November 15th – And back, so it was, to Shenstone, an altogether different type of late-night feeling. This is a beautiful building, in a lovely location, and a great place to leave, but even better to return to.
I love it at night, the way it’s lit, the overhead wires, the sense of an island in the darkness. A beacon, calling me toward home, just a few miles to go.
A haunting, gorgeous station.
November 15th – Late in the day, I popped into Birmingham to meet a prospective new cwork colleague, and came back as I often used to frequently, through a somnambulant, night-time Birmingham New Street Station.
The renovations here seem to have finished – although they don’t look it and the Stephenson street footbridge looks like the work stopped abruptly halfway through. But then, there’s only so much polishing and sprinkling with cheap glitter that can mask this huge architectural turd.
The place was charming though in it’s own night-time way, and once again, that late-night feelings vibe started to hit me.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, see this post here.
Why does that haunt me so?
November 14th – Urban planners and groundsmen seem to like ornamental cherry trees. They grace town centres, open spaces, park and industrial estates. They don’t go particularly wild, take little care and offer beautiful blossom in spring, and gorgeous leaf colours in autumn, like these at Hortonwood.
They certainly brightened my day on a very, very dull morning.
November 14th – I had to go to Telford, and I was keen to see the work on the footbridge replacement is really moving on apace now.
Sectional fencing is up, footpaths and steps have closed, barriers are up and alternate footways tarmac and ready.
And the sad realisation that a favourite station flowerbed was set to be lost, with an excavator standing by.
Oh well, that’s progress for you…
November 10th – A long day, but passing Jockey Meadows in the morning showed me how lovely even the edgelands of the area can be; wedged in between Walsall Wood and Shelfield, the site of scientific special interest that is the Meadows can be scrubby and untidy, and not quite one thing nor the other, but today it was gorgeous in the colours of autumn, with leaves falling gently in Green Lane and long winter shadows.
Just what you need to set you up for a day at work…
November 8th – And further on, at the top end of Victoria Park, the trees look absolutely beautify now they’re shedding their leaves. Riding up around the park, it was good to see the guys from the council tidying and sprucing up the war memorial for Remembrance Sunday.
The day in prospect was making me heavy-hearted but with such a lovely start, it couldn’t be a bad day on the whole.
November 8th – In and out of work early as I had a medical thing to get sorted, but needed to sign some paperwork. In total contrast to the day before, it was sunny, and with the sun on the back, a pleasing hint of a summer now passed.
Station Street in Darlaston is always interesting when the sun shines on it: usually in shadow from the tall, ageing factories, it really does demonstrate the sunny side of the street.
I was in the shade today, but it would be brighter, later.
November 7th – I made a terrible decision to nip out mid morning on an call to the Solicitor. While I was there, the rain started, and returning to Darlaston in very heavy rain, I slipped onto the canal for respite from the traffic.
I sheltered under a bridge for a while, listening to the music of the rain on water, before realising the futility of it, cried Geronimo! And dashed for work, scattering the otherwise contented geese in my wake.
‘Did the big girls push you in the cut again, Bob?’ was the piss-taking call that greeted me on my return, drenched…
November 6th – One of those cursed days when you don’t forget the camera, but you forget to put the card in, so it’s useless. Having to make do with the phone, I nipped into Walsall lunchtime from work in Darlaston, and on my way back, caught this remarkable shaft of sunlight on the canal near Bridgman Street.
It was a misty, soft sunlight day – presumably the remains of the firework-frenzy fug – and maybe that was what created it, but it was beautiful.
Just a shame I didn’t have a better camera to catch it with.
November 3rd – Of course, if you’re heading towards Priorslee, Stafford Park or Hortonwood it’s always a fair old uphill, that does thankfully break under the motorway bridge. But it’s a pleasure to ride, even on a dull autumn morning. The colours and beauty of an otherwise unremarkable urban cycleway are a joy to behold.
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