Tag: canal

#365daysofbiking Into the murk

January 10th – A grey, damp and misty day made for trying journeys to and from work, with frenetic, inattentive traffic and poor visibility with a somewhat patchy, unpredictable kind of fog.

There was no escape, but diving onto the canal at the Black Cock Bridge for the last run to Brownhills was a welcome respite from the tension.

Clayhanger bridge wasn’t terribly mist-shrouded, but the hazy air made for a great twist on one of my favourite local muses.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr http://bit.ly/2TIPBJj
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking Ghost craft


January 9th – On the canal near the overflow at Clayhanger someone has tethered a fibreglass pleasure boat. I’m not sure if it’s being lived in or not, but seems to be. However, when I rode past in the dark this evening, one end had been untied and the craft had swung out into the water.

I don’t know who owns it or what it’s doping there, but someone clearly cares for it. I am becoming aware that waterways are currently hosting a number of unfortunate folk who would be homeless but for their often down at heel boats.

An odd one.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr http://bit.ly/2TIbbO6
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking There… and gone

January 8th – It’s not often I feature here photos of things that aren’t there any more. But in this case, I had no choice really as I just had to share.

Heading home along the canal to Brownhills, between the Black Cock Bridge and Clayhanger Bridge in darkness, I was brought to a sudden, screeching halt by… a group of deer on the towpath.

Something had spooked them up ahed and they were running toward me, but seeing my light, they deflected into the copse adjacent and disappeared into the darkness.

So, here was a group of deer.

An oddly unsettling experience…

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr http://bit.ly/2AH9rO1
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking Back to grey

January 7th – I rode in to work from Walsall along the canal for the first time in a few weeks – it wasn’t;t a bad ride, though I forgot how grey it can be on a dull, overcast winter day.

Nice to see Canal and River Trust litter picking crews out at the birch ills end, and hopefully they can clear some of the mess left by the magnet fishers – what a pain in the backside they are.

At Bently Bridge the view was trying to be green, but it’s heart wasn’t;t in it, sadly. Maybe some sun tomorrow…

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr http://bit.ly/2QunwDG
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking Bending the light

January 6th – A fast, long ride over Cannock Chase from Pye green, down Sherbrook Valley, down Pepper Slade and Abrahams Valley, back to Stepping Stones and over Milford and Shugborough saw me riding the canal back to Armitage in darkness.

The ride on a dull but very warm day had not been great for photos, but the canal around Rugeley and Armitage more than made up for it.

A 48 mile ride on a grey but lovely day was just what I needed. Longer rides are making me feel better again.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr http://bit.ly/2C1ed8M
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking Loafing

January 6th – One thing this journal is known for is the pictures of cats I meet in my daily life.

Sadly, my cat radar has been off this winter. I’ve hardly seen any – despite the warm weather, Felis Catus has apparently been at home, napping. Which you can understand, really.

Sunday though, was positively tropical and in a short run up the canal to Chasewater I spotted these three fine specimens. The pair apparently having a union meeting were on the canal bank by Deakin Avenue, and the gorgeous, grumpy looking raccoon cat was near Newtown Bridge. Great face markings.

Nice to spot some cats again.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr http://bit.ly/2RfNrnO
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking Decent exposure

January 5th – I had intended to go for a long ride – but the weather was grey and miserable and it was cold, so I stayed indoors until darkness, then slipped out on some errands.

Some long exposure photos on the canal between the Jolly Collier and old cement works bridges came out really well – thirty seconds with the camera on timer held solidly to guard rails gave excellent results in what was otherwise pretty much urban darkness.

Sometimes the short journeys turn out to be the most rewarding.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr http://bit.ly/2LUvWDB
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking Time is


January 2nd – I’ll start this with a note about this journal. Older readers will know I started this journal on 1st April 2011after being encouraged to do 30daysofbiking by ace cyclist and top Dutchperson Renee Van Baar. From the moment I agreed, the die was cast.

Sadly, I was very ill with food poisoning the following New Year,  so never rode a bike on 31st December 2011, and 1st January 2012. But I steeled my resolve, and I carried on, and I never missed a day since. Every day from 2nd January 2012 I have got on a bike and ridden somewhere.

From 100 mile plus rides in one day, to trundles to the shops, I have recorded my daily life as a cyclist, in all its ups and downs. That’s 7 years, or 2557 successive days (including 2 leap years), and about 63,000 miles.

I adore keeping this journal – both writing it, and creating the photos.I welcome feedback. If you have something to say – that I should stop, continue or do something differently, please get in touch by commenting or mailing me – BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com.

Today was my first day back at work and on my way back, I headed up the canal to Newtown. I had forgotten to charge my camera, and it was flat, so these are actually photos from an iPhone, which just shows how much phone camera technology has advanced.

When I started this journal in 2011, my phone would not have been remotely capable of images of this quality.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr http://bit.ly/2QokK2C
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking Village lights

December 30th – A spin out at dusk to Lichfield and beyond was lovely. Although I’d vowed (and promised) to rest I was going stir crazy and the chin fever was mounting. I had to get out.

The late afternoon spin – out to Lichfield, then Whittington, down the canal to Hopwas and back up the old A5 to Weeford and then through Shenstone.

The villages of Whittington and Shenstone were glorious and pretty in the descending night. A real joy to the heart.

For anyone planning to ride between Hademore and Hopwas on the canal – beware. The towpath, which is just packed earth and unsurfaced – is clearly being used for a horse gallop and is very hard going on a bike. Beware – it’s muddy.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr http://bit.ly/2At59d3
via IFTTT

#365daysofbiking Bridge to my heart

#365daysifbiking Bridge to my heart:

December 29th – Still busy doing other things (bike maintenance, mainly) I had to nip up Walsall Wood to Screwfix in that magical interregnum between the sun setting and it not being fully dark.

Bullings Heath on the flank of thelack Cock Bridge looked superb, as did Hollanders Bridge.

I love the quiet, sleepy feel of the days between Christmas and new year; like the world world is snoozing off its lunch.

This journal is moving home. Please find out more by clicking here.

from Tumblr http://bit.ly/2QUFDre
via IFTTT