Tag: cathedral

Christmas Eve – Down into Lichfield on a last minute errand, it was a gorgeous day – bright, clear and getting colder. It actually felt like Christmas. Lichfield wasn’t as busy as I expected, and I easily got the things done I needed to, although against a bitter wind the ride back was harder than it should have been. The lanes and fields around Wall looked wonderful, and the bright emerald green of winter crops in the fields was a nice surprise. From Aldershawe, the Old Lady of the Vale looked beautiful, too.

I was quite taken with the Dutch roadster parked up in town; it looked new, but the the owner was clearly intending to haul a load with it. A nice looking bike.

October 9th – I was in Birmingham for an evening meeting. It was dark and beautiful on my return. Cathedral Square and a very quiet station made for some interesting night shots – remarkably, without a tripod. Really pleased with the night performance of this little camera, so much better than previous models. 

The oncoming darkness doesn’t seem so bad this year yet. I’m sort of warming to it…

August 31st – It was a gorgeous afternoon – sunny, warm, with only a light wind. Sadly, I missed most of it due to being unwell. I finally left for a gentle spin at 5pm, and spun up the canal to Aldridge, then over Lazy Hill and back up the Chester Road over Shire Oak into Brownhills.

I had no energy at all. But it was a lovely ride, and I stopped to photograph the view at the top of Lazy Hill and at Shire Oak. I’m astounded how far you can see from Shire Oak on a clear day – those cooling towers are the derelict ones at Willington; inbetween, Burton and the huge Argos warehouse at Barton.

Note also the wind turbine at Whittington Hurst, seemingly very close in the shot of prospect house.

A great, short ride.

August 14th – The day was mad. Starting with a great deal of nervous anticipation, the wheels of the day ground slowly at first, then became frenzied. I found myself via a convoluted route in Brum at rush hour, looking for food and a cup of tea. Crossing the Cathedral Square – Pigeon Park to locals – I spotted this bike rack. Using it were the spectrum of bike users; a modern roadie’s bike, an achingly hip single speed (set to freewheel side, not fixed as per usual), and finally, a wee folder. 

Nice to see so many bikes in Birmingham these days – and such a variety too.

August 8th – I came to the top of Shire Oak Hill in light rain, and stopped at the quarry entrance to look at my beloved view to Lichfield. Rain was sweeping in along the Trent Valley, and the hills to the west were obscured by low rain clouds.

It had been another tough week,and I was glad to crest the hill and be nearly home. I love my job, but sometimes it’s tough to keep everything going.

But knowing home was downhill from here, the promise of good company, the family and a decent mug of tea was strong, and cheering. 

Home is where the teapot is.

As it happened, the rain never really reached here. 

July 26th – Taking it easy with the foot, it’s clearly not going to heal quickly. It was a lovely hot day, however, and I needed to get some shopping done, so I gently pootled into Lichfield in the afternoon.

Riding down Pipe Hill I expected a cooling breeze. It was actually like being blasted by a hot-air hand drier. The day was the hottest I think I’ve known for a while, and the impression the languid, green town had on me was restorative and relaxing.

Lichfield may well be up it’s own arse, but it is beautiful in places.

May 23rd – A horrid day. Rainy, wet, and the warm summer air seems to have left us for a while. I slipped out in the evening to Mill Green to run an errand, and coming over Shire Oak, stopped at the quarry gates to capture my familiar muse in the murk.

A horrid, headache grey day. I didn’t feel great, either. Summer, come back soon, please…

May 9th – I popped into Birmingham to run a few errands and cycled in via Roman Road, Sutton Park, and then onto the North Birmingham Cycleway down past Witton Lakes. I returned via Plants Brook and Sutton, but more on that later.

I had business up at Constitution Hill, and on the way, I remembered these odd utility blockhouses marooned in the centre of the recently rebuilt St. Chad’s Circus. These substation-like buildings are the one solid remnant of the old subterranean subway complex; overlooked by the Catholic Cathedral, they are a chilling reminder of the cold war.

They are plant and ventilation installations for Anchor Exchange, a huge, sprawling, underground nuclear blast-proof telecommunications exchange beneath the streets of Birmingham. Mostly now abandoned, Anchor only exists as cable tunnels, having been rendered obsolete by the end of the communist threat and advent of the internet.

Anchor was built at the same time as Birmingham built the inner ring road, or ‘concrete collar’; the hated gyratory system that consisted of flyovers and tunnels called queensways. Birmingham City Council have spent 20 years now destroying the concrete collar, and putting traffic on the same level as the human city, but Anchor is still ever-present.

There were several entrance points to Anchor from these tunnels, and the complex was an open secret for decades. 

It’s telling that long after its usefulness ended, Anchor still requires maintenance and support; this closed stairwell with it’s original rails on the right and peculiar textured facing is one of the only pieces of evidence left on the surface, belying what lies beneath.

April 26th – I nipped down to Stonnall late afternoon on an errand. It was a hazy day, but pretty clear, and as I crossed the Shire Oak junction, I noticed that a patch of sunlight was moving over Lichfield. Pulling in to the quarry gateway, I thought I’d try the new camera on the view. Not too shabby, really; it was very misty, but the Old Lady of the Vale looked splendid, as did the Coors (formerly Bass) brewery tower in Burton. In the upper shot, the disused cooling towers of Willington, near Derby, are clearly visible. 

I never tire of this view, and I love the way it’s greening up as the leaves come on.

August 1st – I came home over Shire Oak Hill, and stopped at the old quarry entrance to see if there was a decent view now – recently, the southern boundary of the site has had a mound landscaped, which partially obscures one of the best views around here.

Thankfully, it was still good for a view of the distant Lichfield Cathedral. and although the day was hazy, it was still clear enough to pick out the Coors (formerly Bass) silo at Burton and the wooded hill of Swadlincote. 

This is a great view, and not many folk really seem to notice it.