December 31st – Sometimes, you come across a scene by chance that’s really, oddly, uniquely beautiful, and in a really unexpected place. On the footbridge between Poole Cresccent and Chasewater, over the M6 toll, a street light shines through the safety cage. I’ve never noticed it before. It’s like a portal. It fascinated me.

31st December – A few folk have noticed these two wreaths tied to the central barrier on the Miner Island in Brownhills. Fellow local blogger Warren Parry asked about them yesterday, and I said I’d check them out. Passing today, they appear to have no labels. I have no idea what they’re relating to. 

Can anyone help? A small, sad mystery. 

December 30th – I’d been going stir crazy, and the weather was more or less OK when I set out. I went round Chasewater, then up through Hednesford and up onto the Chase. Birches Valley was packed with people, dogs and bikers, despite the drizzle and wind, and so I doubled back up Penkridge Bank to Rifle Range Corner and on to Abrahams Valley for peace, quiet and a chance to do some badger watching in the dusk. Heading back on the A51, I surveyed the floodplains of the Trent. The wind blew me to Rugeley, and over to Breretonhill; but fought me all the way home to Brownhills. A great ride, but the weather was hell.

Hopefully, conditions will steadily improve now.

December 30th – I think I was a little over optimistic in wondering if Chasewater would be totally full by new year, but I guess it’s only got 18 inches or so to go. It’ll be interesting to see if the authorities allow water to overtop the new weir into the spillway, or if they open the drain sluice before that point. 

There’s no doubting, however, that the lake is back to it’s old self, and the now the wildlife should recover well. There are already huge nightly gull roosts, and the waterfowl seem happy. This has been an incredible process to witness, and I’m glad I documented it in a small way.

For those interested in such things, the phone camera isn’t bad in the right conditions – this was taken on the phone.

December 29th – It all went a bit Pete Tong. I left home late – the weather had again been dismal – in the dark, and had somewhere to be, and very limited time. Bereft of inspiration, I headed up to the A5. The wind and drizzle were vile, truly vile, and then I realised I’d forgotten my camera. This left me with the task of attempting night photography, without a tripod I could use, on a phone camera. Great.

As it happened, it wasn’t too bad; I got reasonable results with the rail plant yard at Newtown, and some Christmas lights on a house near Deakin Avenue. Then home beckoned. I spotted the flood at the top of the Black Path too late. Wonderful.

Actually, huge parts of Holland Park were under water. Is this rain ever going to stop? I returned home, sodden and grim, cursing my forgetfulness.

December 28th – Take one large pit mound. Leave it in the northwest corner of Chasewater, then landscape it. Plonk a bench on top. Then wait for a bored, bedraggled cyclist to pedal up it in the dark. 

Here, I experimented with long exposure photographs again. I was looking for something interesting, but the wind and rain were a problem. As I returned, I tried the same over the Swag pool, towards Norton.

None of these have been doctored, and exposures varied between 1.6 and 5 seconds. Quite pleased, really.

December 28th – Another grey, wet day. I’ve never known the weather quite so bad. I almost feel cheated out of my holiday – haven’t been on a single long, decent ride yet…

I spent a lot of time at Chasewater this afternoon. The weather was windy and squally, and the water level still increases. The last time I looked – Tuesday, Christmas day, it stood at 8cm on the lower scale. Since then, it’s recede 98cm on the upper scale. That’s a 10cm increase, another four inches. Just to tot that up, that’s 18 inches in 8 days and 24 inches – 2 feet – since december 16th, 12 days ago. That is one huge volume of water pouring into the feeders and watercourses that top up Chasewater. That’s one hell of a lot of rain. I’d say there’s only a couple of feet to go now, maybe less: The main lake is only an inch or so from joining with the Nine-foot through the new bridge.

Sorry to keep harping on, but this is historic stuff. I have never, ever experienced a season this wet.

December 27th – A short, cold and damp ride at teatime took me, somewhat unusually, into Walsall Wood and Aldridge. I don’t normally cycle this way, as I loathe Salters Road and Northgate for the narrowness and madness of the traffic. Today, though, it was calm in the mid-holiday period lull. As I passed the Fire Station, I reflected on the folk working there, on shift, waiting for a shout. They’ve been ready to leap in those engines all Christmas. People have been manning this station continually for years, holidays, bad weather, you name it. All just to protect us. They’re wonderful folks.

December 26th – It was more like Christmas weather, really. It was sunny and clear when I headed out, and I enjoyed a bustling, crowded Chasewater. Heading to Lichfield, the rain arrived, and I spent a couple of hours testing my waterproofs. The, as quickly as it came, the rain stopped, the skies cleared and there was a respectable sunset. At Hints, the ford was tranquil in the dusk, and the ancient tumulus of Crow’s Castle made for an impressive silhouette.