September 20th – I was worried for this spiny chap I spotted in Festival Gardens, Lichfield when I rode past on my way to the canal festival at Huddlesford.
He was active, and only froze when I approached, so I think he was OK. He seemed large and generally in good health, so I assumed he’d been disturbed. I checked for him only return a couple of hours later, and he’d gone.
First I’ve seen for a long while. Bless the poor hedgehogs, they are having a hard time in recent years.
September 19th – I darted between villages in the borderlands of the plains of east Staffordshire – Coton, Lullington, Netherseal, Chilcote, No Mans Heath, Syercote, Wigginton. The weather and light were gorgeous. The riding was fast and easy.
Really surprised to see juicy, sweet strawberries still ripening in Chilcote’s polytunnels, and Ladybird Cottage in Netherseal was a gem I’d not spotted before.
Honey Hill, at the furthest eastern outpost of Staffordshire, was as demanding to cycle as ever, but the climb is always rewarded with beautiful views.
A wonderful ride on a fantastic day.
September 19th – I was wrong when I said last week must be summer’s last breath; we’ve been blessed with another fine weekend of warm, sunny weather.
It was an 80 mile loop of east Staffordshire, and on the way I passed again through Coton in the Elms. The small flock of ducks that wander between the village green and Pinfold House are local celebrities, frequently holding up village life, seemingly oblivious to the delay they cause.
That tufted chap is wonderful, but all the others are stars too. The secret of happiness, it seems, lies in being a duck.
September 19th – Wow. The windmill at Upper Longdon – converted into a family home – now has sails.
Is this the only windmill in Staffordshire to be in such a condition?
A wonderful thing. My respect to the owners.
September 19th – Although only constructed in the 1950s, Blithfield Reservoir could have been here forever. I arrived following heavy rains which I thankfully missed, and the atmosphere was damp, slightly misty and suffused with beautiful light.
The reservoir itself was millpond still, and the wildlife as beautiful and fascinating as ever.
September 18th – Afternoon escape into Staffordshire, and I piled it in up through Abbots Bromley and Hoar Cross to Newborough to try the cake shop there. From there, I took a bimble over Marchington Cliff to Buttermilk Hill, and back via Blithfield and Rugeley.
The church is at Woodroffes, the isolated, beautiful church I visited earlier in the year.
A pleasant 70 miler. I realised near Marchington Cliff that I was riding the road that was the last place I saw the late, great Maurice Purser.
These lanes were his, and I rode in his shadow today.
September 17th – Uh-oh, in comes autumn. The days are still warm in the sun, but when it goes in, the temperature drops considerably. There’s an edge to the air, and in the evenings it’s started to feel rather chilly. Sunset is earlier and earlier.
From Catshill Junction today, the trees and scrub are starting to turn.
Autumn is unstoppable, and bearing down on me now…
September 17th – I can’t decide if this single, gorgeous violet blue plant is a harebell or bellflower. Whatever it is, it’s been delighting me every time I pass by it for over a week now, just on the canal by the Clayhanger Bridge.
Any opinions, folks? It really is a most beautiful bloom, and so unexpected at this time of year.
September 16th – Shooting along the canal to Great Bridge early doors I passed under Bughole Bridge. Can it really be 22 years since they rebuilt it? The Black Country Route – which passes nearby – was new then.
I’ve never got to the bottom of what Bughole means, though. Anyone know? Like Bumble Hole and Devil’s Elbow, it’s one of those great Black Country names we accept without too much thought day to day, but when thought about really are quite preposterous.
September 16th – Not really sure what’s going on here but it snagged my attention as I cycled past: at St. Mark’s Church in Shelfield, there seems to be some kind of scarecrow festival going on.
It all looks very jolly, and I particularly liked the two chaps on the roof, but a bit unsure why the ones by the front door are apparently in jail…
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