June 25th – Riding home from Shenstone it seemed like the hottest afternoon ever. Of course it wasn’t, but I was tired, the hay fever was giving me hell and energy was low.
I notice now that the haymaking is ongoing, in great weather for it, a the Footherley Brook looked as gorgeous and changeless as it must have done for decades.
I was quite impressed with the image quality of the cathedral view from Shire Oak: for a camera with limited zoom that’s not a bad image at all.
June 25th – Over in Telford on Monday morning, sun streamed down on construction workers and engineers preparing for the following week when a huge crane will lift the first, over-railway section of the new bridge into place from where it’s being assembled right next to the westbound platform.
Last week I couldn’t work out how they were going to lift it into place with nothing to put it on – then today I realised that as well as the deck, the piers had been assembled out of their final position too – the two lattice and glass pillar towers beyond the green crane will be bolted onto the matching concrete bases each side of the railway, and the new deck bolted to it, spanning the tracks.
What I can’t work out is why they’ve fitted the glazing before they finally lift the towers – surely moving them will fleet the structure so much the glass will break?
Perhaps it’s tougher than I think… we shall see, I guess…
June 24th – This week, I passed through Tixall, which is something I tend not to do much now Shugborough’s gates are open more. Tixall really is an odd little place with a lost village feel to it: From the gazebo overlooking the river and canal valley, to the lost avenue, ridiculous but gorgeous gatehouse and the bottle lodge.
You can’t fail to adore this place really.
June 24th – A second Sunday ride on Cannock Chase, on a much better day than the previous Sunday,. It was warm and sunny and the day languid and beautiful. A bit of an odd one, though: The curious memorial found in the forest and the stunning sun pillar in the evening gave the day and unusual, other-worldly feel.
June 23rd – I have developed a strong liking for Canon cameras, through the trusty G7X which has been my weapon of choice since Christmas. The G1X is larger, more awkward to use but the things it’s capable of are clear, they question being can I gain the nous to exploit it?
Also on test I have a Sony RX100 mark VI – an altogether different proposition. I’ve always liked Sony’s user interface, but the boxy nature of this small camera feels awkward so far, but not had much chance to play yet. The images seem nice.
Cameras fascinate me, and as a means of showing folk just how beautiful our area is they cannot be beaten. Even at night, Brownhills can be stunning…
June 23rd – Slipping out to catch the sunset after a much needed rest day, and the weather gods didn’t let me down.
I’m experimenting (again) with a new camera to me – a Canon G1X. Liking it so far but I think it may be a bit advanced for this poor snapper.
A gorgeous evening, but the sheer amount of bugs that rose all of a sudden on the dam as night fell were a bit of a trial.
June 22nd – It was a great ride for the animals, clearly enjoying the sun and warmth. The heron population is booming on the Birmingham canals at the moment, and their comical antics are a joy, as were the cackling ducks in the heart of the city.
I just loved the disdain visible on the face of the snoozing embankment cat whose nap I so clearly wrecked.
I love canal riding on a warm evening.
June 22nd – With the excellent weather we’ve been having, Friday night, post work rides into Brum have become a thing, it seems, and this evening I really needed it. Into the city by the main line from Darlaston to Great Bridge, then coffee, cake and out again vial Spaghetti Junction, Castle Bromwich and the Plats Brook/Newhall Valley cycleway – one of the finest, anywhere.
A lovely, gentle, restorative ride.
June 21st – It’s good to see that one place the Canal and River Trust mowers didn’t go is the meadow and embankment alongside the new pond at Clayhanger, where orchids, ribwort plantain, birds foot trefoil, ox-eye daisies, buttercups and many species of grasses are thriving, much to the appreciation of the bees, bugs and birds that rely on them.
Long grass and meadows are not some untidiness to be dealt with: They are essential to our ecosystem.
June 21st – I passed through Snow Hill Station mid afternoon, and noticed a little bit of lost local history that I’d totally forgotten about – the old Snow Hill tram stop.
When the Midland Metro opened in the late 90s, it originally terminated here at one platform of Snow Hill Station. The stop was dark, dingy and low level, with a notoriously unreliable inexplicably single escalator and a dingy, horrible spiral staircase. It was not a great bit of urban design.
When the Metro line was extended around the City Centre to Stephenson Place, the line was diverted to the side of Snow Hill station and up around Colmore Circus, leaving the Snow Hill stop cut off and replaced by a better, street level station. The lines at the old stop are no longer connected to the main line, and the stop, abandoned, unserviced and closed is gladly being reclaimed by nature and slowly fading.
It’s amazing how quickly such things decay when unused.
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