February 1st – Friday was, again, bitter. In practice, probably not as cold as previous recent winters have been, but it seemed positively arctic after the mild season generally this time around.
The canal ices was getting quite thick – maybe an IC5 today.
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January 31st – I shoot around Walsall’s new ring road all the time, and it’s not a road system I like at all. The junctions are complex and often, badly thought out; it’s unfriendly for bikes and the signals are only just seeming integrated with each other after ten years of being fiddled with.
However, it does have it’s plus points. Sweeping over the hill and canal bridge from Place Road past the old Smiths Flour Mill and up towards the Magistrate’s court is a delight, which flows well on a bike if the traffic lights and drivers will allow.
It’s also rather beautiful.
Don’t be deceived though; despite the marking and seemingly wide cycle lane there, it’s shared use, full of obstacles and soon Peters out to nothing.
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January 31st – on the way to work on a grim, cold morning, the familiar sight of gorse flowers on waste ground near Bentley Mill Way surprised and delighted me. I’m never really sure of the difference between gorse and broom, but the bright yellow flowers – in bloom before Christmas – seem to be around forever and smell pleasingly of coconut.
Such a lovely sight on a cold, grey day.
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January 30th – I came back to Shenstone to a glass hard dusk: It was well past 5pm and the light hadn’t yet drained away leaving the sky to the west a beautiful deep blue.
It’s so good to see the lengthening day – soon sunset will be well past 5pm – and this means I’ll be entering the season of the commute sunset, which I always enjoy.
It the mean time, Shenstone again reminded me of what a wonderful place it is to come back to.
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January 30th – Heading to Hortonwood in the morning, I alighted in Telford in a snow shower that didn’t last long, but rendered the cycleway beautiful with an icing sugar dusting of fresh, undisturbed snow.
What made it even more gorgeous was at the same time, the sun was shining.
An odd experience on a beautiful, cold and crisp morning.
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January 29th – Despite an icing sugar dusting of snow and a very cold wind, the dates and emergent daffodils of the industrial estate where I work know spring is a thing.
Jack in the Green has tapped the ground with his stick and it’s all systems go.
The cold might slow things up a few days, but it’s underway now. It’s coming.
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January 29th – The cold weather for this winter has finally arrived, and the roads are icy. I’m fairly OK on the ice tyres, but it still takes time to build confidence back up when hitting black ice.
Thankfully, everywhere I’ve been, the major routes are well gritted, even though many motorists swear they haven’t been.
Road salt is not magic. It won’t work instantly, won’t de-ice the whole troad, and won’t allow you to drive like Sterling Moss in cold weather.
Tae care and take it easy, folks.
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January 28th – Passing through Kings Hill Park on a mercifully sunny, chilly day, I noted the progress of the snowdrops and crocuses, with the early-appearers looking wonderful in the sunlight.
I’m a bit worried about Kings Hill Park. Not one of Walsall Council’s premier parks, it seems to be losing some funding and last year, although kept beautifully tidy. the flower planters seemed rather neglected, which is a shame as they’ve always been gorgeous.
Kings Hill Park is a gem of a place, sited on largely reclaimed former industrial land, and is a jewel in the urbanity along the Walsall-Sandwell border.
I hope it gets a bit more love this year.
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January 27th – It’s good to see the water rising again at Chasewater. I noticed today that the level had now reached the balancing culverts at the Nine Foot Pool, and now was probably around a metre off being full.
This is quite good progress considering how low the level was late last year to facilitate anti-erosion work on the causeway.
Of course, to make up that last metre, it takes a lot of rain, but it will be nice to see it full once more.
Tat awful quandary, the needed but unwanted rain…
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January 27th – At least it wasn’t raining.
At lunchtime, the wind was horrendous as I rode to Chasewater. Stood on the dam fighting it, it rose white-crested waves on the reservoir that broke angrily around the pier, shore and wakeboard ramps.
It was impressively dramatic but not an easy day to cycle on.
I suppose a clear day with little wind is too much to ask?
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