Tag: IFTTT

#365daysofbiking On grey days, I dream in colour

June 23rd – A tired, grumpy recovery day. I set out mid afternoon to find something to cheer me up – no easy task in the grey and drizzle that prevailed: Such a shock after the bright, warm summer of the day before.

At Norton Bog, I found what I was looking for: The brightness of summer flowers around the small pool by the bypass.

Several varieties of orchid, devils paintbrush and birdsfoot trefoil mingled and competed to be the most vivid.

A lovely display that did indeed perk me up no end.

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#365daysofbiking I bet they saw you coming

June 22nd – Spotted in the sale/want ads on display in a newsagent’s window in Melbourne.

This has to be a piss take.

If you can’t work out why, say it out loud…

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#365daysofbiking New ways out and pushing the Boundary

June 22nd – A hurried, fast three hour ride out to an event I’d not been to before – Ashby Steam Fair at Boundary, between Swadlincote and Ashby de la Zouch. A fine day.

The fair itself was excellent, and probably the best I’d ever been to – and after I carried on to Calke, Staunton Harold Reservoir, Melbourne and then into Derby via National Cycle Route 6.

I’m always charmed by a decent steam event, and this one was terrific; not least for the sheer diversity of collections, exhibits and pastimes on display.

You can see a full gallery of that on my main blog here.

I left Derby on Route 54 and returned via Rolleston, Anslow, Barton and Lichfield.

It was a great day, and Staunton Harold was just as peaceful and as beautiful as ever it was.

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#365daysofbiking Sea of green


June 21st – Crossing the canal on the Silver Street Bridge, a gang of always-hungry Canada geese could clearly smell my curry.

I told them that they wouldn’t like it, and anyway, they hadn’t finished their algae yet.

That was slightly unfair as there’s more this year for some strange reason than I’ve seen for years. Hopefully the coming hot weather will clear it off…

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#365daysofbiking Where it Itchers

June 21st – Returning in the half light interregnum between day and night, I passed through Brownhills to get a takeaway.

Passing the cut through between High Street and Short Street, I noticed the street art stencil artwork by Birmingham artist Itchers – and it occurred that in the six months or so that it had been here, I hadn’t featured it.

Painted on the side of Archers Florist, it’s much loved and the work of a clever, talented and witty artist.

Can’t think why I haven’t featured it before.

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#365daysofbiking Clear sight

June 20th – Again heading over Catshill Junction on the way to the High Street, I checked out something I’d spotted the day before: Some kind and community-minded soul has taken it upon themselves to clear the far side of the canal near the narrows on the way to Anchor bridge. I suspect the same for have also cleared the scrub away from the sculpture ‘Cycle of Life’ on the canal junction too, as the job is far tidier than the the one usually done by the Canal and River Trust, who seem to just leave the debris where it lands.

Whoever did this, thank you. It’s nice to see the brickwork at the narrows (formerly a toll point) as it’s a fascinating style.

I’ve always found it sad that when the new flats were built here to replace Bayley House, the various parties couldn’t get it together to sort out the scrub which must seriously shade the dwellings and impede their view.

Again, thank you.

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#365daysofbiking Radio activity and G force

June 20th – Another dusk departure from work gave me chance to take some pictures of networking equipment causing some bizarre consternation locally at the moment.

A handful of local residents have spent some time in the dafter enclaves of social media and decided these white boxes and antenna on lamp columns, traffic signals and street furniture in Walsall are the rollout equipment for the fifth-generation telecoms network.

For some reason conspiracy theorists are given to believe the fifth generation network will be harmful to health, is a plot to test radiation on the population and an effort to spy on us all. Oh, and it’s somehow all connected with low energy LED street lighting.

Well, these boxes and aerials are far more mundane: They are actually pretty much high speed WiFi like we have in our homes, but designed as a specific, peer to peer network for traffic signals and other on-street infrastructure that benefits from central control.

It’s called Mesh4G and you can see it here.

As signals, junctions, crossings, air monitoring and traffic cameras are updated across Walsall, more of these relay units will appear, allowing traffic folk to monitor, modify and control their equipment without having to leave the office.

Which is interesting to me as a geek, but far more mundane than conspiracies would have us believe.

And I’ll still be waiting ages at the Bull Stake junction in Darlaston…

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#365daysofbiking Long days

June 19th – Working long hours on a difficult project at the moment and I returned one in a pleasant summer dusk after rain had passed.

The towpaths were still a bit wet, so I headed up to Anchor Bridge and down the High Street. In doing so, I caught the setting sun over the canal.

When work is tough, that ride home is like a mental breath of fresh air and provides a buffer between work and home.

And a chance for peace. It was good to be near home.

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#365daysofbiking A bitter harvest coming

June 18th – Looks like another good season for pears at Clayhanger: This solitary tree is growing by the new pond, just need the orchids and it laden with nascent fruit.

The tend to be hard and inedible, and usually are enjoyed by birds who can tolerate the acid fruit.

In many seasons this tree suffers problems with blight and parasites but this year seems very healthy, which is nice to see.

If even half of these fruit make it it’s bee a very good harvest for the birds.

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#365daysofbiking Hog wild

June 18th – I’d been alerted by the works security system in the night to movement in the yard on CCTV. When I checked it out, two large hedgehogs were courting in the back near the grass where we have a park bench and some grass for time out and the smokers. I watched them with interest as I didn’t know we had hogs at work.

Coincidentally, at work later the groundsmen came to trim the scrub back behind the premises and disturbed this young hoglet, clearly not one of the lovers from the night before.

Cat treats were sought, and the little prickly one ate a large hearty meal before retreating back to the quiet end of the scrub.

Nice to see them about considering the way the population of these charming creatures is suffering of recent years.

Drivers and workers now have signs and instructions to watch for hogs crossing!

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