April 21st – A tradition, now, like the waste ground at South Winston Station, is the flowerbed at Telford. Pretty much all year round this planter is a joy. At the moment, gorgeous tulips, lobelia and primroses.
Just the thing to perk you up waiting for yet another delayed train…
April 16th – The greening continues. Darlaston is getting really beautiful right now. In a week or two, the whole of Victoria Park will be Verdant, and it will once again seem a million years since winter.
And so the seasons wheel continues to turn…
April 11th – A short trip to Chasewater on an unpleasantly windy day was rewarded with the realisation that I’d had a guerrilla-planting success: last autumn, I scattered a load of wild cowslip seeds at Anglesey Basin: this year, a pleasant patch of my favourite flowers.
If we enjoy these things, help them out by spreading the love. I collect seed heads in little bags and spread them on wasteland and verges, then enjoy the results.
Wild flower power!
April 9th – Lambs, lots of them. The lambing must be in full swing, and as I headed to Hoar Cross today through Hanch and Tuppenhirst, I spotted these wonderful offspring. Not a bad day to be born, really.
It was the same throughout Staffordshire: Up at Dunstable, the sheep in the avenue was a timeless view I reckon hasn’t changed in centuries.
March 30th – I keep banging on about this, but it is rather great. On a blowy but beautiful spring morning, I dawdled through Kings Hill Park. With every week of spring it gets that little bit more green, that bit more in bloom.
Today it was gorgeous. Can’t wait until there’s some leaves on those trees. Wherever you are, get into your local parks. Walsall’s people work hard to keep our open spaces looking great. Enjoy them while they’re at their most beautiful.
March 27th – Sunset over the Tame Valley canal, looking from Rushall Junction at Ray Hall, out to Wednesbury, with the twin spires of Wednesbury clear on the skyline.
People say that pylon ruins this view. On the contrary, I think it makes it. What built the Black Country – canals, power and church. All in one shot.
A great ride and beautiful, but chilly evening.
March 22nd – Spotted just off Camp Lane, between Little Hay and Canwell, a small herd (is that the right term? Flock?) of alpacas. I love the colour variations. Gorgeous animals, that never fail to raise a smile, and I was quite shocked to discover how stroppy they actually are.
March 19th – In a dark, unlit tunnel under Spaghetti Junction, in the exact spot where, a year ago, Bill Drummond placed thousands of daffodils in jam jars under the skylight, he (or someone acting in his spirit) has left an important message Birmingham (and indeed all of us) should heed.
Brilliant. Just brilliant
March 10th – Today was a bright sunshine day, and the sun was warm on my back. I nipped out of work near lunchtime and spun through Victoria and Kings Hill Parks in Darlaston just to see how they were looking. In Victoria Park, one group of pattern-planted crocuses is in flower, and they seem to be in the form of a wheel – I have no idea why. The greens and shady corners there looked as beautiful and serene as ever.
In Kings Hill Park, a riot of colour with daffodils, primroses and crocuses all vying for attention.
If you live nearby, and can get to these parks soon, do so. They are a credit to Darlaston and those who maintain them. Utterly splendid.
March 8th – St. Annes cemetery in CHasetown is looking gorgeous again. The crocuses here are always really, really breaking, although I think they need a few more days yet.
On a miserable, wet Sunday afternoon, they were just what the doctor ordered.
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