Tag: 365daysofbiking

October 4th – Nice to see as I winched myself up Pipe Hill, that the milepost that stood by the site of the long-gone Royal Oak pub has been moved and restored. I love Staffordshire mileposts – this one, marking the parish boundary as well as distance – had been hidden in the undergrowth a short distance away for quite some time. I’m glad that Staffordshire County Council seem to appreciate the historical value of these marker monuments and are actively maintaining not just this one, but posts across the county. A real link with the past.

October 4th – I had to nip into Lichfield on my way home, and it was as I was heading out of town I noticed this shiny new bike chained to the Guildhall Railings. A Cotic ‘Road Rat’, it’s a bike with a fanatical following. A single speed with disc brakes, it’s made for urban riding, and I loved the shiny leather Brooks saddle. There’s an unusual design feature, though… Initially I thought the forks were backwards, but they’re clearly the right way round. The front disc brake is mounted on the opposite side to the usual one, which puts it on the front edge of the fork. Intriguing, but I can’t see a valid reason.

Nice bike, though, my compliments to the rider.

October 3rd – a few months ago, this was a field of fluorescent yellow oilseed rape bloom – then a field of drying seedpods and vegetation. It was left for a week as stubble, then ploughed, tilled and planted. This field at Stonnall, just off Mill Lane, is now bursting with regimented lines of clean, green shoots. I have no idea what the crop is, probably winter barley or wheat, but the clean, bright green reminds me that even in autumn, the factory floor of the countryside is still in production. No time to waste. I look forward to watching this crop grow.

October 3rd – This is summer’s last gasp for 2011. The air was warm, the sun was out. There was an evil wind, though, and the dying leaves had been stripped from the trees. I was a hard battle getting home, with a big old bastard of a westerly, but here at Little Aston Forge, it was still beautiful. Soon, this lane will be barren and dun-coloured again. The light will change and the nights will close in. Until then, I resolve to enjoy every minute, as long as it lasts, headwind or not.

October 2nd – I spun out to Hoar Cross, one of my favourite autumn rides. The church here – next to the hall, but otherwise detached from the village by a mile or more and a very large hill – was built as a memorial. 

Built at the behest of the Late Lady Emily Charlotte Meynell-Ingram, the Church of the Holy Angels is a loving and devotional memorial to her late husband, killed while hunting. It stands high above the village overlooking the Needwood Valley, adjacent to Hoar Cross Hall, and it is said that one of the carved angels looking down from the beautifully decorated stonework is carved in the likeness of the unfortunate hunter. This church and grounds are a hidden gem and deserve a greater appreciation.

October 2nd – A bit grisly, this, but I feel it needs saying. Myxomatosis never really went away, but it seems to be sweeping through South Staffordshire again. This wild rabbit – spotted wandering helpless on a grass verge in Chorley, near Burntwood – is blinded by this dreadful rabbit plague. Introduced from Venezeula to Australia in the early 20th century to control the burgeoning rabbit population, this pernicious disease was accidentally imported to France by scientists. Soon it came to the UK. Causing blindness and tumours, it’s a horrid disease and a prolonged, hideous death. I’ve seen five or six bunnies in this state recently – this one so impaired that it was unaware I was a couple of feet away. I can’t bring myself to kill animals, but I hope foxes or the buzzards strike soon.

There is a light on the horizon. Studies show that the rabbit population – increasing, currently – is becoming gradually immune. Next time you see some agribusiness wonk on TV telling you that science is the solution to agriculture issues, remember this rabbit.

If you keep pet rabbits, take care if your garden backs onto open land, or where they may come into contact with their wild cousins. 

October 1st – We’re in the season of great sunsets. These, taken from around the Handsacre area, feature my favourite obsession – Rugeley Power Station. I love a good sunset, and they’re taken by putting the camera on timer release and standing it on gateposts and bridge rails. Plenty more in the coming weeks, hopefully.

October 1st – I’m really enjoying Cannock Chase right now. Exploring again Brockton and the Sherbrook Valley, I found Freda’s Grave, the memorial to the mascot of the New Zealand Rifles, stationed at Brocton during the first world war. I also crossed Shugborough again, but this time I headed up through Hixon to Blithfield and back through Handsacre. This indian summer has been a great tonic and I savoured every minute.

September 30th – hot and bothered from a day in the crowds of Birmingham, I escaped in the early evening and took a spin over Castlehill. Ducking through a hedge at the summit into a field of carrots, the view of South Staffordshire was hazy, autumnal and gorgeous. You can knock our area in all manner of ways, but be honest, this is a cracking view over a rolling, historic, beautifully rural landscape. What’s not to love? Open your eyes, folks…

September 30th – Today, I visited the annual cycle show, this year held at the NEC, Birmingham. There’s a writeup and a Flickr gallery on my main blog, but I’d just like to point out that to outsiders, cycling is a uniform thing. You get on a bike, you ride it. There’s actually a who ecosystem of subcultures going on in the cycling world – from utility cyclists managing family life and crying kids in safety, to the recumbent guys and their fascinating, specialist machines. That’s why I love the cycle show, it opens your eyes to different possibilities. The show is open until Sunday evening.