April 21st – I was still doing short test runs come sundown, when passing the site of Sid Cohen’s transport cafe on Shire Oak Hill I noticed I’d just missed a beautiful sky. I’m always sad when that happens, as you never really know when you’ll get a good sunset again.

It was very cold and whilst spring this year is sunny, bright and dry, I’m getting fed up of the cold and distinctly harsh winds. As soon as the sun goes in it’s bitterly cold.

It’s like the season’s been delivered, but a vital component to put it all together is missing…

April 21st – Spent some downtime doing mechanical things on the bikes and then went for a test spin up to Chasewater. On the way, I noted that Mrs. Miuscovy, who escaped her domestic flock over 12 months previously, was still thriving on the canal despite her singular and peculiar habit of rarely moving from the towpath and adjacent patch of canal.

She’s a fascinating and resilient bird, and considering her fellow escapee was fox lunch soon after escape, the Newtown One’s survival is remarkable and to be commended.

A daring and delightfully eccentric duck.

April 20th – Further on, Clayhanger Common is greening over a treat: the bench by the canal overlooking the new pond is once more watching over a sea of verdant green, and the pear tree there is in blossom, too. 

Near the canal overflow, the foliage and creeper archway over the desire path onto the common there has delightfully regrown this year, and that makes me happy. It’s a lovely accidental feature of the common I don’t think anyone’s noticed much.

Spring, you’re so welcome…

April 20th – A better day, recovered now. Returning home on the canal near Aldridge, I noticed the swallows are coming into bloom. These green, spiky flowers will in turn turn into seed heads, and spread fluff over the area, irritating noses and car enthusiasts alike. A relative of the willow, they’re fascinating plants with a stunning seeding method.

April 19th – A tired commute and weary day at work as a result of the exertions of the previous day, and I had the camera stuck on some poncey ‘artistic’ mode so all the photos came out unusable, except this one: Passing the former Boat pub at Bentley Bridge, Darlaston green, I noted it was finally razed.

The demolition has been long and protracted as contractors stripped carefully anything of worth from the decaying building.

Good to see such care taken to reclaim the materials, but the overwhelming feeling of sadness at the loss of a one popular pub remains.

A small, encapsulated tragedy and tale for our times.

April 18th – The Churnet Valley is beautiful – no ifs and no buts – it’s like Staffordshire’s equivalent of the Loire Valley. Featuring a canal, a river, a preserved steam railway, a castle, several beautiful villages and steep, beautiful slopes, the reason it’s generally overlooked is because it contains Alton Towers, the theme park people seem to come to without visiting Dimminsdale or any of the other beautiful places here.

The old Flint Mill at Cheddleton is stunning.

The castle is now a school and religious retreat, an is extraordinary. 

The Churnet Valley does, however, eat cyclists. The 16% and 17% hills in and out of the valley between Oakamoor and Froghall nearly finished me.

But I have to come back.

April 18th – It was a beautiful but tough ride. Only 91 miles, so shorter than a usual dayride, but with over 2000m of vertical climb. I came from Macclesfield to Sutton Common, looped through Allgreave to Wildboarclough, then back to Wincle. Through Bearda to Gun, then down to Meerach and Tittesworth. After Lunch, back through Leek, then onto the Caldon Canal into the Churnet Valley. 

From the end of the canal at Froghall, out of the valley and back in to Oakamoor, along Dimminsdale to Alton then the cycle trail to Denstone, and home via Uttoxeter and Armitage.

It was a great ride – including the beautiful purple cowslips are Bearda, but it was exhausting. That was a hard journey and no mistake.

April 18th – I took the train to Macclesfield, and rode back. If the cycling game is to be upped this year, challenging rides are required, and this one was at the very limits of my cycling ability.

On my way, I visited Sutton Common, the Cold War microwave transmission station in the same series as Cannock’s Pye Green. Meaning to visit for years, I climbed to the peak of the hill at 403m to see it, and was rewarded with stunning vies of Macclesfield, Manchester and The Wirral, as well as the Roaches and Dane Valley.

It was a great day, sunny, but again, so cold. Look out for ride videos coming soon on my main blog.

April 17th – When I set out, I wasn’t feeling the love; the afternoon was grey and cold and I really couldn’t detect a good ride in me. I was heading for cake at Fradley in an attempt to lift my mood. It worked.

The day didn’t warm any, but it became sunny, and I found myself pulled along the cycleway through Barton and Dunstall, crossing Sinai Park to Burton.

Burton was gorgeous – I forgot the Ferrybridge and extraordinary River Gardens; this is a very beautiful place. 

Seeing the commercial deer herd at Dunstall was nice, and the oilseed rape and avenue at Sbobnall made me feel so much better.

Returning in the gathering dusk, I was heartened to see work had been going on at the long vacant Drakelow power station site and it’s now home to a 5MW solar power farm, feeding straight into the national grid.

A positive, beautiful ride I wasn’t expecting.