September 21st – The madness of crowds. On my way through Brum, I’d heard there was an event for cyclists up in Victoria Square. Sadly, I was too late for the free pastries, but I did meet a nice fellow cyclist or two, which was rather nice. Heading back down through the city centre I was bemused by the huge queue snaking its way up New Street from out of the Bullring Shopping Centre. Then I twigged: It was iPhone launch day. I’m an Apple nerd myself, but I’d draw the line at that.
I can remember waiting on launch day for the iPhone in Lichfield, but there were five of us. I did that for the experience, and never again. I guess many of these folk are hoping to pick up a couple of units to sell on. Strange days indeed.

September 20th – On my return from Shenstone, tired and feeling down, I noticed that the trees along Lynn Lane were turning colour, and everything, including the surrounding, freely ploughed fields, was looking very autumnal. The colder, shorter days are coming now, and it’s hard to feel positive. I hate the nights closing in.

September 20th – A busy, draining day. I had urgent and unexpected stuff to attend to in Redditch, so headed out early. Expecting a quiet journey, it was horrid, and the task I had to undertake didn’t go smoothly either. At 11:30am, I left Redditch and had to go to Tyseley, so to get a bit of perspective I cycled up the Arrow Valley cycle route back to Redditch Station. It’s interesting how, even in this most unusual of years, some things have prospered. One of those things is hawthorn. Everywhere I go, hedgerows and trees are laden with deep red berries. Some say this is the sign of nature preparing for a hard winter.

The fruits themselves are edible but quite bland, and not actually berries at all; they are pomes, the same structure and type of fruit as apples. Haws are said to have health and fertility promoting properties, and can be used to make wine or jams. Birds love them, and will survive on this plentiful, sugar-laden bounty during the long months of winter.

September 19th – I wasn’t feeling lucky, but it seemed fortune was on my side. I came back to Walsall on the train, and rain ominously flecked the windows. Emerging into the light, the rain – which I was dreading, with no waterproofs – hadn’t reached Walsall. I raced home, the sky to the north east getting darker and darker. Arriving home dry, I was feeling rather smug… But as it happened, the threatening skies never delivered, so I was safe after all.

September 19th – Off to Tyseley, and stood on Moor Street Station in Birmingham, I looked through the railings back towards Masshouse, and the edge of Eastside. Not many folk realise that Moor Street Station actually sits on a bridge over the approaches to New Street Station, so this may one day be the location of a new Birmingham central transport interchange. I was struck by the state of this area in terms of architecture and regeneration. Caught between dereliction and rebirth, the shiny new blocks contrast jarringly with the boarded up buildings nearby. With the recent change in control at Birmingham City Council, hopefully the indecisive hiatus that stalled development of Eastside for over a decade will end.

September 18th – Another reason to like Leicester is the railway station. Recently refurbished, it’s full of thoughtful features, and has twice the number of ticket machines as Birmingham New Street, which says much. The front concourse has been totally reconstructed, and features some clever and unique bike parking – although there clearly isn’t enough of it.
This is a wonderful solution, and the whole lot is under CCTV watch with it’s own camera. the BTP also plant tracker-fitted bikes here to catch thieves.  Sadly, though, the mechanics of the stands seem to have baffled one punter…
Well done to the designers – nice job. Love it. 

September 18th – I spent a good 45 minutes spinning around the backstreets, just taking in the architecture. I’ve never really seen a place as wonderfully diverse as this. Buildings here variously remind me of Leeds, Clifton, Brighton and Cheltenham. The area seems to have a genuine air of community, too. Leicester is great, and very underrated. 

September 18th – Today, I visited Leicester. Not my usual haunt, I was up in a different part of the city. On my way, I passed through the melting pot that in North Everington and Spinney Hills. Here, there are folk of every culture and ethnicity imaginable. Asians, South East Asians, Africans, Arabs, Europeans. I saw cars with not just UK number plates, but Polish, Latvian, Irish and Lithuanian. The streets are busy with shoppers, students, kids, folk going about their everyday business. This place is buzzing, and has the frantic air of commerce one gets in all such places – the Edgware Road in London, say, or the Soho Road in Brum. What makes this spot different is the architecture. From factories to churches, mosques to terraces, there exists an incredible diversity of styles and adornments. Towers, bays, pediments and porches. All overlooked by the hillside park. Beautiful.

September 17th – This is a summer tradition that’s been hit by the weather. All through the growing season (and into autumn, usually), throughout rural Britain the traveller will see trestle tables of surplus fruit or veg, with an honesty box for payment. I’ve seen very few this year, which is sad, as they’re a lovely tradition. I’ve purchased everything from these roadside stalls, from cucumbers to windfallen cooking apples, from tomatoes to plums. With the weather badly affecting the growing this year, the only stall I’ve seen has been this one of runner beans, in Main Street, Stonnall. Here’s to a better year in 2013.