Tag: Christmas

December 15th – I went to Chasewater for the first time in a couple of weeks, but sadly, at dusk. I’d been up on the Chase (more on the main blog later) and returned over the dam. The water level must now be getting close to full. I had concerns that the balancing pipe system between the Nine Foot pool, main lake and spillway would dictate the overall final level, but the sluice between the Nine Foot and spillway seems now to be closed. I guess this indicates the final full level of Chasewater will be the top of the new breakwater overflow. The level therefore is now climbing up over the sluices, and I’m fascinated to see the lake bed reclaimed. This is like watching the recovery of a good friend from a grievous illness, and fills me with joy. The convalescens of a reservoir.

On the way back to Brownhills, I passed a row of narrowboats moored by the Anchor Pub. I have vague recollections of this at this time every year. Wonder if it’s a christmas party? Fascinating, and lovely to see.

December 10th – sadly, I only have this pair of images for today. I took a fair few in the morning, but isn’t realise the camera was set wrong, and they came out really badly. Oops.

On my way home from work, I let the wind blow me from Walsall. It was cold, but not unpleasant, and the air was slightly hazy. Stopping at the lights in Rushall, at what used to be the village square, I thought how festive it looked. This area is always very bright at night – a combination of street and traffic lights, shop windows and signage, but with the extra light of the christmas decorations, it did, actually, feel a bit like Christmas. Ah well, only a few days of work left to go…

December 7th – I keep seeing complaints on social media about the state of Walsall’s Christmas tree this year. Since the tree has faced a bit of an uncertain future in recent years, I’m surprised we’ve got one at all; and so I thought I’d take the opportunity to check it out. I don’t think it’s too shabby at all, to be honest. Sat in front of The Crossing at St Pauls – the church cum shopping centre by the bus station – it seems to fit well in what is possibly the only public square in Walsall that works architecturally. Seems decent enough to me…

November 28th – This somewhat poor photo was quite difficult to take, due to the traffic, but after yesterday’s photo of the splendid Walsall Wood Christmas tree, I thought I’d feature the festive decorations in Shelfield. Yes, that’s a normal tree, one quarter covered with colour changing lights. That’ all there is. Utterly bizarre.

November 27th – I see Christmas is rolling in, then. I’ve noticed Christmas lights up in Brownhills, a rather pathetic effort in Shelfield and tonight, Walsall Wood’s Christmas Tree was lit up in St. John’s churchyard. This is an interesting thing – Walsall Council long ago stopped buying trees for the lesser, satellite towns like Brownhills and Aldridge, and encouraged places to dig their own hole. Walsall Wood, for the last few years, has had a tree paid for out of the pockets of Councillors Anthony Harris and Mike Flower, a rare and welcome act of personal largesse. I don’t know for sure, but I expect they’ve done the same again.

We may not agree politically, but this is an act of true public spiritedness for which I thank them. Cheers, chaps.

Christmas Eve – I dropped down into the city, not as a shopper, but as an observer. It was quite deserted at 5pm, nothing much was going on except the clearance of the market stalls. The sound of cathedral bells rang out and I was aware of a casual drift towards the close by those around me. I always feel odd at this time on Christmas Eve; it’s all over bar the shouting, and commercially at least, Christmas is over. Peace and best wishes to all those reading this, may Christmas bring you all you desire. See you on the other side…

December 22nd – Doing a Christmas shop by bicycle is much easier than you’d think. You need good, spacious panniers and be skilled at packing, but with Waitrose’s great bike facilities, it takes some of the pain away from the process. Certainly, there’s no faffing about parking. The supermarket itself was mad, though; Christmas does bring out the very worst in some folks. Hopefully the exercise of pulling 30 kilos of shopping up Pipe, Summer, Spring and Shire Oak Hills counteracts some of the pork I’ll put on over-indulging…