April 28th – Shenstone is a neat and compact village built on the slopes of and around a central hill. On top of this hill stands the imposing structure of Shenstone Church, St. Johns. At this time in the spring, only one church tower is visible, but there are actually two – another, smaller ruined tower from an earlier church still stands, being gently carried to dust by the weather, in a corner of the churchyard.
April 27th – clearly, today was drive like a fuckwit day, and I’d missed the announcement. Why is that on some days, you just feel really uneasy on the road and see a whole traunche of daft road use? Today was one of those.
I was on an early morning commute to work in Redditch – 7:50am on the Smallwood Island. Some duffer in a cream car just stops in the middle of the island. I have no idea why. I check he can’t suddenly floor it and hit me, then get the hell out of there.
A little further on, we see a community transport bus overtake me, only to cut me up turning left. It’s why I hate left hand cycle lanes; they encourage this behaviour. It wasn’t dangerous in this instance, but it’s as irritating as hell.
I was glad to get home this evening.
April 26th – On my return journey, I hopped off the canal at Goscote, and on to National Cycle Network route 5 through the Goscote Valley. There are lots of horses tethered on the grassland here. I noticed this wee chap alsleep in a field nearby.
He’s got cute in shitloads…
April 26th – Tuesday, at a loose end, so I cycled into Birmingham along the canal through Aldridge, Walsall and Great Barr. Stopping for tea and sustenance at the excellent Urban Coffee Co., I picked up a few bits and pieces around town and returned via the canal through the Broad Street area, Smethwick, Great Bridge and Walsall.
I love that journey, and some of the graffiti fascinates me – this odd example was near Perry Barr. There’s clearly a Banksy influence there somewhere.
April 25th – Chesterfield Lodge, a handsome, victorian house just round the corner from Chesterfield itself, in Raikes Lane – is an intriguing place. Now a secluded, tree-shrouded oasis of calm complete with large lake and tennis court, it was once a workhouse. I’ve not been able to find out much about it, but it just goes to show that many buildings have intriguing histories that we may be unaware of…
April 25th – Chesterfield is a lovely little hamlet, just south of the A5 between Wall and Shentone. Standing on the junction of Ashcroft and Raikes lanes, it’s a small, rural idyll where cows still hold up traffic and fascinating houses from several periods give the place an air of permanence and tranquility.
If I have time on my hands, I always take this route back from Lichfield. It’s quiet and beautiful.
April 24th – You can’t just feature one photo of a sunset like that, can you? Chasewater at sunset on a clear day is a real joy. Hardly anyone about, loads of rabbits, bats and birds, only the smell of a grass fire to spoil it…
I undertake the impossible for the ungrateful.
April 24th – an opportunistic return via Chasewater allowed for a good view of the sunset. In the low light, the drained, forlorn reservoir actually looked beautiful.
April 24th – Dull but warm. A trip out to a party in Burntwood, and a chance to speed along the canal to Wharf Lane. The oilseed rape at Lanes Farm is looking good and smelling beautiful.
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