April 9th – The canal through Tamworth is very underrated. Living in the shadow of the River Tame that bisects the old town, there’s a major junction here and some remarkable architecture.
It’s a shame that nobody’s found a long-term use for the old mill yet. It’s a remarkable building.
April 9th – A 35 mile recovery ride for tea and cake on the following day didn’t go so well though. With technical issues and some spills the ride didn’t start well, and like a fool, I headed out with a punishing wind flat behind me.
The ride out was beautifully sunny and warm, and the oilseed rape at Middleton was beautiful.
As I rode from Middleton up the canal to Tamworth, someone flicked a switch and the nascent summer instantly was turned off. A harsh, cold wind and overcast skies battled me all the way home.
It was harder to ride 35 miles today that the 111 I rode the day before.
April 5th – Blue sky and profuse cherry blossom, one of the absolute joys of spring. Spotted on an industrial estate in Walsall, just how gorgeous is this?
Spring is here and there’s beauty everywhere you look.
April 2nd – A better ride on the first warm, shirtsleeve day of the year, with thankfully little wind. I rode out into Staffordshire, up through Chorley and Hanch to Blithbury, then a call at Cobwebs for tea and cake. From there, through Abbots Bromley past Bogot Wood, then over along Marchington Cliff to the church of St. John in Marchington Woodlans, at Woodroffes. This church is beautiful, and absolutely in the middle of nowhere.
A run through Marchington, Coton in the Clay, Hanbury, Needwood, Dunstall and Barton then back on NCN 54 to Lichfield and home was a lovely ride in excess of 60 miles.
I had a good average at near 13mph and felt fluid and full of energy – remarkable considering my recent issues.
Spring is here, so is the sun and I’m totally ready for this.
Thanks for all the best wishes on the 6th anniversary – still can’t quite believe I’m still doing this. I never thought I’d still be here today.
Mach 15th – I nipped to Telford for a quick errand mid day, and was pleased to see that the construction workers building the new bridge at the station hadn’t destroyed the daffodils under their wheels.
The scrub on the right was until recently covered in trees and shrubs, and upon clearance for the upcoming works, the daffodils formerly blocked from the light bolted forth. It’s good to see them get their time in the light.
March 14th – I’d had to pop to Birmingham for a late afternoon appointment and caught the train back to Blake Street, prepared for an arduous winch back uphill to Brownhills.
I wasn’t expecting the sunset to be quite as wonderful as it was. Little Aston was magical in the gathering dusk. Ah, those wonderful chimneys!
March 9th – I paid a brief visit to Telford mid afternoon, still bathed in gentle, welcome sunshine. Whilst heading over to Hortonwood, I noticed that the blackthorns on the motorway embankment were all blossoming.
A beautiful sight in a most unexpected place.
March 9th – A gorgeous, sun soaked early spring commute, a little bit into the wind, but no less gorgeous for that. I rode fast through the backstreets of walsall, enjoying the sun on my face, and for some reason today at 7am, all I could smell in Darlaston was bacon cooking.
I spotted these gorgeous primroses, just dying to be noticed in Kings Hill Park. They almost glow in the sunshine.
March 4th – A much better day, when it felt spring had arrived. It was the day of the annual Erdington Cycle Jumble, so a chance to rummage some tat, bag a bargain, scoff bacon rolls and talk to old faces. Following, I rode the canals of Birmingham, down through Brookvale, Witton Lakes, Aston, up over the Hockley Flyover to Soho for lunch, back along the canal to Small Heath, then via the Cole Valley and Plants Brook back to Sutton Park and home.
I was particularly intrigued by the wonderful Jonathan Meades immortalised in stencil underneath Spaghetti Junction.
It was a great ride with periods of lovely sunshine, spring flowers and only one heavy downpour.
And the cats, particularly the monocular marmalade munchkin in Erdington, were great, as ever.
A restorative and lovely ride.
February 5th – A day that started horribly murky and then picked up, and towards the late afternoon as I headed to Lichfield for shopping, the sun came out and once again spring insinuated itself in the flowers, the colour, the families enjoying the light and in a terrific sunset.
So lovely to see the world reawakening for another year.
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