May 1st – A couple of unusual cats noticed while visiting Middleton Hall and returning via the canal and Tamworth. The black and white puss nervously observed me from the scrub as I crossed the old quarry. Miles from anywhere, I couldn’t help wondering if he was feral. Certainly not into people, but it looked in good condition, maybe the side effect of living in a bird sanctuary…

The other cat looked genuinely like it might steal my soul. Clearly a pedigree with huge ears and a remarkable coat, it was eating scraps left out for it on a canalside patio. It seemed more fox than cat, to be honest.

I guess it’s momma loves it, but I found it quite haunting.

May 1st – Today, I did something I’d been meaning to do for years – I paid a visit to Balleny Green, a little-known narrow gauge railway layout run by Sutton Coldfield Model Engineering Society at Little Hay, between Lichfield and Sutton Coldfield.

I’ve known this place was here for years, but never caught it open. This time, I made a concerted effort to find out when it was a ‘steam up day’ and popped in.

This was just so English. No entry fee. No charges to ride. Just a bunch of people sharing their love of a fascinating, beautifully engineered hobby in the middle of rolling countryside in gorgeous grounds.

There is a long layout consisting of several tracks – including a miniature one – but on the larger one, which interestingly is dual gauge – passengers sit in or on carriages and are conveyed by small locomotives – today one steam, one electric – through tunnels, over junctions, level crossings, past ponds, signals, signal boxes. It’s gorgeous.

The whole thing is clearly a labour of love.

There were no other attractions, and none were needed: tea and biscuits, and a tin for donations to cover running costs.

All right here on the doorstep, and few know about it. A wonderful thing.

Find out more about Balleny Green at their website here. I’d like to thank the members for a beautiful, life-affirming thing.

April 30th – Heading back to Brownhills I crossed Catshill Junction and noted that whilst it was hello spring and green leaves for me, the emergence of foliage meant goodbye daylight for the unfortunate residents of the new flats where Bailey House used to stand.

The failure of the landlords – Walsall Housing Group – and the Canal and River Trust to at least agree a management plan for this scrub is baffling to me. It must adversely affect the residents, and destroys what would be a decent view for them.

Meanwhile, the sculpture placed at Catshill Junction when the towpaths were refurbished in the same scrub is being enveloped once more.

I find it baffling that no plan for this, or better placement of the sculpture, wasn’t worked out by the developers. It’s a genuine and real failure.

April 30th – Worst bank holiday weekend weather-wise I can remember for a while. Bad Bank Holiday weather is a cliche in the UK, but recent years have generally been decent for most of them; this weekend has been cold, grey and periodically showery and not very springlike at all.

I popped up to Walsall Wood on an errand late afternoon. It was reasonably still, and spring is showing it’s colours and freshness beautifully, it’s just a shame the sun and warmth haven’t made it here yet…

April 29th – I couldn’t resist hopping over to Silver Street and checking out the canal view at night, also a familiar winter haunt. I adore this spot at night, and things are changing here now; soon, houses will be built on the old market place, and much of the empty feeling here at night will disappear.

I love the urbanity of this place at night; the combination of steel, water, hard surfaces and sodium and LED light. This spot confirms to me continuously that there is indeed beauty in the most mundane of situations, not matter how plain we might consider them. 

You just need the right time, the right angle, and an open mind.

April 29th – I’d been out for a ride late in the afternoon and returned when night had fallen. On a frankly uninspiring photographic day, I spotted Morris, the Brownhills Miner as I came back through town.

I never liked the mix of white and blue lights they chose to illuminate this remarkable sculpture with, but now some of them have burnt out, the lighting looks a lot better: less operating theatre harsh and more industrial darkness, as if Morris was being lit by the ghost light of the welds that created him.

Still love every single stainless steel segment of him (and there are hundreds – just look!)

April 28th – On my return, I needed fresh air so shot out around the canal and common at dusk.

It was one of those evenings when the sky was a sort of luminous blue, and it was really quite still.

I love how eerie the canal and particularly the old cement works bridge at the Slough is at this time of day. Just the tonic after a very hectic day.

April 28th – I had business in Walsall’s and Birmingham, but had to pop to Walsall Wood first in the morning, The junction was obstructed at Anchor Bridge, so I got off to cross the road on foot, and in the process, noted a familiar classic Brownhills view – usually a muse of mine in night time, it’s looking fine in it’s daytime spring green overcoat.

Summer must be coming!

April 27th – Also near Stonnall, a classic spring view: cottages at Mill Lane, Lynn surrounded by an ocean of bright yellow oilseed rape, the cheesy scent of which is filling the air in the backlanes at the moment.

It’s still way too cold, but the countryside is showing itself beautifully.