June 12th – An awful commute from a weather point of view. The wind was dreadful in the morning, and the rain caught me on my return. I only took photos in Tyseley, in a rainstorm. Everything was wet; the station, the commuters, the trains. I felt miserable, and didn’t enjoy the journey at all – yet strangely, the Tyseley photos have an odd, lonely kind of charm.

It’s difficult to love the weather this week.

June 11th – What goes up… must come down. It’s been a few years now that we’ve had two TV masts at Sutton Coldfield. Normally just one, the second was erected before the digital switchover, to act as a temporary stand-in while the main one was increased in height and re-equipped for the digital age. The upgraded transmitter has now been functional for 12 months or so, and the substitute – built on the foundation of an older one – is being dismantled.

To achieve this, a crane beam is bolted to the penultimate section, the upper being unbolted. When it’s free, the upper part is lifted clear, swung around 90 degrees, and lowered to the ground.The technicians who work up there have balls of steel, and very large pay packets.  they deserve every penny.

June 11th – Back in Tyseley, and a change in the weather; it was dark and overcast, but rather warm as I dashed to the station. The changeable weather was reflected in the view of Birmingham City Centre from the railway bridge. Patches of light, and dark, dark clouds, threatening rain. I love this view, and everything it contains; it is Birminghame for me. The train tracks, trees, transmission towers and pub clock, giving way to office block and skyscraper.

Birmingham is a patchwork.

June 10th – Cycling over to the supermarket in Burntwood, I surprised this lady grazing on the scrub on the Sportway, which just goes to show that even at 4pm on a bright, sunny day it’s important to be vigilant for red deer on the Chasetown Bypass and other roads around the heaths of our area. Visibly annoyed with me for disturbing her lunch, she looked at me scornfully, then trotted off casually towards the rugby pitch. A wonderful sight.

June 10th – A day of pottering around on errands and short journeys, during which I spotted these lovely huge poppies growing in the hedgerow in Hall Lane, Walsall Wood. They look too large to be native, and think they must be garden escapees. But whatever their origin, they’re very, very beautiful. A joy to the heart.

June 9th – Sad to note that like other towers in the backbone microwave network, Turner’s Hill mast in Rowley Regis is looking very bare now. The BT Tower in Birmingham now has next to no antenna on it, and No Man’s Heath and Pye Green are also looking sparse too. Turner’s Hill has only a few left, and like the others, are symbolic monuments to a past communications era, a lapsed cold war and the increasing ubiquity of the internet. I loved these installations, they fascinate and haunt me, but like so much cold war technology, their time has now gone.

June 9th – An odd little bridge on a bend in the Wyrley and Essington Canal at Wednesfield. Faced in roughcast and painted salmon pink, Devils Elbow Bridge is curious on a number of levels, not least the peculiar name. One would imagine it’s due to the bend in the canal. Anyone got any ideas?

June 8th – From Lichfield, out to Croxall, Edingale, Harlaston and back via Hopwas. The countryside is a riot of colour and biordsong right now. The meadows are stunning with dandeliions and buttercups, oilseed rape in still flowering strongly, and all the fresh foliage glows in the sunshine.

I love the view of the wind turbine from Huddlesford: such a graceful machine.

June 8th -A sunny, but windy summer afternoon. I headed out to Lichfield and the east Staffordshire plains, but on the way, I stopped to take a look around Chasewater. I haven’t seen so many little boats on the water for years, and it was great to see. Both the sailing club and watersports club were busy on the water. So different to this time last year, when there was still very little water in the reservoir. A fine thing indeed.

June 7th – The new wakeboard facility seems to be undergoing testing at Chasewater – at least, the first line is now up and in use. I hope this will bring folk to Chasewater, and it certainly looks like fun. I’m actually surprised at how unobtrusive it is, really, considering the fuss some folk made about it. Had hoped the pier would be in for a bit more TLC than it seems to have received, but it’s still nice to see it in use again.

I wish the operators well in their new venture. Welcome to Chasewater, folks!