February 9th – I was in town past six, in the early darkness, and the light had that blue, luminescent quality to it you don’t often get. Wandering in town from supermarket to supermarket, the urbanity glowed beautifully.
The Canon really loves an urban electric evening, I have to say, and I still do love Walsall.
February 6th – On the corner of Gladstone and Station Street in the industrial backstreets of east Darlaston, a curious little bungalow cottage I’ve always wondered about.
Painted terracotta red with two tall chimneys, Victoria Cottage is an unusual house that doesn’t seem terribly large, but someone is awfully proud of. It has a plaque dating it to 1897, and it’s well cared for and the people who live here clearly love the place.
It looks almost like it was built as a project by someone, it’s such a curious shape. I’m sure there’s a bacstory here that must be fascinating.
Anyone know more?
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
January 25th – The art of the traffic light snatched photo is night quite dead, just a bit rusty.
Another day of grim, grey commutes, but crossing the Arboretum Junction in Walsall was a the same wonder of light, standing water, marooned architecture and controlled chaos it always has been.
Some things are changeless, and when you’re recovering, that’s what you need.
January 24th – The morning commute had be a sodden, wind-battling, dreadful affair; the evening one was dry, clear, warm and quieter.
This gave me a good chance with the Civic Quarter in Walsall. Sorry, I’ll stop with the night shots soon.
The odd camber of the paving here and colliding angles still annoy me even time I look at it…
January 23rd – And, as welcome as a warm pair of slippers, I return to Shenstone in the dark.
The Canon again did some good stuff with the atmosphere here. I am adoring this little camera. Never thought I’d say that of this brand.
It was cold, and there was a strong headwind. But I was homeward bound, and Shenstone Station, like an old pal, is soothing in the darkness.
January 19th – My health doesn’t seem to be improving. After getting over the worst of the fever of last weekend, I’m left with a rattly chest, a cough and a head cold.
It feels like it’s never going to go. My average speed is down to a miserable 10-10.5mph. I feel unfit and lost. And the weather? It’s lousy. It’s been like it since before Christmas, and right now I could do with sun, some warmer temperatures and some spring flowers. And the ability to do 15mph without feeling like I’m about to collapse.
‘Tain’t too much to ask, is it?
Meanwhile, in a chilly Darlaston, a view I’d not noticed before – with no leaves on the trees, looking over that splendid, dignified war memorial, the whole range of Darlaston architectural history: The Post Office, Rectory Avenue, The Columbarium, St Lawrence’s Church. What a fine set of buildings on that skyline…
January 12th – I came from Derby to Leicester, made a call in Leicester, back to Birmingham and then Walsall. At 4:30pm I was in Derby; by 6:30 I was in Walsall. Not bad, really.
Through my increasing aches and congestion – the cold was really clouding things now – I got the Late Night Feelings vibe in several places, and a bit of a Peter Saville in Walsall.
I love travelling. I love riding a bike. I don’t love the cold virus.
I was glad to get home.
January 11th – Unusually, I came through the pedestrian centre of Darlaston today, and noted that the old Caldmore Accord Housing Association offices were now empty: this must surely have been a pub once, but I can’t find it on any old pub sites, so I’m a bit puzzled. The courtyard is lovely, and the Mindful Gifts shop next door is an Aladdin’s Cave.
I hope a use can be found for this lovely building.
January 7th – In order to reclaim something from the ride, I headed via Whittington to Lichfield, for if there’s one place that makes for good night photos, it’s Lichvegas.
Once again, the Canon gave a good account, and I’m loving this camera as a low light device: These images are handheld despite some seriously odd quirks in the hardware ergonomics – why on earth would you have an exposure compensation control on the same central axis as the mode dial, committed in hardware? Often you unintentionally skew exposure compensation changing mode by accident – an awful bit of design.
The camera has a very yellow response to even high pressure sodium lights, which is interesting, but it works remarkably well under white LED street lighting and T5 fluorescents.
Whittington Church is hard to get a good angle on, and that subway in Festival Gardens, Lichfield, fascinates me. I wonder how old it is? It’s construction would suggest 1920s or 30s.
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