Tag: Black COuntry

#365daysofbiking Always restful

October 17th –  On the way to work, I stopped for a break in Victoria Park, Darlaston – the park curiously formed from a railway cutting abandoned in the 1930s.

It’s always beautiful here in Autumn and today, the trees were just shrugging on their seasonal jackets of gold.

Victoria park is a great example of how urban edge land with a peculiar topology can be repurposed into a beautiful and well loved place, that’s always restful and a real oasis in the heart of a busy town.

I’ll never tire of this place.

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#365daysofbiking On the tiles

July 24th – A sunny morning riding up the industrial, backstreets of North Walsall. In John Street, a pub with an interesting history is still thriving despite it’s secluded position.

The New Inns – or Pretty Bricks (from the tiled frontage) – is a great real ale house, and used to be a folk music venue and gay pub years ago. Now it’s a cosy, well-liked and popular real ale boozer; traditional, cosy, comfortable.

It’s well kept too, and on this sunny day the hanging baskets were spectacular.

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#365daysofbiking What lies beneath

July 7th – It was indeed a better day. The sun was out, the wind had subsided as had the discomfort in my stomach.

I headed out on the canal to Wolverhampton, taking a slow but enjoyable potter down the mainline canal to Birmingham. From there to Aston, where I left the canal and got on a train back to Shenstone.

I noted the Dudley Tourist Board had been working hard to improve it’s customer service at Coseley Tunnel, where I doubt I’ll ever negotiate the southern portal steps with a bike again, although it was certainly an adventure.

Calling at the heavily secured, ghostly Rattlechain Pool, the lagoon concealing many thousands of tonnes of the worst toxic waste was a strange experience: It looks so serene and peaceful, yet the pool – itself just a cap to the material beneath, separated by a thick impermeable skin – is securely fenced and covered by many cameras.

It’s a ghostly and controversial place.

Under the M5 viaduct and Telford’s magnificent Engine Arm aqueduct, the canal is a peaceful, gentle and serene refuge from the mad urbanity above, and the street art is, as ever, fascinating.

Passing on the canal down the Snow Hill flight, I see the view is a matter of opinion. But why? What’s that all about?

A great restorative ride.

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#365daysofbiking Fresh

April 10th – My second home Darlaston is looking splendid in it’s spring jacket at the Monet.

How many people hear the name and think of grimy, angry industry, smell, grim urbanisation and pollution? The reality is way, way different.

Darlaston is a beautiful little Black Country town, with astounding architecture, great parks right in the centre, and a phenomenal history.

Go look – there’s no better toime than spring.

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#365daysofbiking A shock to the system

January 22nd – A further shock to my sensibilities was the snowfall. I left Telford in relatively dry, clear conditions, but noticed the icing-sugar dusting of snow becoming more evident as the train neared the Black Country.

Leaving the train at Shenstone, there was more snow, but it was very wet. Whilst there was a little snow falling, I thought I’d missed the worst.

Within ten minutes I was cycling in persistent, large flakes of snow, making visibility difficult and soaking me to the skin.

I was glad of the  studded tyres once more, and when I finally got there, glad to be home, too.

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#365daysofbiking Keep me in mind

January 9th – Spotted just hanging around outside the wonderful Mindful Gifts dementia charity shop in Darlaston, this lovely fellow. Not sure of his actual staff role, but clearly an important member of the team.

How adorable!

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#365daysofbiking Pork squared

 

December 15th – I popped up to the Christmas Market at Chasewater Railway, hoping to catch a little of the festive spirit, and despite the weather putting a dampener on things, it was actually a great event. Plenty of stalls with interesting stuff and some decent entertainment coupled with a decent butty in the cafe.

The rain, however, was relentless.

You can tell it’s a Black Country event when they sell exotic flavours of pork scratchings, though – although the apparent tautological pointlessness of bacon flavour had me a bit nonplussed…

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#365daysofbiking Rolling downhill:

December 12th – On such a great day it would be bad form to to also list Kings Hill Park – not a mile away from Victoria Park. I’d come back from B&Q and rode over the top off the hill in the park, which is always exhilarating, and the stop for tea and contemplation on the memorial bench always welcome.

Gently rolling downhill, sending squirrels scampering away is always a delight here. The view towards the road always gives the feeling of being in a secret garden.

Darlaston’s parks are beautiful, lovely places. Yet what guide book tells of this? It’s a crying shame they are not better known.

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#365daysofbiking Into the mystic:

December 12th – Out and about on errands during the (very bitter) day, although it was bitingly cold, there was occasional weak sun, and like yesterday, there was a part mist, part smog hanging over the Black Country making things magical again.

At Victoria Park in Darlaston, the mystic bridge was looking gorgeous and it felt good to be out.

Perhaps the cold means there might be snow before Christmas? I do hope so…

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#365daysofbiking When you spot it:

November 13th – One thing I love about working in Darlaston is the architecture of this hidden gem of a town. And the thing I love about the architecture the most? 

The constant spotting of things you’ve not noticed before.

Whilst photographing the lovely paper poppy display at the Town Hall, I turned round to look at the handsome, four-square post Office. But my eye fell to an anonymous doorway at the side, and a sign advertising … Darlaston Air Training Corps. 

Never have I noticed that before.

On this day, how very appropriate that I should.