Tag: fun

May 6th – Only a short run around Brownhills and over to Chasewater as it was, not to put too finer point on it, bloody cold and grey, the day being more akin to February than May. I was cheered however, by the cats I met at Catshill Junction. 

These canalside kitties were at opposite ends of the age spectrum, and whilst the black and white one was a dashing, well-maintained cat about town who was all to ready to stop for a fuss, the old tabby with the mangled ear and sad eyes was telling a tale of great experience and no little fighting. 

Both lovely animals in their own way. That’s what I love about cats and dogs; one can almost identify with their personalities, tribulations and lives.

October 29th – Passing through Chasewater to Morrisons on an errand of mercy just after darkness fell, I passed the Chasewater Railway’s Halloween Ghost Train at Chasewater Heaths station. 

The train, full of families and excited kids, was in darkness and I bet it was great fun onboard. I’m always a bit sceptical of ‘scary’ events, but this looked very atmospheric, and a great idea – Chasewater is, after all, one of the darkest places around here at night.

The pumpkin was a nice touch too.

June 21st – A pleasant ride out to Blithfield Reservoir on a more settled, but no less windy afternoon. I hadn’t been this way for a couple of years and the villages, hamlets and countryside are beautiful.

Blithfield was created in the 1950s to supply water to Stafford. It’s a lovely haven for birds – an the ice cream van at the north end of the causeway still serves the best cones!

January 29th – I love goats, and it seems we have a local herd now. In the field by Jockey Meadows in which I saw Mr. Fox in last week, I’ve been noticing the goats for a couple of weeks, but they’ve never been close enough for a good photo. Today, they were trying to get through the hedge at Green Lane. It seems there are seven adults and four or five kids, with a rather impressive ram. 

I have no idea who owns them, and I think they go wandering of their own accord sometimes; but on a grey, cold January morning seeing those little kids frolicking, jumping and having high jinks was a joy to the soul.

December 14th – This evening, there was the annual Burntwood lantern parade and Christmas Fayre at Chasewater. This was the first time the parade had been held here, and last year, the Christmas Fayre was awful, so I was a bit unsure what to expect when I attended. 

What I actually found was wonderful.

The lantern parade – in the darkness of Chasewater – was beautiful and buzzing. The Christmas Fayre, much bigger than the year before, was packed and popular. This was a success at every level, and a joy to attend. Please excuse the awful photographs – conditions were very challenging for a rank amateur like me.

I hope this is the first of many such events.

I loved the way Santa turned up in a van lit for the occasion. The kids really seemed to enjoy it, and it was very Christmassy.

My thanks and compliments to the organisers – a brilliant job.

November 10th – Wakelake, the Wakeline facility installed at Chasewater 18 months ago has been a great success and seems very popular. I love the way it’s rejuvenated the formerly derelict control pier, and the antics of the boarders (way braver than me) make for great photos.

After the dry years, it’s so nice to see people enjoying Chasewater again.

June 28th – I was in Lichfield on an errand. There was a parade of the Mercian regiment, which saw old soldiers and the public turn out in droves.

Later, there was drinking and high jinks including these two speeding characters.

I hope I’ve as much oil in my lamp at their age. Terrific fun.

April 10th – I took a spin out to Burntwood after work on an errand, but never got to where I set out for. Even at a fairly late hour, it was good to see the wakeboarding lines busy and in use. It really is great to see people having fun on the water here. 

Even if they do come a cropper now and again…

October 25th – The Night Market was much better than I expected. There were a good few stalls, decent live music and good street food (if a little pricey). The atmosphere was lovely and it was nice to see Walsall relaxed. The only dark spot was that I could see no shops open, which I find remarkable. Walsall was brimming with punters, looking for other stuff to do once they’d been around. Outside of the immediate market area, the town was lonely and shuttered. A missed opportunity by local shops, the money of these visitors was going out of town to the large companies that had nearby stores open – Asda, Tesco, Macdonalds. Really sad.