Tag: Four Oaks

July 9th – All I want is a day – one day – without rain. Sadly, it wasn’t to be. Returning from Birmingham, the train disgorged it’s charges unexpectedly at Four Oaks, so I cycled up the hill out of the suburb, and then cruised down to Little Aston. At Mill Green, it began; a soft rain fell steadily. Coming up the hill to Shire Oak, I was hot, sweaty and tired. Then I realised: It had stopped raining. 100 metres round the bend, the roads were bone dry and it hadn’t rained at all. 

The weather we’re having right now is crazy.

November 1st – Four Oaks Methodist Church: what more can I say. Bloody difficult to photograph at night – passing traffic and the angles make it a tough proposition with my little camera. I think this is a gorgeous building, yet I rarely see it mentioned; designed by Crouch and Butler at the turn of the last century during the Methodist Church expansion that also saw the Mellish Road Church constructed in nearby Walsall. A mixture of Gothick and Perp styles, architecturally it’s a mishmash, but very imposing and impressive. Even more so at night, when it’s beautifully lit. A hidden gem.

Octyober 31st – I tried to get a shot tonight of the spectacularly beautiful Four Oaks Church, which is stunningly lit at night, but my photos were horrid. The Four Oaks Pub itself, however, fared better. Night photography is a very black art and I still haven’t got to the bottom of it. Use of flat surfaces and self timer is a must, although a Gorillapod is handy. This shot was taken with the Gorillapod wrapped round the bike crossbar whilst leaning against a tree.

June 2nd – I noticed while wandering down to the train that this patch of forgotten weeds beside the access ramp at Four Oaks Station was, in fact, a thriving crop of oilseed rape. I can’t imagine anyone actually planting it, so I wonder how it got here – there aren’t any fields for some distance, and the seeds don’t blow on the wind. Was this an act of guerilla cultivation? 

Whatever, it’s a cheerful sight and smells lovely.

June 2nd – Ah, it must be bin day in Four Oaks again. Remember, kids, this is one of the poshest, most opulent and wealthy bits of Birmingham, yet the footpaths are impassible to pushchairs and wheelchairs, refuse torn from bags by animals is scattered on the verges, and much of it doesn’t smell too good.

Birmingham is the second largest local authority in the country, and has a refuse collection system of the type one would find in a developing country. A disgrace, no more, no less.

May 31st – The weather really settled down today, and summer is definitely on the return. The air was chilly at 6:30AM in Four Oaks, but the light was gorgeous and the wind had died right down. I stopped to admire the architecture of this house in Lichfield Road, which I’ve passed many times. Is this stunning, or what?

May 5th – Garden waste collection day in Four Oaks, Sutton. This plush, opulent area of large, detached houses can be considered one of the wealthiest parts of Birmingham, yet this is the scene on refuse collection days.

Anyone who complains about Walsall’s waste collection system really needs to get out and look at that of Birmingham. This is a disgrace, pure and simple.