commute – Page 18 – BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking

#365daysofbiking Archbishop of the hedgerow

December 20th – In Telford where I’d nipped for one last task before Christmas, the weather was mild and fairly dry, but it did feel Christmassy and my mood was lifted by the abundance of holly on the Hortonwood cycleways and hedgerows.

Holly is such a beautiful evergreen and the veritable archbishop of the hedgerow, it’s easy to see why the pagans loved it as a symbol of midwinter regeneration.

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#365daysofbiking Slight return

December 18th – It had been a long day – into Brum early, mechanical problems with the bike and then back to Darlaston. It was wet but quite warm when I returned to Brownhills: The state of the towpath between Catshill Junction and Brownhills is now so flooded I usually hop back on the High Street at Anchor Bridge.

The pub always looks so welcoming in the dark.

This is always a long, hard week, but the weather and lack of light really are getting to me.

Come on Christmas, I need a break.

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#365daysofbiking Not a great place to break down

December 18th – On the way to an important breakfast meeting in Brum’s Business District, 7:30am. Half way up Moor Street Queensway, one of my brake pads disintegrates in use.

I had thought the calliper had burst, but luckily, the pad just delaminated.

Nothing for it but to effect a running repair – in rubber gloves on the central reservation. In the rain.

The view was good, though.

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#365daysofbiking Deluge

December 17th – By the time I left work and returned to Telford Station, it was raining again.

Not light rain, either, but the torrential kind I’d been caught in the previous Sunday.

At least I had waterproofs this time.

The colours of the rain and dusk were captivating on the cycleway down to the station from Priorslee.

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#365daysofbiking Frosty reception

December 17th – In Telford – it was a frosty morning after a rainy evening and there was no shortage of ice on the new footbridge. With every turn in the weather, this ludicrous civil engineering fudge looks more and more shambolic.

In many places the standing water from the night before had frozen on the bridge deck and steps – either due to lack of gritting or the grit washing away before having chance to act.

Someone really should be answering public safety questions about this farce, but I doubt they ever will.

Still, the frost on the local byways was pretty. But by heck, it seemed cold.

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#365daysofbiking Welcoming

December 16th – Another wet day, and again the camera stayed most in it’s case. But returning through Walsall Wood, it was nice to see the tree and the old church looking warm and welcoming; there was clearly an event inside.

I’m not a religious man but that did make for a lovely scene on a very dark evening.

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#365daysofbiking Unlucky

December 13th – I’m not a superstitious man, but the day really was grim and full of collision, misfortune and trouble.

I came home from work late, in a foul mood. I only took a handful of shots of Clayhanger Bridge of the overflow. When I got in I expected them to be very poor.

At least something went right.

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#365daysofbiking I want to see the bright lights tonight

December 12th – Walsall’s Christmas lights are not ostentatious these days, but Walsall always looks sort of Christmassy at night anyway.

Whether it’s Bridge Street or Leicester Street, the street lighting, vehicles, building lights and architecture combine to make something quite festive and magical.

For all the stick it gets, Walsall isn’t a bad old place.

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#365daysofbiking The Christmas list

December 12th – The Christmas tree in Walsall is usually very nicely done. After a few grim yers in the early 2000s when lighting contractors synthesised something akin to a tree from a lighting column to universal derision, then a year or two without, we now get a pretty decent tree in the square between the bus station, bank and the Crossing at St. Pauls.

This year’s tree is excellent – but following blustery weather, developed an unfortunate tilt. It’s now fixed, but still not quite plum.

I think it adds character.

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