February 25th – And then there’s Kings Hill Park, too. I couldn’t resist swinging past on this fine morning to check out the crocuses – and to my surprise, the snowdrops were also out in force; the ones here must be a later flowering variety.
Am I imagining it, or do yellow crocuses flower before other colours? Plenty of yellow ones about, but not so many violet.
After seeing these, you can’t fail to go to work with happiness in your heart: spring is coming, and nothing can stop it now.
February 25th – Sorry, I won’t feature Darlaston again for a few days, promise: but the town is my current muse and I do love it so – and it looks splendid in the winter sunshine.
The curious, frustrating and utterly unpredictable flip-flop weather at the moment means last night’s rain was this morning a gorgeous, almost still, warm sunny winter day. Darlaston Police Station looked fine, as did Victoria Park.
You can’t not take a photo of this place. It’s gorgeous.
February 24th – I’ve featured this remarkable tree in Victoria Park a couple of times, and it’s still growing, still consuming the railing that stands in its way. Having now totally encased the lower rail, one can almost hear it grunting as the upper rail is distorted by gentle, insistent and constant hydraulic pressure.
Despite the things clearly impeding it, the tree seems well enough. The way it has formed around its barriers reminds me very much of pyroclastic flow. It’s like slow, cold organic lava.
February 23rd – On a factory wall in Darlaston, a plaque recording the name of Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds, and a date of 1936. This was GKN, in their heyday, just before the outbreak of war. This place may now be a shadow of its former self, but this is a history Darlaston can be proud of: screws, nuts and other fastening components came out of Darlaston by the million until the late 1970s, and held the engineering of the world together.
GKN have long since gone from here, but some of the products they made are still created here by a German company.
Today, Darlaston’s industry hangs by a thread, not upon it. But these streets still resound to the sounds of industry living and breathing – and it still makes me proud to experience it.
February 20th – When one talks about the excellent architecture in Darlaston, it’s easy to convey the impression that interesting and beautiful buildings are confined to a small area in the town centre around Victoria Park. While there are many fine examples there, the sheer joy of this wonderful place is that there are fine buildings waiting to be discovered all over the place, and this is really the story of not just Darlaston, but the wider Black Country, too, which hides many of its finest gems under its bushel.
This fine old townhouse – now bedsits I think – has the most remarkable circular ‘tower’ bay with conical roof and gorgeous gables. Everything about it is perfect, from chimneys to lintels, and it sits in a nondescript, unremarkable location on the Walsall Road.
Everywhere you turn, there’s another wonderful building.
February 19th – Still working long hours and not finding much time or energy for anything else, but hopefully things will ease a bit next week. Winter returned with wet vengeance this morning with driving rain and a headwind. I battled my way into Darlaston, which looked grey and lifeless.
At least the chap waiting for his breakfast at the canteen window on Station Street had cover, of sorts.
February 18th – Next door to Kings Hill Park, the former methodist church is steadily being converted into flats. It will be interesting to see the result, and how well executed it is. In the meantime, the vegetation has been cut from around it revealing a rather interesting foundation stone.
I hadn’t noticed before, but the lead has been stolen from the building and the roofs and gables are in a parlous state. That won’t be a cheap fix.
February 18th – A sweet and sad little mystery in Kings Hill Park, Darlaston, I noticed whilst taking a shortcut back from Wednesbury. A young sapling, not long planted in the corner of the park. Surrounded by daffodils getting ready to bloom, a unattributed heart-shaped wreath, and a single red rose.
A valentines verse, and the date 14th February 1991.
I have no idea. But it caught me unawares on a sunny, springlike morning. Sad, and yet so sweet.
February 17th – In Kings Hill Park, two firsts for the year; my first snowdrops and crocuses. The snowdrops seem very few and far between this year, and those around seem small and spindly. Can’t be their year. No such issues with the crocuses.
I think this spring idea might just work. The seasons wheel moves on another tooth. Bring it on.
February 17th – Darlaston, again. What a difference a day made. Spring was in the air, the sun on my face and warmth in my heart.
Shame about the trees in front of St. Lawrence’s Church. They make it impossible to get a decent angle on one of the finest churches hereabouts.
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