November 4th – My last day in Redditch for a while, and after quite a rainy week the River Arrow was filling up nicely. Storm drains were topping up the flow, and kingfishers (and fisherman, oddly enough) had returned. The river hasn’t recovered yet, and is still but a shadow of it’s former self; but it seems to be recovering. I lover the way the vegetation that was at the water-margin is now submerged.
November 3rd – The Shire Oak pub has stood at this junction for over a hundred years. Forming the bottom – or top, depending on your perspective – of Brownhills, it’s a busy crossing of two arterial routes. The Chester Road crosses the Lichfield Road, and it’s a busy, often difficult proposition to negotiate – particularly if turning right. It doesn’t bother me these days so much, I often cross it twice a day, but getting stuck turning right here can be scary. I once fund myself stranded in the 6 foot void between to lorries travelling in opposite directions. The junction stands near the brow of Shire Oak Hill, itself named after the tree that stood near the old junction with Holly Lane, further downhill to the southwest, as the boundary marker between parishes.
November 3rd – Another early start, and a deserted Shenstone station at 6:15am. I was lucky today; the forecast was for heavy rain, but it had passed when I hit the road. It was also unseasonably warm. Approaching the station from Lynn Lane, I surveyed the platforms from the over bridge, as I often do. I love this station. It’s like a little period piece. Even at 6:15am on a dark, wet November morning.
November 2nd – At the far end of the day, it was wet, dark and challenging on the way back. Just having fitted new brake pads, the back end is a little jumpy on the commuting bike, and the greasy, drizzly roads made for an interesting trip home. Approaching the junction of Gravelly Lane and Mill Lane at Lower Stonnall, the lights of the house on the junction looked homely and inviting, and I liked the way they glistened off the wet tarmac. In case you’re wondering, the orange glow is light pollution from the street lamps of Birmingham and the Black Country – because there’s so little natural light tonight it was clearly visible.
November 2nd – I know I keep banging on about the autumn and Arrow Valley park in Redditch. It’s just that the season, and the place, are very beautiful right now. The past few days have been a tad miserable, but when the sky has lightened, it’s really highlighted the colours of autumn. Here, near Ipsley bank, the sycamore and willow leaf fall, whilst treacherous, are rather lovely to cycle through, and a joy in the early morning.
November 1st – Four Oaks Methodist Church: what more can I say. Bloody difficult to photograph at night – passing traffic and the angles make it a tough proposition with my little camera. I think this is a gorgeous building, yet I rarely see it mentioned; designed by Crouch and Butler at the turn of the last century during the Methodist Church expansion that also saw the Mellish Road Church constructed in nearby Walsall. A mixture of Gothick and Perp styles, architecturally it’s a mishmash, but very imposing and impressive. Even more so at night, when it’s beautifully lit. A hidden gem.
November 1st – This was annoying. Spinning down the Arrow Valley cycleway in Redditch, some travelling showman had left his artic completely blocking the track at a crossing point, leaving about 20 inches between the wagon and the hedge to squeeze through. There’s no excuse for this, it’s just bloody inconsiderate. No idea what the muppet was doing here, anyway. Perhaps the funfair is coming to the arrow valley park?
November 1st – It was a slightly better morning this morning than that of the day before, and the dawn seemed to come a shade earlier. As I reached Shenstone Station, I noticed the lightened sky to the east, and the perfect manner in which it highlighted Shenstone’s Victorian Gothick church tower. You don’t see gargoyles like that every day…
Octyober 31st – I tried to get a shot tonight of the spectacularly beautiful Four Oaks Church, which is stunningly lit at night, but my photos were horrid. The Four Oaks Pub itself, however, fared better. Night photography is a very black art and I still haven’t got to the bottom of it. Use of flat surfaces and self timer is a must, although a Gorillapod is handy. This shot was taken with the Gorillapod wrapped round the bike crossbar whilst leaning against a tree.
October 31st – The Arrow Valley route in Redditch was looking excellent today – the leaves have really turned now, and the recent rains seemed to have cleansed things and sharpened them up. For what I would personally consider the first day of Winter – the first day of non-British Summer Time, when it was dark when I left home, and dark when I left work. The autumn colour certainly improved my dismal Monday mood – shame the newly burnt out car abandoned on the trail pulled it back down again. There’s some arseholes about.
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