June 22nd – The new council depot on Pelsall Road in Brownhills seems to be fully operational now. Now the days have just started getting shorter, the sight of gritting lorries parked in neat rows and a slowly increasing stock of road salt seems to be an unwelcome reminder of winter.
I just hope that if we get a northerly wind, that tent assemblage is fixed down well…
June 22nd – The renovation and conversion of the Hussey Arms into a Greene King family pub seems to be fairly racing along. The pub is already looking better than it has for years – I just hope they’ve noticed that rickety, tilting chimney and do something about it before it ends up through the roof. Or even on some hapless punter’s head.
June 21st – After a circuit of Chasewater and a good nosey round the largely stalled dam works (security? What security?) I realised it was nearly dark and I only had a back light, so needed to get home quick. The park was deserted save for the odd dog walker, and I’ve always found the innovation centre oddly creepy at night. This shot was taken on timer after standing the camera on a picnic table.
June 21st – A late run out took me to Chasewater along the canal at dusk. If you’ve never walked or ridden the canal from Brownhills to Chasewater, do so as soon as you can. The canal forms a hard boundary between urbanisation to the south and west, and open countryside to the north and east. It’s rare one can see such sharp division, but the waterway is a quiet, winding route punctuated by gorgeous vistas. I never tire of it.
June 20th – I had a number of pictures to choose from from today’s commute, but you can’t beat a good heron. This fellow waited until I was within a couple of feet of him to make his presence known, all feathers and flapping as he rose in panic from the Birchills canal bank. I love everything about herons – their size, their oddly dishevelled appearance, their Heath Robinson looking legs, but mostly, I’m always impressed by their size and unexpected grace in the air. A fine specimen.
June 20th – As the summer progresses, the flowers change. I notice in the last week or so more and more wild roses seem to be in bloom. The delightful cerise blooms were growing amongst the reeds and long grass at the side of the canal near Bentley Bridge, Darlaston.
June 19th – I love Cannock Chase, and I have a special fondness for the Sherbrook Valley. Here’s a condensed run from just by Pye Green, to the car park at Milford Common. this run was quick, and there were few people around. The few cyclists I saw seemed to have very clean bicycles, but then, it is summer, so lots of recent purchases about. This run is on a touring bike with no suspension and thin wheels, not a mountain bike.
The soundtrack is ‘Raining’ by Ancient Beatbox, vocals by Sheila Chandra.
June 19th – Returning via Longdon, I spotted this rooftop I’d never noticed before. It is, apparently, Windmill Cottage, but I know nothing else about it. This is a beautiful view and reminded me of the flatlands of Norfolk. I wonder if it ever was actually a windmill?
Edit June 22nd – Reader Ziksby points out that this was indeed a Winmill. Find out more at Staffordshire Past Track.
June 19th – Rolling up from Milford, over the River Trent, one comes to the delightful village of Tixall. There are several great architectural features here, the Gatehouse, Stables, Pepperpot lodge, church and more than one beautiful home. I like the avenue best; a long, straight, tree-lined lane terminating in a lovely little observatory overlooking the Trent Valley and Shugborough Estate.
England doesn’t get much better than this.
June 19th – First decent long ride in some time saw me shoot 45 miles over the Chase, with a particularly exhilarating run down the Sherbrook Valley from Pye Green to Milford (video coming later). I started by checking out the honeybee swarm I’d noticed a few days before. To my surprise, they were still there. Less dozy now, clearly with purpose, they were defensive and busy. They appeared more organised and seemed to be dragging vegetation into their seething, humming morass. This is fascinating me.
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