BrownhillsBob

July 1st – There’s currently controversy raging in the principality about the replacement of York’s Bridge by the Fingerpost pub for a new one. Considering the project a stalking horse for open casting on Pelsall North Common, the residents of Pelsall are becoming uncharacteristically excitable. Apparently this dull, narrow, rickety canal crossing with no footpath is variously ‘picturesque’. ‘perfectly fit for purpose’ and has ‘nothing whatsoever wrong with it’. The scrapes on the parapet walls attest otherwise…

June 30th – Unusually in mid summer, a night ride. Returning from a drink in Rushall, I returned via Green Lane, Walsall Wood, to see if there were any owls, badgers, bats or deer about. Plenty of bats, but other fauna evaded me. The Black Cock bridge is a notorious feature of the area formerly known as Bullens Heath, being steep, rickety and narrow. It looks even more forbidding at night.

June 30th – Thursday took me into the Black Country. Returning via King’s Hill Park, making a call at the hated PC World in Axletree Way, I took a spin down Franchise Street. I noticed that the view from the town end was wonderful, across rooftops to St. Matthews, Walsall and beyond to Paddock. Tameway Tower is also prominent. The sixties were cruel to Walsall, very cruel indeed.

June 29th – Nipping to Aldridge later that day (I cruise through all the posh places dontchaknow), I took the canal up through Walsall Wood. As summer advances, the floral pallet changes. The hedgerows and wasteland are now full of beautiful white bindweed, or Creeping Jenny as it’s sometimes known. Although considered a weed by most, I love the ivory white flowers and variety of bugs they attract.

June 29th – Popping into Pelsall for a spot of lunch whilst running a few errands (the border security at the principality is clearly suffering budget cuts of late, I entered unchallenged), I spotted this highly unusual bike parked outside the bookies in the High Street. It’s a Christiana cargo bike. These Danish utility bikes are a common feature of continental life, along with their competitor Bakfiets. Such bikes can carry a huge load and are often used to transport kids to school. It’s very unusual to see one in the UK and I’d love to know who owns this fine steed, why they chose it and what they do with it. A fine thing indeed.

June 28th – Taking a shortcut through Wall to the A5… a little-known byway called Back Lane runs from Wall Lane to Market lane. Normally clear, an irrigation pipe now crosses it barring normal traffic. It’s now beautifully overgrown with grass nearly 3 feet high. On my right is a field of broad beans. On Market Lane, I gently pass the parked car blocking the top of Roman Walk and into Wall Butts. A lovely summer run on a fully loaded bike that rolls downhill well….

The soundtrack is the beautiful ‘Letter to Bowie Knife’ by Calexico.

June 28th – In stark contrast to the busy main lines of Leicester, the South Staffordshire line near Lichfield lies silent, mothballed, and slowly decaying. The last trains to trip this forlorn crossing at Fosseway, near Wall, would have been oil trains to the the long since gone Charringtons terminal at Anglesey Sidings. I wonder if these barriers will ever descend for passenger traffic again? A sad indication of the lack of transport vision in the country.

June 28th – Back in Leicester for a meeting, early morning. Returning at lunchtime, I sat waiting with my bike for what seemed like an age at the barren, lonely South Wigston station. I’m by no means a train anorak, but I’m interested in the different things that pass. This bright yellow Plasser & Theurer rail grinder waited at distant signals for 10 minutes before rolling noisily past. The thunder is still quite awesome.

June 27th – On my way to work, I stopped on the Ring Road by the Leather Museum in Walsall for the pedestrian crossing. On this bright, T-shirt and sandals warm summers day, a breath of Copenhagen sailed gently and confidently over the crossing. A relaxed, normally dressed cycling mum, bag slung casually over her shoulder with a content, happy child in a seat behind her. No silly closthes, no fear, just casual young woman out on her daily business.

Lovely to see.

27th June – Of all the flowers taking part in the riot of summer colour right now, my heart is stolen mostly by the vetch that grows on verges and field margins, forming a thick, yellow, orange and red carpet of vivid, joyous colour. When I was a kid, we used to call this delicate but hardy plant ‘Egg & Bacon’. I think it’s gorgeous.

This fine example is proliferating on the embankments to the cycle tack through the Goscote Valley. A fine sight indeed.