December 11th – As the grey, damp days and dark nights wind on, it’s hard finding colour in the world, and it can be hard to keep this thing positive – but it’s not hard at all when you spot things as lovely as these polyanthus, recently planted at Telford station, which seem to be blooming just in time for Christmas.

I was making a flying visit at lunchtime, and the journey was long and fraught – but these cheered me on no end.

December 10th – A photo I’ve wanted a crack at for a while, and will return to with a different camera, I think.

The twin sisters of Wednesbury, at night, from Kings Hill. This is a fantastic sight and I’m not sure how best to capture it. There’s something really warm, cosy and maybe even a little Christmassy about the lights, the houses, the skyline and somnambulant colours. 

The Black Country often isn’t conventionally beautiful – but the beauty it does display is breathtaking and unique. How I love this place.

December 9th – In Darlaston itself, a reminder of the great architecture present in this underrated town. Darlaston Police Station is a beautiful building, more ornate than any police station I’ve seen. It scans foursquare in a quiet, tree-lined side street overlooking Victoria Park.

On this chill winter morning, the low sun through the trees make me stop and take a good look.

If you’ve never visited Darlaston, please do. It’s a wonderful, unassuming place, full of gems like this.

December 9th – A better day today, for sure. For starters, it was dry, sunny and cooler – it felt like a real winter was coming. We’re getting really close now to the winter solstice and the start of the opening out – yet we’ve barely had a true frosty morning. This year has been odd.

I was further cheered to note that at James Bridge, on the Walsall/Darlaston border, the hard work by planning enforcement officers and the Environment Agency has led to the clearing of the mess here on the field next to the River Tame. It had been in use as a store for general building materials and assorted debris, apparently without planning approval. The whole site looked a mess and seemed to be little more that a glorified fly-tip. 

The site isn’t completely clear yet, although it’s much, much improved. It’s good to see action to remove the blight and a possible source of pollution to the recovering river.

Nice work. Thank you.

December 8th – A grim day in which everything went wrong, including leaving home with a flat camera. At work, I recharged it, but I left for home in steady rain and got as far as High Heath before I felt motivated to use it.

Today, the ride in had been dogged by wind and a mechanical issue, work itself had been a succession of protracted difficulties and conflicts, and the ride home was wet and I was without waterproofs. I stopped in a deserted, wet Green Lane, this desolate view is exactly how I felt.

Tomorrow will be better. It has to be.

December 7th – Another fine commute on a dry but windy morning, and again, it felt warmer than it should. Victoria Park in Darlaston is gorgeous at this time of year; it’s contours, slopes and features – including the remarkable footbridge – look wonderful in the low winter sunlight.

A fantastic place that’s well worth a visit.

December 6th – A late spin around Chasewater, and the railway caught my eye. Finished for the day, the carriages were left on the platform for cleaning and the engine in the sidings further over towards the shed. I loved the light, the open doors and the gathering dusk. There was a real atmosphere of abandonment, as if everyone had just disappeared in some 1950s rush hour sic-fi movie.

I was lucky to catch this.