Tag: bad weather

Christmas Day – Castle Ring is a bit of a Christmas Day ride tradition for me. It’s a great, reasonably short ride with killer climbing and great downhills that can be completed in an hour or so to work up an appetite before lunch. Today was another cold clear day, but the wind was quite nasty – not heavy, but wearing. The sun was lovely though, and warm on my face. 

The view, and the sight of the Chase in it’s winter jacket was gorgeous. Even after all these years, I still find it breathtaking.

It was clear, however, that rain was sweeping in from Staffordshire. Out on the plains of the Trent Valley, the sunlight highlighted a band of grey mist, and some darkly threatening clouds seemed to be rolling in.

Thankfully, the wind was assisting on the way home and I just beat the rain.

December 23rd – Tired, horrid day, washed out. The end of a working day. Heavy with a headache, buffeted by the wind, and finding the roads hostile despite the lighter traffic, I headed home from work for the last time in 2014.

I whipped the camera out as I waited on the lights at the Arboretum Junction, and as I usually do, watched the traffic move past in a blur.

Only the clocktower and the traffic light remain constant. 

I was glad to get home. Glad to finish the year. And so, a holiday, family time and fun, and then a new year.

That’ll do; that’ll do.

December 16th – A grim return. I’d been in Birmingham on a late run, and as I left the train at Shenstone the rain was getting quite heavy. Without waterproof trousers, I got soaked. It wasn’t a fun ride, to be honest, but I did realise upon cresting Shire Oak Hill that I hadn’t noticed cycling up it. That’s the sign of familiarity, I think.

Come on Christmas, I’m knackered…

December 15th – Brownhills High Street. Darkness, rain and lights. Time to grab a takeaway, get home, dry off and have a mug or two of tea. 

It felt like Christmas there today. Something about the lights, night and rain; every year, I always feel there are obstacles between me and Christmas – need to get x job finished, attend y event, buy z etc. and they steadily tick down until the holiday.

This year, I seem to have cleared most of the hurdles early, and I have a decided air of smugness about me. This can’t really end well.

December 15th – A spin around the canal up to Pelsall on the way home, just to try and get a good angle on the sunset that was developing, and while pinning it down, it rained. 

An odd, cold evening that felt oddly airless and dank. But it was so beautiful, just the light, and water. I was glad to catch it, even if I did get wet.

December 11th – Thoroughly rotten but very necessary journey into Walsall in an evening rain storm. The wind was against me and conditions were vile, including a rather flooded Grown Lane. As if to poke fun at me, the wind that made my progress so hard on the way in had died by my return, but the rain continued.

A couple of nice Christmas trees, though – at Chuckery up at Hydesville and at a very wet Rushall.

I was glad to get home tonight.

November 28th – The day was mad and stressful, and the weather atrocious. I wanted to attend Gerald Reece’s history talk, but was stuck at work until late. Pouring myself liquid down the High Street at top speed to get home, I stopped for a couple of pics of Brownhills deserted late; then I got on with the rally important business of finding a takeaway still open…

The symmetry in the Ravens Court picture wasn’t intentional and has surprised me…

November 26th – A dreadfully weary, damp homeward commute in heavy mist that soaked and deadened everything. Trapped on the right of a dithering vehicle at the Spring Cottage Lights, I headed straight over and through Walsall Wood for a change. 

Even on this dark, horrible night, there was a kind of insular, glowing beauty in the murk.

November 26th – Getting more than my fair share of wet commutes right now. I had to nip into Brum very early, and then come back; I did so in constant drizzle. When I got to Blake Street, wet and cold, the atmosphere was of grim determination.

Wish it would dry up a bit. We don’t seem to be getting more than a couple of days clear at the moment.

November 23rd – A run out on errands late morning was shrouded in grey, overcast damp. I swung out to Pelsall, then back over to Coppice Side and up to Chasewater, Ogley and back to the supermarket. It was a thoroughly grey, uninspiring and lifeless day.

I cut up the cycleway from Apex Road, over the old cement works bridge up to Engine Lane. I was pleased to note the cycleway here has been opened back out and the paths cleared – all by a Community Payback team, who were working cutting the scrub back today.

That pleased me, and makes riding down here a whole bunch nicer. Thanks, folks. Looking good!