Tag: club

#365daysofbiking Deer in the mist

 

November 3rd – Sunday meant an afternoon trip over to Burntwood to help a relative with a job, which on such a dull, overcast and periodically rainy afternoon was a welcome diversion.

Returning as night fell, my attention was snagged by a very localised, patchy inversion, leading to a trapped cloud on mist on the secondary pitches at Chasetown Rugby Club.

And who was luring by the goal in the murk? Possibly Englands new front line, corvine-style…

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#365daysofbiking Garden ruin


October 19th – Originally featuring tennis courts, gardens and bowling greens, the original, once beautiful Oak Park has been pretty much abandoned and allowed to decay in recent years.

This is a crime, and a civic insult to the miners and citizens of Walsall Wood to whom this place was a gift.

Only the bowling club, with a well kept, securely fenced green still get the benefit of this sad, lost place.

I cannot countenance a world where there simply isn’t the money allowed to look after our civic amenities like this.

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#365daysofbiking Time’s Arrow:

December 4th – Once again in Redditch, I passed through Arrow Valley Park on a grey, unclear and cold afternoon. 

It was interesting to note the final vestiges of colour on the trees around the lake, and I was intrigued by the sailing club, as I don’t think I’ve ever seen a boat on the water here. I guess I just pass by at the wrong time – the club itself looks like a lovely facility.

The lake itself is also home to a remarkably large variety of waterfowl, presumably,y enjoying the peace undisturbed…

August 25th – A bad time with the IBS at the moment, but I got out late in the afternoon on what was a very pleasant day to the Historic Narrowboat Club heritage gathering at Alvecote, on the far side of Tamworth. 

There were a huge number of old working boats on display, with their proud owners ready to tell you all about them – and these fine characters and their wonderful dogs made for a great couple of hours. 

A very English thing on a lovely Saturday.

November 24th – Taking a shortcut up Pier Street, I noticed that the boiler in the OAP club was running, and the plume of water vapour generated was drifting into the night illuminated by the sodium floodlight above.

At long exposure, it looked ghostly, but probably looked better in the shorter shot. 

I watched it for a while, the patterns and colour were oddly mesmerising.

July 30th – The deer are busy around Chasewater at the moment. I thought I’d spotted yesterday’s group of reds on the north heath, where I got pretty close without spooking them at all; but when I passed the rugby club the deer from the day before were still there.

That I can take a short journey around the park and see two listing groups of deer shows how populous they are becoming lately, and I do wonder if this might become a difficulty as they move around. 

Deer are not known for their traffic sense and I worry that environmental pressures making them move around are forcing them into contact with traffic more.

They are so lovely to see, but with no predators I fear that soon the herds may need some management…

April 14th – Unexpectedly, I came upon a beautiful sight in Brownhills – over thirty moored narrowboats from the Historic Narrow Boat Club who’re on their Wyrley Wander tour and stopping here until Monday when they move on to Town Arm in Walsall.

This is a really great spectacle and worth a visit – even in the rain! Find out more on the main blog here.

January 7th – Out and about today on various errands, I spotted a rather muddy rugby match going on at the club in Chasetown, just on the edge of Chasewater. I’ve never been much of a sport spectator, and know little about rugby, but looking at the assembled crowd, the mud, the barked instructions and the seriousness, I could tell this was important.

I have no idea who was playing, or who was winning: but to be out there in that mud, chasing a ball and getting pulled around bodily by strangers, I developed an instant admiration for these guys.

There seemed to be a spirit here one doesn’t see much in football; a willingness to get stuck in at whatever cost. It’s quite impressive.

I watched for five minutes, but had to be home. I must return though, as like village cricket on a sunny summer afternoon, there was a magic to it I’d love to explore further.

June 6th – Well, we had the large cocks last week, and now I found a pair of balls.

There I was, cycling up the Mellish Road (some way from the golf club and driving range) in the early morning, having picked up some components from Aldridge, when I spy an egg in the road. 

It wasn’t an egg, it was a golf ball. A little further on, uphill, I found another. 

A curious find. 

February 1st – I nipped into Aldridge for a change and some fresh air, at lunchtime before the weather broke again. It was very windy indeed, and cycling against it was hard; but I knew it would, at least, blow me home.

Sometimes the very art of cycling is to head off into the wind.

I took a look at Aldridge Manor House – once the home of Walsall Youth Services, and still location of a great youth club. This well-loved building and the services it hosts are hanging in limbo; Walsall Council spotted the monetary value of this listed building, and having little other family silver to sell, the million or so it may receive for a sordid development opportunity proved too much for burghers to resist.

Interestingly, closure dates have been continually exceeded and postponed as the Council seems unable to find a suitable location in which to host the displaced youth club, and buyers seem to be in no particular hurry.

I’ve got a piss-up I’d like organised. I figure a brewery might be a really good place to hold it. I don’t think I’ll ask the council to organise it – all evidence suggests they’re incapable of such a task.