#365daysofbiking Light work:
December 10th – Christmas means it’s time for the annual Christmas light inadequacy moaning game.
They’re never enough. Not Christmassy enough. Where’s the tree? and other festive traditions.
In reality, we haven’t had a tree in Brownhills for years, and actually, I think this year’s lights – which appear to be new – look pretty nice.
I think it’s coming on Christmas, folks.
#365daysofbiking Paint the whole world with a…
November 16th – After the old chap who ran the lawnmower shop in Brownhills retired, the shop stood empty for a while, before being renovated. It actually became, in time, an upmarket baby boutique called Nancy & Harlows, which seems very popular, and I wish the proprietors all the best in their venture.
What is a little unusual about the restoration is that as part of it, local artist Rory Northall was commissioned to paint a mural on the gable end of the building. This colourful artwork features the children in his family in age order, each holding a balloon with their initial on, Pooh Bear and Eeyore, a rainbow, blue sky, and the stars and moon. The moon itself forms the seat of a young girl in a pink dress with angel wings, and requires no further explanation.
The artwork is stunning, colourful, beautiful, well executed and popular. And I think it looks best after dark, which is how I caught it on an evening errand ride around town.
A lovely thing I’ve meant to feature here for ages. My compliments to Rory and the good ladies who had the imagination to commission such a wonderful thing.
365daysofbiking Decent, enough:
October 6th – From the wailing and gnashing of the NIMBYs of Aldridge, anyone would think that the block of apartments planned for the long derelict land right at the bottom of High Street on the Elms Island would be some monstrous, hideous carbuncle that didn’t fit with it’s surroundings at all.
Studying it closely while in the village of 26,000 on Saturday afternoon, I actually decided I quite liked it. I’m not fond of the flat roof, which is a cop out in design terms, but the rest of it is an interesting blend of textures and colours, and is actually quite bland, really. It’s not too big, it certainly doesn’t block light to the hHigh Street as some alleged and it seems a good match for the rather stark pub nearby.
I’m sure the elderly folk it’s built for will enjoy living close to the amenities of the ‘village’ centre, too, and it will help keep the local retailers busy.
It seems a decent thing to me.
March 23rd – lAte at night, I needed to pay a call in Brownhills and found the High Street and Silver Street canalside deserted. The night was still, there was little traffic but I was surprised to note even at a late, dark hour Canada geese were active on the canal bank.
I hope they’re keeping their wits about them – I also saw a large, male urban fox in the High Street and he’ll soon have mouths to feed too.
February 10th – I’m liking the look of the houses going up on the old Brownhills market site right now. Hopefully, when complete they’ll bring lightness and a more populated feel to this once very open, wind-swept area of town, and hopefully also much needed footfall for the High Street.
Since the new houses became occupied on nearby recent developments, there has been a notable increase in people on the High Street, which can’t be a bad thing.
January 27th – Another run up Walsall Wood on an errand in the early evening gave good chance to play with the Canon camera more.
I love what it did to Barrow Close, Hollanders and Black Cock bridges, and the water they cross. Walsall Wood High Street, for 7:30pm on a Saturday, looked vital and busy.
After struggling with tripods of various kinds and other techniques for two years now, its nice to have a camera that works well, handheld, in the dark
December 30th – I was in Brownhills at dusk again, sorting out questions for the annual quiz on my main blog, and also fiddling with a new camera I have on loan – a Panasonic TZ100. This is a one-inch sensor compact that I’ve been curious to try.
I haven’t read the manual; I popped in a card, charged it up and off I went. So far, it’s very much like the TZ90 but with less zoom and a more strident low-light response, which is warm and pleasant.
Hopefully, the weather will improve soon and I’ll be able to get out and try this, and the Canon GX7 Mark II I also have been loaned side by side.
I’m ready for a more flexible camera in low light. I wonder if these will be the answer?
December 2nd – The Drunken Duck in Walsall Wood High Street is a sad case of a pub that’s been reborn so many times even the Dalai Lama would blush. A succession of landlords have had a go, and left; each time a new dawn predicted.
The pub shut again a week ago leaving drinkers to go elsewhere, and remains shut pending new management.
I noted with wry amusement the fact that the last band scheduled to appear her was ‘Broken Promise’ – how dreadfully appropriate.
October 17th – Well, if the day before had gone unexpectedly pink, the sunset when a gorgeous purple over Brownhills.
Rolling down the hill happy after seeing the deer, I was greeted by the most gorgeous sky. Unusually, I ducked off the High Street at Anchor Bridge, and on to the canal to catch it better.
Within the space of ten minutes, it had gone.
I was very pleased to have caught this. We’re having a great sunset season this year!
September 22nd – Unusually, I had to visit Cradley on a work errand. I used to spend a huge amount of time in this busy little town, but haven’t been to visit in nearly a decade.
It changed, without me, as places do. Some familiar things remained – some shops, landmarks, factories – but there’s a shiny new bus station, lots of redevelopment an an interesting memorial to Mary MacArthur the trade unionist who fought so famously here.
The statues is by the same artist who made the Walsall Wood ones, and whilst the thought is there, it’s no Morris and it looks like money for old chain, if not rope. Oh well.
The High Street is suffering like they all are, but retains it’s quirkiness and frenetic air of business.
Around the corner, in Wood Lane, Griffin and Woodhouse still make chain to moor the world – some of it huge.
It felt sad to be back in a place I once haunted but now don’t really know at all well. Time moves on, with or without us.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 