Tag: canal

365daysofbiking Lying low

December 28th – People have asked me where the long rides out are this Christmas. There’s an answer to that – the weather isn’t great, just warm and grey, and I’m doing something I’ve needed for a while – getting some rest.

So, limited to errands, local trips have been the order of the day. This evening was a simple spin around Brownhills, as somnambulant and lovely in the cloak of darkness as ever.

I’ve resisted taking time to rest for years. That has clearly been a mistake…

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#365daysofbiking A fun guy

Christmas Day – A Christmas Day ride was a tradition long before I started 365daysofbiking – there’s nothing better to prepare for a big meal than a good blast on the bike.

Today, my options were confined as my time was limited, so I opted for a fast run up the canal to Chasewater. On the way, I noticed this fungus – tramates of some sort I think – on a felled tree by the M6 Toll.

Unusual to find it in midwinter looking so good. Possibly a sign of the unusually warm season so far.

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#365daysofbiking Going with the flow

December 18th – I’d been in hospital for medical tests, which went OK. I came home, uncomfortable, headachy and disorientated, but a cup of tea, some food and peace and quiet and I was ready to ride.

Sadly it was still raining heavily.

In a short spin around Brownhills the bike was coated in mud and I noted the overflows were in spate. It’s really been quite wet the last week and it’s not registered quite how bad it’s been.

Some dry, cold weather would be nice for Christmas I think…

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#365daysofbiking A small kindness

December 16th – Another grim, blustery day, but I had a lot to do. Errands were undertaken all afternoon and crossing the Silver Street bridge in Brownhills, I noticed someone had spotted Dora the Explorer had probably been dropped by her friend and popped her for safekeeping up on the handrail.

A small act of kindness like this always warms my heart: Some bereftl child is probably missing this soft toy desperately, and hopefully they will be reunited by now (I posted the find on local Facebook to catch anyone looking).

Thank you to whoever rescued Dora: Your kindness was not unnoticed.

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#365daysofbiking Wetter than an otter’s pocket

December 15th – The weather remained grim, and so did my mood. I had a lot to do still, with work end-of-year paperwork still bogging me down and medical tests scheduled for early in the coming week. My stomach was not good, and the rain relentless.

At Wharf Lane, pausing under the bridge for a rest and listening to the music of the rain on the water was almost therapeutic, and sustained me; at least until it started to get into my shoes.

The return home was unpleasant.

That Christmas spirit continues to be elusive.

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#365daysofbiking On reflections:

December 10th – Passing Silver Street and crossing the pedestrian bridge time for a quick, classic shot of the waterside.

I don’t know why but it’s hard with the Canon to get a shot here I’m happy with. It just doesn’t seem to like this view much.

This didn’t come out to bad though: The water was till, and the way the reflections taper to gather in the distance always fascinates me.

Brownhills really can be beautiful sometimes.

#365daysofbiking Darkness my old friend:

December 8th – Speeding around a wet, sleepy Brownhills is always strange. I feel almost invisible. Rolling up the canal to Pelsall was lovely, but very soggy.

I love the lights of the Watermead Estate at night, and the effect they have on what would otherwise be an utterly dark canal.

Sometimes the darkness isn’t so bad. I’d always rather be riding in the light of a beautiful spring or summer, but as Judy Collins put it ‘Sometimes the darkness is your friend.’

#365daysofbiking First Christmas:

December 8th – Busy with stuff for work, and moving this journal to a better, more secure host; but on a quick spin around a darkened town I noticed many of the residents of the new houses alone Silver Street and The Moorings now had Christmas lights up.

It must be a great feeling to light up your new home for the first Christmas there. 

I welcome you all to Brownhills. Merry Christmas!

#365daysofbiking Canal dreams:

December 7th –  After a long day at work carrying out boring tasks, I left collecting a pal on the way. We popped in passing to Walsall’s Town Wharf, as the Arboretum I was aiming for actually had an event ongoing.

Town Wharf and the waterside here are gorgeous at night. Finally reaching potential after near enough two decades, this place has taken a long, long time for regeneration to happen, but it looks wonderful in the shadow of Walsall’s remarkable New Art Gallery.

Sadly, the state of retail being what it is, the centre of Walsall only 100 or so yards away, remains depressed.

But here at leat, developer dreams seem to be coming to fruition.

#365daysofbiking Highly evolved:

December 2nd – For the second time in two days, I was out without a camera, and reliant on my phone. On my return I had to nip up to Walsall Wood, so conducted an experiment and took a favourite shot from Anchor Bridge.

This is a phone photo.

I find the quality of this astounding – I know well of course that the clever bit here is software overcoming the huge hardware limitations of a tiny camera. But the quality from my iPhone is astounding.

An image of this quality from a phone even 5 years ago would have been unthinkable.

The evolution of technology is remarkable.