November 4th – And then, in the afternoon, again crossing Kings Hill Park on a short errand to B&Q, the twin sisters caught in the soft sunlight of an autumn day, surrounded by turning leaves.
This scene has occurred every year for over a century, and makes me feel safe in it’s constancy.
September 7th – The weather is fine and warm at the moment, with little wind. Commenting this week has been a joy, and nowhere better to enjoy it than Kings Hill Park in Darlaston.
I took a detour just to see it – from the wonderful view of the twin sisters of Wednesbury to the lovely sculpture and tree-shaded, sun dappled walkways it’s a lovely calm oasis on the border of two great Black Country towns – Darlaston and Wednesbury.
Sad it’s not better known, really.
August 7th – There were three in total, but ginger scarpered. Judging by their lanky, adolescent appearances, I think they were siblings, and I spotted them as they dashed over the road near Red Hill. They’d clearly been investigating the horses in the field, and been scared, and now there was this guy on a mechanical contraption pointing something at them.
These cats are clearly characters, and living in the quiet backlanes of Longdon, they have acres and acres of woodland, hedgerow, pasture and ditch to explore.
What a life they have before them.
April 5th – It was quite clear from the view over to Wednesbury from where I pulled over to answer a call in Kings Hill that Bill’s Mother now lived that way on – it was looking mighty black over there.
The sunlight that remained, though, caught the twin sisters a mile away and reminded me why I love this most urban of views.
A real Black Country vista.
January 29th – I came home fairly late and had to pop into Stonnall. Coming back up the hill was hard – I have a cold and my energy was nearly gone. But there’s something about reaching the Shire Oak junction – maybe it’s just being at the top of the hill, or the fact that it’s all downhill to Brownhills from here, or maybe just the welcoming lights from the pub – that’s almost cathartic.
The working week ended here, and it was a soft roll down into the weekend, sleep and a good deal of rest.
Bring it on.
January 26th – Jasper Carrot fans will know the familiar comedic cry of ‘I got this mole!’ but for the past week or two, a grass verge in Darlaston has had a fairly industrious chap digging beneath it, and he’s making me curious.
The verge is isolated by roads, a wall and a factory yard. Yet on this 100 square meter green oasis in a sea of hardstanding, a mole throws up fresh molehills every night. Nothing unusual in that, you might think; lots of places have moles. That’s very true – but how did he or she get here?
Do they travel over the surface to find new territories? Do predators perhaps carry them away, and the lucky ones make an escape? How did my worm-munching mate get onto this little patch of grass?
Suggestions welcome.
October 16th – It had been a very long final day in a very long week. I was tired, my energy reserves were low and to to put it bluntly, I felt lower than the sea’s knees. I called in to Stonnall on the way home, and as I winched myself up Shire Oak Hill at Sandhills, I looked back at the Friday rush hour traffic rolling up the hill.
Dusk was falling, it was cold and beauty was hard to find.
Some journeys are harder than others, even when homeward bound. I felt every inch of this one.
October 14th – The twin sisters of Wednesbury are a bit of a muse for me at the moment. I took a photo of this view last week, but on a dull day. This evening as I trundled through Kings Hill, the spires were caught in golden, low sun that also caught the turning trees.
I love this view, the colours, the clock and the rooftops. Hope I see it in snow this year. Wonder if it makes a good night shot?
October 6th – Also looking good in the autumn colour is church hill in Wednesbury, taken from Kings Hill Park.
This view of the twin sisters will only improve as the leaves turn further. You can’t not love this.
September 28th – Nipping from Stonnall over to Walsall Wood on an errand at sundown caught a misty, golden take on one of my favourite views: The Lichfield Road down into Walsall, and on to the Black Country.
Look at the traffic, the skyline. Then take in the sheer number and variety of trees. We may not realise it, but we live in a very green place. Long may it remain so.
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