Tag: flailing

August 8th – I snuck out of work early, and took the train back to Blake Street to enjoy the early evening countryside around Little Aston. Much as I salute the great success of British Cycling and the olympic team, the plastic Wigginses are out in force on their new bikes. I don’t mind them so much, just wish they’d return the greetings. That, and stop wearing yellow jerseys. They just make you look daft, frankly.

I got stuck in some distinctly rural traffic near Footherley. I noticed the farmer here cutting his hedges yesterday, near the top of Footherley Lane by the little bridge. Now he was doing Wood Lane and New Barns Lane. I found it a little concerning – hedge flailing isn’t usually done until Autumn, when birds aren’t nesting. However, watching the operation (I had no choice, I had a tractor behind me too) the driver had a very light touch, and was only trimming the excessive overgrowth caused by the wet summer.

I do wonder how the newcomers on their road bikes will fare on these now thorn-strewn lanes; my tyres are fairly hardy but those strips of liquorice the speedsters use are well vulnerable… hope you’ve all got repair kits in the back pockets of those champion jerseys…

February 25th – Another public service announcement. The hedge clipping season continues – this time, British Waterways have flailed the hawthorn Hedge beside the canal through Catshill in Brownhills, from the Anchor Bridge to Ogley Junction. This hasn’t been done for a while and the towpath is covered with thorns. If you don’t have thornproof tyres, my advice is to avoid that bit of canal if possible for a week or two.