August 23rd – I worked stupidly late into the evening, but the office was way to hot, so enjoying a breather I took a walk up the road at sunset with a cup of tea.
Such a gorgeous sky and sunset, and I was lucky to catch it as I never noticed it. I really must ease off on the work: there will be time enough when the weather is poor…
April 10th – I seem to be annoying the local cat population somewhat of late (and probably those who don’t like cats and read this journal) as I keep catching them going about their feline business and that’s clearly a bit rude.
I’m interested at the moment that canal cats seem to be returning to Walsall Wood and Brownhills – after a scant few years, it’s now getting quite common to see a waterside flaneur taking the air, hunting, having a drink or just watching things over the water.
They often disapprove of the attention.
The garden panther here, told me off most vocally from behind the Maybrook Industrial Estate.
The visibly irritated black and white chap was at the back of Barrow Close, and I’d ruined his quest for a little Moorhen.
I love cats. The best thing about summer is seeing them out and about again.
March 21st – I noticed this lad hopping about the yard at work, looking for scraps of food and collecting nesting materials. I don’t see many sparrows at work, so I took a photo of him.
He likes this old cable drum so I’ve made it an impromptu feeding station – I only had a bit of stale fruitcake to put out today, but I’ll bring some seed and stuff tomorrow.
I like to see the birds in factory yards and around industrial estates, it’s a reminder that even in the most harsh of environments, nature is around us, doing it’s thing.
Just like Mr. Sparrow here.
February 16th – On a misty, hazy mild and sunny lunchtime I crossed Kings Hill Park on a quick run out and stopped to gaze at Church Hill and the twin sisters of Wednesbury.
The view changes subtly though the years – new buildings replace old ones, trees grow and are felled, factories and buildings like the old Carcraft site fall in and out of use.
But overseeing all, those twin, beautiful spires, watching their industrial, urban flocks for over a century each.
This is a view that never ages.
October 27th – Again passing through Telford, I came past a row of trees on Stafford Park whose neat, straight planting always fascinated me.
Just beginning to turn, they’re a welcome dash of colour in a grey urban landscape on a dull day.
Every year, I note these trees come into leaf, blossom, and shed their leaves. Seeing another cycle complete makes me feel old…
July 27th – A foul commute in steady rain and a headwind, with the greasy roads I’d experienced a couple of days ago. There was really nothing at all to commend cycling this morning.
And then I passed the ripening rowan berries, bright orange and glistening with raindrops, and the morning didn’t seem as grim anymore.
I love how nature does that.
July 9th – Also being reclaimed by nature and teeming with flowers is the Victorian brick lined spillway at Chasewater, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. The flowers and plants – including heathers, mustards, spotted orchids and others – are gradually overcoming the masonry and are beautiful. But this is also industrial history.
Should it be cleared, even though it’s unused, to preserve it? Or just left to decay, beautifully? I can’t decide.
April 14th – A sunny, warm moring. A run through a Wednesbury Industrial Estate, to come upon a grass bank covered in hundreds of daffodils.
I’m no Wordsworth, but I think I know what he meant.
Few spring sights are this joyous. Beautiful, and good for the soul…
February16th – The greyness continued, and hung over the morning commute like a portent. Wet, dark and with a building wind, I edged into Darlaston over the River Tame at Bentley Bridge. The flood channel here has never been pretty, but on this awful Monday morning, it had something about it.
Maybe, somewhere downstream, there was a brighter day.
February 5th – In the backstreets of industrial Darlaston, part of the former Guest, Keene and Nettlefolds works: Salisbury House. Half derelict now, decaying ungracefully, a red terracotta brick edifice in mock victorian gothic complete with bay windows and cornices. The saddest part is that it’s almost impossible to get a good photographic angle on it.
This is a remarkable building – rather ugly, but beautifully executed; it has a proud heritage and it’s sad to see it carried to dust like this.
I think the internal light fittings are probably collectors items, and that lost football must have been frustrating for the poor kids that kicked it up there…
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