City | BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking

Posts tagged ‘City’

#365daysofbiking Hard days

Monday January 18th 2021 – I’d had to go a long way for work. It was tough. I left early and called in to Birmingham on my way back to collect my bike which had been left in safe keeping for my return at a nearby work site, the better to avoid commuter trains.

It was around 6pm, and the city I’ve always loved, my home, my heart – was dead. After a day of travelling, empty stations, closed cafes and lonely trains, a deserted, almost post-apocalyptic Birmingham was very nearly the straw that broke me.

There were people about. People who were fearful of contact and closeness of others – understandably. I was like that too. Masked, hostile people.

Trams and buses swept past, nearly empty each one.

But then I stopped, and I looked: The lights were the same, the wet sheen on the tarmac. This is still my place. It’s still beautiful – if now more eerily so in it’s sparseness – but it will return. The spirit lives on. We’re just in hard days.

I did what I always do – got on my bike and rode home.

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#365daysofbiking The quiet city

December 14th – I stuff to do in Lichfield on a Saturday afternoon, so left it late to catch the gathering night.

I wasn’t disappointed.

It took me ages to work out what’s special about Lichfield City Centre after dark: It’s the lack of normal streetlights. The lights there are – on buildings, mainly – are verbally low press ion, very yellow sodium which combine with the often far more intense shop lighting to give an illusion that the streets are darker and more suffused than they are.

I notice that Ye Olde City has again been invaded by those bloody creepy, sinister nutcracker figures again. Enough to give a man nightmares.

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#365daysofbiking City of ghosts

September 28th – The shopping and other errands in Lichfield took longer than anticipated and I ended up returning after dark, but it’s always nice to catch Lichfield in the dusk.

My friend was keen to practise their low light camera skills and it was truly a pleasure to try the old haunts and muses. I always love how the people in these images look almost insubstantial.

There’s a much better photo in the cathedral walk artwork but we didn’t stumble upon it – one for another night.

That old underpays – site of many an 1980s band publicity photo – is still captivating in it’s otherworldliness.

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#365daysofbiking Into the blue

July 23rd – I was in Birmingham for work and was planning on catching the train home. But there was trouble with the signals and all trains I could have caught were messed up.

I decided to ride home – it was a nice evening, after all. I decided to hit the canal near Lancaster Circus, but heading out of the centre I found the new segregated cycleway up the A3 to Perry Barr. It’s absolutely brilliant. I was so enamoured, I kept on it and rode home over Kingstanding.

It’s fast, largely well thought out, has it’s own traffic signals (with repeaters at bike eye level) and was really quite busy.

Some of the routes over major junctions are a bit tortuous, but it’s far better than I’d ever have imagined.

Sad to see it ends abruptly at Perry Barr, but I suppose with the junction being remodelled there it would be folly to continue it yet.

A fine thing, very pleasing to ride.

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#365daysofbiking Subterranean sunny station blue

March 28th – Always nice to get a glimpse of blue, sunny sky from the dark platforms at New Street Station in Birmingham.

Today I was waiting for a connection early, and although there were loads of trains, there weren’t seemingly too many people around. I killed time with a snack, and peered up out of the tangle of steel, concrete, wires and machinery to the surrounding architecture – always fascinating, always in transition.

And then beyond that to a blue sky – and even in this urban morass devoid of anything natural – the promise of a beautiful, sun-dappled spring.

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#365daysofbiking More to it than that

February 18th – Returning from a work trip to Stafford, I got off the train mid day at Coseley, to ride back to work. On the station platform there, there was a poster advertising cheap returns to … Coventry.

These three pictograms are apparently what the City of Coventry has to offer.

Well, the cathedral’s in a bit of a state, can’t find the penny farthing hire and as for nude women riding horses…

Can a city sue? Asking for a friend.

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#365daysofbiking City of light

December 27th – A late afternoon visit to Lichfield was in order to sort out some post Christmas buys. The place was oddly quiet and I expected it to be much more busy than it was.

The weather was warm, very grey and overcast but rather warm, which seems to be the order of the day for the winter so far.

The lights of the city however, were as bright and beautiful as ever and I thinks it’s a place I’ll never tire of photographing in low light.

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#365daysofbiking Skylines

December 22nd – A pre-Christmas adventure to Harrogate was just what the doctor ordered. A fine Yorkshire spa town, in unexpectedly good weather.

Leaving early, and changing at Leeds, arrival late morning was swift and fun.

The place was quiet, which was surprising, but charming and a great day was spent wandering around, exploring and just taking in a varied and beautiful skyline.

This was a wonderful day.

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#365daysofbiking Never say never again:

December 19th – Recovery, and finally getting things done. Catching up with stuff, then Christmas shopping in Brum with good companions.

Every year I say I won’t do the Christmas Market again, but every year I do and I always fall for the lights, the pricey but tasty food and the atmosphere.

Birmingham is still changing as it has been since I first came here 40 years ago. I love this city. I adore it’s quirks and festive foibles.

A great evening rounded off with excellent saag paneer and lamb tikka on the Soho Road.

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December 23rd – I was aiming for a great ride; I needed to go to Whittington to get some Christmas food in from a trader I know there. I rode out as dusk fell, but this last Saturday before Christmas the roads were full of drivers – mainly taxis and private hire, it has to be said – who weren’t concentrating, or at least not focussed. I got cut up. I got close passed. The roads didn’t feel safe, and neither did I.

Rolling into Lichfield, my nerves were shot.

The city was equally odd. This was to be the last real shopping day before Christmas, as it falls on a Monday this year, and Sunday restrictions would apply. But the place was full of high spirited drinkers and stragglers, and the atmosphere was quite hostile. I took some hurried shots, and rode home.

Not as festive as I’d hoped, to be honest…