June 27th – A few people have remarked to me lately about the landfill site at Highfields South, behind Baron’s Court in Walsall Wood. The operators – Cory Environmental – are actually working to a defined plan here. At the moment, only half the void is full of waste, piled to some height, as you can see. this mound will be monitored, tapped for gas for use in a generator set, and with the weight on top, gradually settle to an agreed level. While this is taking place, waste is dumped in the to he half of the void, and the same process occurs. When the hole is full, the whole lot will be sealed with a layer of marl and topsoil, and parkland planted. The same kind of plan is in operation at the Vigo Landfill, on the other side of the canal. That one is now full, constantly generating electricity from landfill gas, and settling. In a couple of years that too, will be landscaped in public open space.

This is big business. There’s nothing so valuable as  a hole in the ground.

June 27th – I was please to note as I spun past this evening, the formerly closed and shuttered pub The Hatherton Arms, just on the Mellish Road Island in The Butts, Walsall, is showing signs of life. The boards have been removed, the To Let sign has gone, and the place looks occupied. It doesn’t seem open as a pub, though, so we’ll have to see if that’s its destiny. It’s just nice to see it inhabited again.

June 26th – Catshill junction has a complex history. A three-arm junction with roving bridge where the Daw End Canal meets the Wyrley and Essington, it was a major toll point for the canal system. The ‘narrows’ here (there are a pair, a third isn’t needed) were where toll masters in the long gone Tonnage House would record the weights of the boats and their cargoes, and charge accordingly. Now, there are nice footpaths, limpid, soft waters and greenery. It’s a lovely, peaceful spot. As teenagers, we challenged each other to jump the narrows here – not seen anyone do that for a while. 

Overlooking it all is a sculpture, placed here when the towpaths were upgraded in 2007.  Sadly, it’s completely inaccessible to all but the most fearless bushmen, and the fine detail in it is lost from afar. Another bit of ill-judged, pointless public art.

June 26th – Returning home from work, I hopped on the canal. Everything is so green right now – the weather may be generally awful but the plants are having a ball. Overlooking the new pond at Clayhanger, its character has changed again for high summer, should it deign to arrive. The sandy pool is now surrounded by a lush meadow, verdant reed beds and gorgeous, shady trees. A joy. To think a spoil heap once stood here…

June 25th – This handsome, slightly mad-looking and somewhat tame fellow was fishing near Pleck in Walsall when I returned late afternoon. It was a lovely sunny afternoon, and the canal looked great. Everything was so green and lush… and there he stood, amongst it all. He’s clearly used to people and didn’t move until I was 10 feet away from him. A gorgeous bird.

June 24th – I have’t a bloody clue what’s going on here. In one of the four culverts that make up the new dam spillway bridge at Chasewater, someone has piled up the limestone rock ballast into a neat wall. It’s clearly the work of kids – but would have been serious effort, particular bare-handed. It’s oddly admirable, but will have to be removed. Makes you wonder what they could do by applying themselves to something useful…

June 24th – Pottering up to Chasewater for the vintage festival, it turned out a pleasant, warm afternoon, so I had a gentle trundle round the park. It was good to see that after weeks of complaining by concerned wildlife enthusiasts, notices have finally been put up about the Little Ringed Plovers nesting on the shoreline. The delicate, fragile little fellows are often disturbed from their ground nests by dogs and walkers who don’t know they’re there. It seems very difficult to get the park management team – still from Lichfield District Council until 2014 – to do anything much these days. A complete change from previous regimes.

Coming back along the canal, another avian issue: the swan couple, who abandoned their nest of eggs earlier in the year are back. I have no idea what’s going on here, but it’ll sure be interesting to watch…

madoldbaggage:

Thought it was about time I made the effort to document my rides. There have been long periods when I haven’t been out. This has been for various reasons. I don’t like riding in the rain, I didn’t have the target of the charity rides to train for and well, it’s been hard cycling on my own without the prospect of sharing with Aiden. I hadn’t realised just how much the prospect of sharing with Aiden had entered my psyche, become part of my thought process until it was all taken away.

I’m coming to terms with all of that now and feel more able to go out, cycle and just enjoy the ride and have been making more regular forays.

Today I popped down the Walsall Rd to Longwood Bridge, joined the towpath to Park Lime Pits and then rode via Rushall to NCN5, up to Pelsall, around Ryders Mere (very, very wet, muddy and worse) and then up along the old railway track to the canal, through Brownhills and then return to Aldridge. A nice and easy 11.5 miles.

The pedestrian crossing lights at the place where the junction box in Station Rd Rushall used to be have been out of action for quite some months now. Every time I cycle down that way the lights have suffered a little more damage. I’m not holding my breath that they will be repaired soon. Just 20 yards away from the vandalised lights along NCN 5 are the most beautiful sweet peas in full bloom.

The bottom two pictures are taken from the old railway line and are of the same view towards Walsall.

June 23rd – I’m not sure what this is. There’s a shock of it growing on the common at Brownhills, just near the ditch to the south of the A5 Watling Street. I’m seeing lots of similar flowers in hedgerows, but they tend to be at the white/blue end of the spectrum. These are really bold and impressive. Anyone got any ideas, please?