May 4th – A gorgeous, but windy, summer evening. Still taking it gently due to the sore ribs, I took a gentle run out through Brownhills to Chasewater, then back along the canal. The blackcurrant blossom at Home Farm was gorgeous, and my favourite tree is coming into leaf, at last, a sure sign of impending summer.

The Water level at Chasewater has been lowered to around 200mm – 8 inches off maximum, and the valve closed. I find this interesting; the overflow over the poor weather period was clearly to stress-test the dam, and presumably, it’s passed. It will be intrigued to see if they allow it to overflow on a regular basis – to irrigate to spillway wetland – or if this was a rare event.

A fine evening’s ride.

May 3rd – Spotted in the dusk, swans nesting. Frantically busy in the dusk, they’re on a mission to obey their biological imperative. Their nest is just in front of the Watermead estate in Brownhills, 20 yards of so from the canoe centre. 

That’ll make for an interesting introduction to birdlife for some young canoeist…

May 3rd – This is an interesting one. Just by the Pelsall Road bridge in Brownhills, a lovely bed of daffodils, tulips and other spring flowers, where once there was just grass. The odd thing is that the triangle forming the bed is inaccessible, except by boat, or maybe by ladder from the road above.

Ingenious, perplexing and lovely. Beautiful.

May 3rd – As I spun around the canals at dusk to get some exercise and food in, I noticed there were a lot of narrowboats moored up – I passed at least 5 that weren’t regulars. I guess it must be the sudden onset of good weather and a holiday weekend. It was chilly, but the air was clear and hard, and in the dying light, living aboard one didn’t seem like a bad idea.

May 2nd – Spring is on her throne at last. In bud, in bloom, in leaf. Everywhere – from the glorious crimson tulips at Telford Central Station to the cottage gardens and shady tracks of Stonnall. Could be a tad warmer, but the sun and relatively still air is welcomed by all except my hay fever. But that’s a price well worth paying.

Spring, welcome, come in. Stay awhile, and bring your friend Summer with you, please. Didn’t see much of either of you last year…

May 1st – Welcome back to the old Oak Park bowling green. This old, neglected facility – overlooked by the bright, perfect club green in the middle-distance – has been a pond since at least last November. Now spring is here, and drier weather, it’s drained and the grass is growing again. 

It’s sad that nobody seems to care for this once pristine public space.

April 30th – I see someone has been busy renewing all the footpath signs around Jockey Meadows and Coppice Woods off Green Lane, Walsall Wood, which is great. The new ones are lovely wooden jobs, well made. Excellent stuff.

I notice they make a specific and accurate distinction between public footpaths and permissive footpaths. This difference in status is crucially important and sadly little understood by many walkers.

Nice to see this – wonder how far the signage extends?