Tag: Burntwood

June 22nd – I spotted this young marmalade cat in Coulter Lane, Burntwood, at sundown. It had caught a bird, and was acting shifty. I took the photos hurriedly, as puss wasn’t happy with me getting near his trophy, which appears to be a housemartin.

I love cats, but all I could think when I saw this was ‘Bastard!’

As he disappeared under the gate to what I assume to be his house, I heard his owners shouting at him. It must be awful bringing your boss a quality gift and then being admonished for it…

May 25th – A ride out on a grey day. I’d intended to get a good, long ride in but the weather had been pretty horrid and my heart wasn’t in it. I contented myself with a ride over Chasewater, down through Burnwood, out around Whittington and back through Weeford and Shenstone.

I forgot my camera, too, and so I had to make do with the phone – which rarely makes for a good picture.

At Chasewater, I noticed that the yellow ribbons for the Stephen’s Story appeal in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust were spreading up here, too, and were on cars, fences and gates around the railway. It was a nice thing to see.

This is a remarkable phenomena.

You can donate to the Stephen Sutton appeal here.

May 18th – Since the sad passing of young cancer patient and charity fundraiser extraordinaire Stephen Sutton, his home town of Burntwood has been spontaneously bedecked in yellow ribbons as a token of mourning and support. I’ve never seen anything quite like this – at least since Diana died – and the floral tributes and book of remembrance at Chase Terrace School, where he was a pupil, are sombre and touching.

It’s worth taking a trip up there to see this, as you can’t capture it in photos. It’s like air air of sadness is perched upon the town. And one of pride, too.

It’s interesting to see how the public have taken to this story, and constructed narratives around it. Propelled by social media and human goodwill, it has been an astounding thing to witness.

You can donate to the Stephen Sutton appeal here.

Cancer is a filthy thing, to be sure. 

April 20th – An odd day, really. I had a family thing to do most of the day over in Lichfield, but the weather was terrible anyway, blustery and wet. Spinning around Brownhills and Burntwood in the evening, I passed Chase Terrace Technology College.

They have a couple of signs like this. I find them offensive, not only in terms of accepted English, but graphically and syntactically.

Whoever approved them should be dragged out on the street, and slapped with a copy of a The Typography Manual until they publicly repent.

For an educational establishment, this is piss-poor. 

March 22nd – I popped into Morrisons at Burntwood to get some shopping in, and was irritated that the store was blocking the cycle parking with stacks and stacks of Mothers Day inspired plants and flowers for sale.

My irritation evaporated when I took a closer look. Cowslips. Polyanthus. Bright colours, speckled with recent raindrops. I adore cowslips – they’re my favourite flower. 

I went home with a pot poking out of my saddlebag. The power of flowers.

March 7th – After the despondency of the previous day, spring returned with a fresh passion today. I managed to escape work while the sun was still shining, and headed to Burntwood to pick something up. On the way back, in bright spring sunshine, I happened to glance through the gates of the cemetery opposite St, Anne’s Church. What I saw astonished me: the finest display of crocuses I have ever seen in my life. These are incredible when seen in person, and I commend any reader to go take a look. An astonishing, and beautiful thing. 

Forget what I said yesterday: spring isn’t shaping up too badly right now…

February 17th – I had to be in Burntwood in the late afternoon for a meeting. After the spring of the day before, it was drizzly winter again, although the wind was still low. I quite like Burntwood, and more so Chasetown, although I’ve still yet to receive a funding offer for my planned remake of the chase scene from Bullit, on bicycles, down the sharply inclined High Street. 

It occurred to me today why the place looks more prosperous than Brownhills – it’s the fact that a high percentage of buildings on the High Street are homes, not shops. Therefore, there’s a normal, bustling, lived-in atmosphere. It’s an interesting effect.

I love the Old Mining College, too. It’s long since abandoned it’s mining role, and is a community centre. Sadly, many of its services and staff are falling victim to budget cuts, which is a tragedy. It’s a wonderful thing, and well-loved by the community. 

February 15th – A rough day. Weather was bad, with a high wind and periodic, squally rain. I needed to get some shopping in, and popped to Morrisons in Burntwood. I found myself on The Sportway, the drive to the Rugby Club that runs alongside the Chasetown bypass. 

This is a good tip – I know this route well. Just where the grass is on the foreground corner of the cycleway, there is a huge, wheel-swallowing pothole unseen under the water. Because I know it’s there, I give it a wide berth. Someone coming this way for the first time, wouldn’t know.

My point is this: in this weather, be careful riding through puddles. They can hide a variety of nasties – from tire-shredding debris, to holes, to uncovered drains.

Take it easy and be wary.

January 30th – I was out at work early, and left early afternoon. I had stuff to do in Burntwood, and cycled through a very, very wet Chasewater to get there. The day was grey, colourless and even when not really raining, a mist hung drenchingly heavy in the air. Riding wasn’t too bad, though, and on my way I stopped at the ATM at Sankey’s Corner. I noted Scamp, the Burntwood Mining Memorial, which I like more and more each time I see it. I like this one particularly because it was a local project, by a local artist, and it clearly doesn’t seek to glorify or gloss over the past.

Meanwhile, over the road, Burntwood Library. It’s a great facility, built new in the 1980s, and known locally for years as ‘The two tits’. I’ve always liked the place…

January 11th – It was a terrible ride out, if I’m honest. Despite the sunny day, like Boxing Day, the towpaths and trails were nothing but slop, and I was covered in mud. I had several silly mechanical issues with the bike,  including a puncture (no, I haven’t put the tape in yet!). I ended up on a short, abortive ride around Burntwood, Hammerwich and Springhill.

Despite all of that, the sunset was gorgeous.

This one goes out to Trevor in Australia, who I’m told isn’t too well right now. Get well soon, old chap.