Birmingham – Page 28 – BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking

August 28th -This is one of my favourite canal runs anywhere – from the junction by the ICC (Old Turn junc.) to Aston junction. Fast, technically tricky (cobbled sections very challenging, to say the least), often busy with people and other cyclists. When relatively unobstructed, as on this quiet, sunny Sunday Evening, it’s a joy to the heart. Only brief edits of the boring bits – whole journey only takes a little over 7 minutes if you crack on.

July 30th – A 65 mile journey around the canals of Birmingham and the Black Country. Heading from Goscote, to Wolverhampton, down to Stourbridge, up to Netherton and through the tunnel to Oldbury, Birmingham, Great Barr and home. Only a couple of miles wasn’t on the canal. Check out my route over on the main blog. There’s also some video of my experience traversing the Netherton Tunnel.

July 27th – A morning meeting took me to Camp Hill in Birmingham, then on to Darlaston. Heading into the centre of Birminham, I was struck by the wonderful view downhill from the top of Bradford Street, Digbeth. This could almost be San Francisco… how I love Birmingham and it’s surprising corners. Always something new.

June 9th – Many folk don’t realise that the UK is crisscrossed by pipelines. Not just water and gas, but oil and fuel lines too. Formerly secret, information about them and their routing is now available online. Primarily to connect refineries and storage depots like Kingsbury in Warwickshire to high-volume users like airports and processors, the construction of the network commenced before the last war.

This pipeline marker identifies the route of a buried oil pipeline, and contains information about location, flow direction and size of the line concerned. It stands on the canal bak just near to Spaghetti Junction.

June 9th – A free afternoon and a bimble along the canals into Birmingham, via Great Barr and Saltley, a stop for tea at the wonderful @urbancoffeeco before heading home on the the waterways through Smethwick, West Brom and Darlaston. I love cycling the urban canals here – a 45 mile run around the best – and worst – our conurbation has to offer. The sheer variety of texture, surface, architecture and wildlife has to be experienced to be believed. The day was changeable with sun, overcast periods and light showers, and thankfully, little wind. A fine ride.

June 2nd – Ah, it must be bin day in Four Oaks again. Remember, kids, this is one of the poshest, most opulent and wealthy bits of Birmingham, yet the footpaths are impassible to pushchairs and wheelchairs, refuse torn from bags by animals is scattered on the verges, and much of it doesn’t smell too good.

Birmingham is the second largest local authority in the country, and has a refuse collection system of the type one would find in a developing country. A disgrace, no more, no less.

May 24th – Change trains at Birmingham New Street at 8:55am for a 9:05 departure to Telford. This is the reality of using trains with a bike. Bear in mind that for all the millions spent, nothing seen in this film will change with the revamp of the station. The unreliable lifts, the dingy, menacing subway, the cramped, overcrowded platforms. The revamp will just give a ‘retail opportunity’ for big business.

I love travelling by bike and train, but this tries my patience. Life shouldn’t be this hard. Part 2 to follow.

The soundtrack is Artie Shaw’s ‘Special Delivery Stomp’, the music that plays in your head whenever you’re late for anything…

May 24th – Waiting for a train. I like Shenstone Station, and for long commutes, it’s a nice place to pick up the train to Birmingham, often overlooked by those in Brownhills and the surrounding area. Trains stop here every half hour, generally, and although the facilities aren’t great, it’s a lovely spot, and only 15 minutes away by bike, with a 30 minute journey to Brum.

May 5th – Garden waste collection day in Four Oaks, Sutton. This plush, opulent area of large, detached houses can be considered one of the wealthiest parts of Birmingham, yet this is the scene on refuse collection days.

Anyone who complains about Walsall’s waste collection system really needs to get out and look at that of Birmingham. This is a disgrace, pure and simple.

April 26th – Tuesday, at a loose end, so I cycled into Birmingham along the canal through Aldridge, Walsall and Great Barr. Stopping for tea and sustenance at the excellent Urban Coffee Co., I picked up a few bits and pieces around town and returned via the canal through the Broad Street area, Smethwick, Great Bridge and Walsall.

I love that journey, and some of the graffiti fascinates me – this odd example was near Perry Barr. There’s clearly a Banksy influence there somewhere.