Author: BrownhillsBob

I told the truth - but told it bent. Wandering around bemused and ranty since 2007.

December 27th – I had some stuff to get from Maplin, on the Orbital Centre in Cannock. I hate cycling there – the ride is so very boring. I compensated myself by tearing up Brownhills Common first. After a run up the A5 to the Washbrook Lane junction, near the burnt-out Watermargin restaurant, I turned up the new road and over the M6 Toll flyover. They must have been having some kind of IT problem – the road wasn’t really that busy, yet there were queues at the toll gates. I’ve not seen that before. Good evening, lemmings…

Boxing Day – couldn’t resist a bit of ride footage. This one runs from the top of Wolseley Plain, down Abraham’s Valley, along the A51, hopping on the canal through Rugeley, then a little of Bardy Lane, near Upper Longdon. I touched 42mph, but note I slowed right down for the horse and dog walkers. People, if you have dogs off the lead and a cyclist is coming, don’t call them. The dogs are normally too interested in the smells of the open than the cyclist and won’t cause a problem. The lady calling the retrievers here actually causes them to run in front of me…

Boxing day – one of the things I like about canal cycling is that many canal side dwellers have a bizarre sense of humour, and construct often elaborate joke displays. This seems a particular tradition along the Trent and Mersey canal, where one can often see odd displays at the water margins of gardens on the opposite bank. I loved this fishing Santa at Rugeley. That must have taken some time to create… my congratulations to the householder.

Boxing day – Cannock Chase was an absolute blast. Great to enjoy the company of fellow bikers, I span around Birches Valley for a bit, then headed for Abrahams Valley to really open it out. There was nobody to speak of down there, and that’s quite a top speed for a downhill run on a fire-road. Exhilarating and refreshing.

Boxing day – I always head for the Chase at this time. Birches Valley cafe is usually open, and it’s great to blast off the excesses of the previous day. I travelled out via Chasewater, and cycled up the mound on Norton Bog, something I haven’t done before. The view up there is really quite good, and although it’s unseasonably springlike at the moment, it really shows we’re in the midst of winter.

Christmas day – the traditional Christmas ride this morning involved the exploration of the commons and heaths around Brownhills. I took advantage of the quiet to have good look around and see if I could spot any of the area’s elusive read deer. Sadly, I was out of luck on that score, but I did find the boardwalk on the north shore – a fine riding challenge itself. For those wondering what happened to the old rowing boat that was revealed when the lake was drained, it’s currently on display outside the Ranger’s office on the south shore. It would be nice if it could be restored, as it must have some history. I wondered what had become of it.

Christmas Eve – I dropped down into the city, not as a shopper, but as an observer. It was quite deserted at 5pm, nothing much was going on except the clearance of the market stalls. The sound of cathedral bells rang out and I was aware of a casual drift towards the close by those around me. I always feel odd at this time on Christmas Eve; it’s all over bar the shouting, and commercially at least, Christmas is over. Peace and best wishes to all those reading this, may Christmas bring you all you desire. See you on the other side…

Christmas Eve – Up on Pipe Hill overlooking Lichfield, I had a fiddle with a camera I’d been lent to temporarily replace my beloved TZ20. It’s a Sony Cycbershot, and the controls and menus seemed very awkward to me after years of being used to Panasonic. The results seem a bit random, too, but this seasonal shot of Lichfield, it’s cathedral lit up on the skyline, came out quite well. I don’t think me and the Sony will become friends. Lets see what pops up in the January sales…