February 19th – In Walsall Wood, the spring flowers on the grass in front of St. Johns Close are showing well. A range of beautiful daffodils and yellow crocuses form a cheery carpet on this greyest of dull days.
Interestingly, the purple crocuses – normally here in profusion – seem to have suffered a crop failure this year. Maybe they’re late to what is a very early party.
Curious.
February 2nd – Kings Hill Park in Darlaston is a real treat at the moment, for the miniature daffodils, crocuses and finally snowdrops are in flower.
Spring has come already and it’s only the 2nd of February.
In all my days, I’ve never know daffodils and crocuses beat snowdrops into bloom. These past couple of years have seen some crazy seasons.
To see these flowers was a real joy to the heart.
April 15th – Shelfied, just on the marooned triangle of land where there was once a railway bridge, a beautiful display of daffodils, better than ever I remember them.
Every year these gorgeous flowers drag me into spring. They are a joy to the heart. My best wishes and thanks to those at Walsall Council who planted and look after them.
April 14th – A sunny, warm moring. A run through a Wednesbury Industrial Estate, to come upon a grass bank covered in hundreds of daffodils.
I’m no Wordsworth, but I think I know what he meant.
Few spring sights are this joyous. Beautiful, and good for the soul…
March 30th – I keep banging on about this, but it is rather great. On a blowy but beautiful spring morning, I dawdled through Kings Hill Park. With every week of spring it gets that little bit more green, that bit more in bloom.
Today it was gorgeous. Can’t wait until there’s some leaves on those trees. Wherever you are, get into your local parks. Walsall’s people work hard to keep our open spaces looking great. Enjoy them while they’re at their most beautiful.
March 19th – In a dark, unlit tunnel under Spaghetti Junction, in the exact spot where, a year ago, Bill Drummond placed thousands of daffodils in jam jars under the skylight, he (or someone acting in his spirit) has left an important message Birmingham (and indeed all of us) should heed.
Brilliant. Just brilliant
April 16th – It’s all about flowers at the moment. I was in Telford for the first time for a couple of weeks, and spring has come on incredibly fast in the intervening period. As ever, the bed of tulips and other flowers at Telford railway station is incredible – but the daffodils – now going over a bit – were gorgeous at Hortonwood. It was sunny, and warm, and the wind seems to be dying a bit at long last. As I ground my way up Shire Oak Hill late afternoon, I noticed the first Spanish bluebells in the hedgerow by Lanes Farm.
This was worth the wait.
April 11th – A great day up until 4pm, then all hell broke loose. I returned home late, and was doubly slain by two separate punctures. I didn’t mind too much though, as the air was warm, the sun was out and well, it could have been worse.
What better than daffodils to cheer you up? The displays this year on Walsall’s verges and greenspaces have been terrific. This patch in Shelfield has been particularly gorgeous.
My compliments and thanks to the people who plant and tend them. They cheered up one weary, beleaguered cyclist this evening.
April 9th – This… this, it’s remarkable.
I was shooting along the towpath, in the part of Spaghetti Junction where there’s a covered, cavernous tunnel over the canal. It’s dark under there; and eerie. It can be a little scary – there is no electric light there, and the only daylight is from the portals and small, irregular metre-square apertures in the roof, that let in shafts of sunlight. It’s a very odd, otherworldly spot.
I cycle through here generally without stopping. But today, a patch of yellow caught my eye in the admitted beam of light.
I stopped. I backed up. I stood, open mouthed.
Hundreds, possibly more than a thousand daffodils in small jars. Each with water in, in the circle of light. Decaying, gone over. Placed with what must have been care, it would have taken a large effort to get them and the jars to that spot. It’s not accessible. It would have perhaps taken a boat… or some climbing. But why? Was it art? Obsessiveness?
I was captivated. The pictures don’t do it justice. It’s stunning.
When I got home, I looked at the pictures. I puzzled over them. I asked twitter: twitter knew. Thanks to @nebolland, @kenofski, @brumcyclist and @cybrum who enlightened me.
It turns out it’s art. It was carried out by artist, art world enfant terrible and extraordinary publicist Bill Drummond, once of the KLF.
Read about Bill and his Birmingham project here.
You can say what you like, that had a massive impact on me. That was bloody genius. I have total respect for it.
March 13th – So, having got the new camera and charged it up, I tried it out on the way home. I need more time with it, as many settings I’m used to have moved – but I was quite pleased, really. The flowers in Walsall Wood are a credit to the people who planted them, and are really worth a trip to see. The sunset over Walsall Wood, Bullings Heath and Clayhanger Common was great tonight, in all its misty glory.
The lone red deer hind was a surprise as I rode around the new pond at Clayhanger – I almost missed her; she was nervous and high-tailed it away almost as soon as I spotted her. I think they get in the osiers and scrub on the marsh on the far side of the pool, safe there from human contact.
I see the canal boat moorings are still busy at Silver Street, and it’s nice to see the woodsmoke drifting from the chimneys as you pass by.
Not a bad first sample, really.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 