Tag: Darlaston

#365daysofbiking Giving it some stick

April 12th – Mindful Gifts secondhand shop in Darlaston, lunchtime: A selection of every kind of wooden walking stick you could wish for, each with a history and story known only to itself.

This is a wonderful shop and always a delight to mooch around – so much more interesting than a normal charity shop: It’s frenetic, frantic and stacked to the rafters with… Interesting stuff. All in aid of folk with dementia, so what’s not to love?

If I were to need a stick, I’d definitely have the one with the bicycle bell.

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#365daysofbiking A case of scurvy

April 11th – One of the odder ecological phenomena of urban Britain is the proliferation of Danish scurvy grass. This salt loving plant is what gives verges and roadsides the white fringe right now, with this hardly, pollution resistant little plant flowering.

Danish Scurvy Grass likes salt, and thrives in the ‘burn zone’ beside roads that are gritted in winter, where the roadways splashes brine onto the verge. One of the few plants not top be hindered by these hostile conditions, its white flowers can be seen by many urban roads this time of year.

There really is a place for everything it seems.

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#365daysofbiking Canal dreams

April 10th – Returning home late as the sun set I turned into Scarborough Road, Pleck, and caught the sun over the Walsall Canal to the west.

You wouldn’t;t think you were in the heart of a densely populated, down at heel urban area.

Our canals are like green veins in our towns and cities. They are wonderful, and part of me.

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#365daysofbiking Fresh

April 10th – My second home Darlaston is looking splendid in it’s spring jacket at the Monet.

How many people hear the name and think of grimy, angry industry, smell, grim urbanisation and pollution? The reality is way, way different.

Darlaston is a beautiful little Black Country town, with astounding architecture, great parks right in the centre, and a phenomenal history.

Go look – there’s no better toime than spring.

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#365daysofbiking Red is the colour

April 8th – Although the weather is improving with a change in wind direction (although still quite breezy) and sunny days, it seems the temperature is still staying stubbornly low. Perhaps it’s the early spring, but it feels like it should be way warmer at the moment to me.

Meanwhile, in Kings Hill Park, the deep red tulips are out and looking superb, with the rest of the park greening up beautifully. At least the chill should preserve the flowers for longer!

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#365daysofbiking White star


March 29th – And later, in Darlaston, the cherry blossom is ahead of that I saw a week ago in Telford.

It’s an absolute riot of delicate, tissue-paper like flowers. And so early, too.

Against the blue sky, with the sun on my face, it’s hard to think of a better start to the day than the sight of such gorgeous flowers.

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#365daysofbiking Unknown pleasure

March 21st – Meanwhile, up at Kings Hill Park things are moving swiftly on. The crocuses have gone now, and the daffodils – always early here – are past their best and dying off.

However, in the patch of wildflowers near the gate, there are loads and loads of tiny flowers which I thought were violets, but now I’m not sure in a lilac, pastel blue and sky blue selection.

I can’t identify them for sure, but I can say they’re absolutely delightful.

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#365daysofbiking Well underway

March 18th – On a grey, cold morning in Darlaston, the hedgerows, scrub and edgelands are turning the colours of new growth.

Everywhere you look, leaf buds are opening and the fresh colours of spring’s palette are coming to the fore.

As winters go, it’s not been a bad one. Let’s hope summer is as good as lat year.

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#365daysofbiking Maybe just a hint?

March 5th – A slightly better day, but the wind was still pretty evil. Crossing Kings Hill Park on a mission to B&Q mid day, I stopped to check out the view of the twin sisters – the two churches the overlook Wednesbury.

It may have been my imagination, but there seemed to be, just about, possibly the tiniest hint of spring in the view.

Whatever the season, it’s always gorgeous.

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#365daysofbiking Another early arrival

March 4th – Heading to work through Victoria Park in Darlaston on a grey, quite chilly and very windy day, I noticed the weeping willows were coming into leave, and providing a welcome splash of bright green.

The fine weather may have suddenly disappeared, but the early spring continues unabated, thankfully.

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