORRIBLE HISTORIES are up on the site!

Well done Ian for a great shoot!

I love it when the BSC is at the top of its game!

With Why the Whales Came, The Jungle Book, the newly opened Horrible Histories and the forthcoming tour for Skellig, the company is riding high!

Well done to everyone for working wonders on these fabulous shows!

A fantastic start to HORRIBLE HISTORIES WW1 and WW2. One teacher could hardly speak at the end of WW2, she was so choked. The children were rapt throughout and beautifully involved. It just shows, in this age of pop musicals and TV off-shoots, that children can still be utterly entranced by well-told stories about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. A wonderful way to begin the tour!

It's lovely to get an email like this:

I accompanied a school party from St John's school in Lacey Green, Bucks. I just had to say I thought the performance of Why the Whales Came was truly magnificent. I thought it mesmerising and somehow haunting and was grateful that my child amongst others had been party to seeing this book come alive. The set, whilst bringing the sea to you left enough to the imagination as did the cast. The birdman was portrayed with humanity but with enough individuality to be believed as being an outcast. The cast were superb, as was the sound effects they
created - especially the bird calls. I have to say the cellist perfectly
interpreted the story and enhanced the performance. I have never enjoyed anything so much and would just like to say thankyou for this.

Thank you Mrs Holman for taking the time to write to us!

It's coming up to the first anniversary of my weekly visits to an elderly woman living in my local area. Elderly is the right word to use here - she is 98!

I mention this because these weekly visits have been amongst the most rewarding and important hours of my life. If you are at all inclined, or interested, in joining Age Concern's volunteer programme, I cannot recommend it more highly. All it requires is just one hour each week. The person you visit knows that whatever else happens in their life, they will have a visitor each week to hear their news, relay messages through Age Concern and simply be a friend. But the client doesn't have your phone number - your role is clearly defined and there is no need to feel overwhelmed by your responsibilities, which are confined to the weekly visit.

As I've said, my client is 98! Her resiliance, optimism and sang froid is astonishing and humbling. It's made me realise what a terribly soft lot we've become in the modern age. And to put her life in perspective, she was four when World War One started!

I have to thank Age Concern for introducing me to one of the most important people in my life.

I must admit I despaired when the news came through at 6pm on Monday that Birmingham City Council had decided to close all its schools on Tuesday - the day after the snow fall! Do they never learn? I looked out the window at midnight and there was no snow falling. I looked out the window at 6am - no snow falling. Not one flake of it. In fact, no snow at all, just a beautiful sunny morning. Thank goodness the children of Birmingham had been saved from sunburn.

Something so strange and sad is happening to this country. Everyone is terrified. It's amazing that anyone is brave enough to get out of bed, considering all the dangers our leaders insist are out there. I'm not that old, but I know it wasn't like this 20 years ago. Even 10 years ago. What happened? Who decided we should all live in fear? Whoever it was, it's working.