Author: BrownhillsBob

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

August 4th – Heading back home, having avoided the promised rain all day, I stopped at Moat Bank, on the A461 near Muckley Corner, to look at the old canal bridge. This was one of the three bridges over the now disused Lichfield and Hatherton Canal between Shire Oak and Lichfield. One was at the Boat Inn, near Summerhill, and gave that pub it’s name. This was the second, and the third was a double bridge with the railway at Pipe Hill. This particular canal arm – now subject to a lengthy and sustained campaign for reopening – linked Ogley Junction, at Brownhills, with the mainline at Huddlesford, Near Whittington. It was a tortuous journey with many locks, the remnants of one can be seen here in the undergrowth.

I wish the enthusiasts working to restore the line well. It’s a huge task.

August 4th – Nuneaton Station is a lovely interchange. I really don’t mind being there at all – good lifts, decent coffee shop, clean and tidy. Certainly one of my preferred stations, and when visiting Leicester, I change trains here. Have to say though, that’s one of the most horrific public murals I’ve ever seen. It’s vicious. Careful now, it’ll have your eye out…

August 3rd – Pushing my bike across the Bridge pedestrianised zone in Walsall, at about 5pm on a Wednesday. A cycle cop is dawdling here, clearly riding their bicycle in a pedestrian zone. How ca we seriously expect the police to enforce the cycle prohibition here if they ignore it themselves? Yobs cycling down Park Street is a serious problem, which, as a responsible cyclist, I expect them to deal with.

This really annoys me.  I expect them to set an example. I’m ready for the rash of excuses you normally get for complaining about such things… considering I was once threatened with a fixed penalty ticket for sitting astride my bike whilst using a cashpoint in Cannock, bring it on.

August 3rd – Walsall Council seem surprised that the new Tesco hypermarket on Wisemore isn’t leading a regeneration of the town, and instead, seems to be sucking the life out of it. It’s obvious really. As this view from in front of the bus station shows, Tesco couldn’t give a toss about the town. The entire store has been built to face the new ring road, helpfully constructed by the council to deliver shoppers to the retail behemoth and take them away again without ever having to interact with the rest of the town. They haven’t even been bothered enough to put a sign on the rear of the building. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a development where contempt for the host community has ever been so wilfully incorporated in the design.

Presumably, the planning committee looked at the design and thought ‘Yeah, that looks OK.’. Bewildering.

August 3rd –  The twin churches of Wednesbury are a landmark for miles around. This view is iconic to me, and one I always remember when thinking of the Black Country. It’s a surprisingly hilly area, are there are many such spots throughout the conurbation, but none with such an old-world, English feel to them. I keep saying it, but man, I love this place.

August 2nd – Coming through Shelfield on my way home, my attention was snagged by the sound of an engine being over-revved. In the distance, I saw the snap of a large Transit hand coming fast in the opposite direction. Sensing the danger, I pulled up. The driver was driving so fast that when he crossed the speed bump near the Four Crosses Junction, there was a loud bang as the vehicle grounded.

I can only assume he was late for tea. Such speed is unnecessary on such residential roads. I’m looking on Darwinism to sort this one out.

August 2nd – Today, on the way home, I was stricken by the P*nct*r* fairy. I get relatively few (touches wood carefully) such incidents – maybe 3 in every 3,000 miles or so – because I use a very tough brand of tyre by Schwalbe – Marathon Plus. On the workhorse bike, it’s 26×1.75 Marathon Plus Tour, and on the others, it 700×28 Marathon Plus. They contain kevlar bands to prevent thorns and spikes cutting through the tire and other defensive measures. They’re quite heavy, and probably don’t roll as well as the strips of liquorice the racing boys use, but if you’re below Cavendish level, you’ll never notice the difference.

Correct inflation will prevent punctures, no matter what the brand of tyre. Always check your pressures.

This bike has hub gears and taking the back wheel out is a pain in the arse, and I swore heartily at it in the centre of town. Cursing my bad luck, I found not a puncture, but the heat had lifted an old patch, deflating the tyre. That’ll teach me to be a tightarse.

August 1st – The canal looks odd at the moment. This phenomena occurs two or three times a year, and people often comment mistakenly believing this film to be pollution of some sort. In this case, it’s fibrous matter shed from nearby plants, but can be anything from airborne pollen to seeds. In areas of high boat traffic, it often gives the water a swirly, stripy appearance.