November 6th – As I’ve noted here before, I very much like Darlaston’s war memorial. Intimate, sombre and peaceful, it sits in its own sensory garden, a little oasis of calm in the middle of a Black Country town.
On this grey and foul morning, it cheered me as I passed, so I decided to record it for posterity.
I’ve never noticed the bench with the poppies on before. Wonder how that came about? It’s very beautiful.
October 31st – It was an unseasonably warm, sunny Halloween, and I headed to Lichfield mid afternoon on an errand. I wasn’t prepared for the beauty of the still falling leaves; whilst my favourite tree at Home Farm is now sadly and ominously naked, there was plenty of colour on the canal and in Lichfield itself.
Festival gardens are beautiful right now, as is Stowe Pool. So much to see, such a wonderful season this has been. I shall remember this Indian Summer for a long time.
October 29th – As I noted a few days ago, Autumn is a beautiful, but hazardous season. The leaf littler on the cycleways is wonderful to look at but very slippery, and is now turning to a very soapy, lubricant mulch. Added into this are small twigs, various needles and fallen berries and fruits, often concealing potholes and other hazards.
I normally mash up here hard and come back downhill even faster, but with conditions as they are, I take this route very gently at the moment, and avoid using the front brake as much as possible.
October 27th – I had to nip to Priorslee to pick something up. The trail crosses the M54 via a pedestrian/cycle bridge that twangs gently when you cross it, and resonates with every large lorry that passes underneath.
From the bridge, the embankments of the motorway were displaying wonderful colour even on this dull day, and the view to my destination looked almost bucolic and mysterious.
Autumn has it’s moments.
October 27th – These berries are profuse all along the cycle paths of Telford, and I don’t really know what they are. Glossier and rounder than cotoneaster but similarly pea-sized, they come in colours from deep red to light pink and yellow. The berry-heads are very dense, yet the birds don’t seem to bother with them.
Anybody know what they are?
October 25th – The fungi are still going strong. On the common I found plenty of fly agaric at various ages, from globular and spotty fresh young caps to plate-like washed out pink and smooth. I also found a shroom I didn’t recognise, and had to look up. This is certainly a cortinarius, either cinnamon or bicolour. They’re a lovely chestnut, almost chocolate colour, and the gills are fascinating.
I’ve never seen them before and my big book of fungi says they’re fairly rare, so I’m quite pleased spot them.
October 25th – The Parade, Brownhills. The main route over the common, and so I’m told, once the line of a colliery tramline.
These trees in neat rows are younger than me. I remember harsh winters, when these trees were saplings, and the council used to erect snow-break fences down here.
The hard winters seem rare now, and the trees are large and beautiful. It’s not their fault that they make me feel old…
October 21st – How do you like these apples? They are growing near Telford Station, and seem to be untouched by human hands.Dripping in the insistent rain, they looked beautiful in their glistening, ripe glory.
Gently, so as to not get drenched. I plucked one from the tree and tried it. A little sharp, but not bad at all. And a very good harvest, to boot.
October 20 – By the time I arrived in Telford the mist was long gone and there was bright sunshine an d blue skies. Autumn was at it’s best, and the line of cherry trees looked fabulous, as did their turning leaves against the blue sky.
It’s also incredible really that this is in the heart of industrial Telford.
Once you get used to it, Autumn is lovely.
October 19th – The last time I was in this spot at this time of day was Friday, when I was feeling black and down. Today, I stopped in the chill air and looked to the retreating sun.
I got out the camera, recorded the sunset over my town, the place I love, then remounted and headed off into the light.
I feel so much better today. If only I could remain in light.
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