Tag: junction

March 1st – On a distinctly un-springlike day, I headed into Pelsall in the morning, and came back along the canal via Nest Common. The canal here is as stark and beautiful as it every is; a shimmering sky-coloured ribbon stretching off on three directions. However, the journey back – along muddy, churned towpath until I reached the better surfaced part at Ryders Hayes – was awful. 

Walsall Council and the Canal & River Trust are said to be investing, like Birmingham, in canal routes that don’t need surfacing, while ignoring spots like this and the canal through Rushall. It doesn’t make sense to me.

February 11th – Coming up Hatherton Street in Walsall to turn right on to the New Ring Road. Clear behind, then as I roll into lane an engine revving hard behind my right hand shoulder.

Why she did this, I have no idea. Just as well I know the junction and the Advanced Stop Line for cyclists. It’s about the only time I’d ever use one. It visibly irritated her. 

I don hope she got to work or wherever in a foul mood.

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

January 9th On the way back into Brownhills, I passed another pub with a difficult recent history. After a long period of stability, the Shire Oak went through a few landlords in quick succession, and was closed for a good while, before being reopened on Christmas Eve last. It’s a decent house when in the right hands and I wish the new hosts well; such a prominent, landmark pub, standing as it does on a major junction, should do well and it would be very sad if it were lost. 

Good news here too, though, as a refurbishment is on the cards. I hope everything works out for this historic community boozer.

December 13th – An excellent sunset. I needed to pop to Chasewater on an errand, and had intended to call to the supermarket in Burntwood, but left without a lock, which was fortuitous really. I noticed the beginnings of a good sundown while at the dam, and it improved steadily as I cycled back to Brownhills. From Ogley Junction it was gorgeous; strong, really strong pink and purple, yet by the time I got to Anchor Bridge it had dissipated into a light orange, and then darkness. It was fleeting, but gorgeous and had I gone to the supermarket as intended, I’d have missed it.

A fine evening to be out, and a very lucky strike with the sunset.

October 28th – Autumn seems to be lasting forever this year. The wind was still punishing, but it was a lovely warm commute with sunny spells. I took to the canal to get get to Darlaston, and hopped off at Bentley Bridge. The canal looked lovely in the morning brightness, and Darlaston Green could have made a postcard.

I’m normally down in the dumps at this time of year when the clocks go back, but it hasn’t really seemed to trouble me this year – perhaps because the weather is so good.

October 13th – It rained heavily all the way home, and with a driving headwind it really wasn’t a pleasant journey at all. I hopped on the canal in Walsall Wood to escape the mad traffic, and stopped at Catshill Junction to have a breather as I often do. It was quiet, except for the music of rain falling on water. There was not a soul around, and even the houses in Chandlers Keep looked deserted. 

I was wet, cold and tired, but you couldn’t hate it like this. This was a moment of unexpected peace in a very grim day.

I got back on my bike, and rode home.

October 1st – Autumn is certainly coming to Catshill Junction and Clayhanger Coomon, as the deciduous scrub here turns golden. On this drizzly October evening, despite the murk, it looked beautiful. 

I note the building taking place on the former Bayley House site is coming on well, but the sculpture on the far side of the water is being rapidly claimed by the scrub.

I do hope it doesn’t get forgotten there.

Setember 24th – My return from Walsall an hour or so later was similarly in a gorgeous, but darker golden hour that made the red bricks of north Walsall glow beautifully. The nights really are drawing in now, and I’ll soon be commuting with lights on. It actually tried to rain on me as I rode  home, but the sun never went in.

I guess that just now, we’re entering the autumn period of great sunsets…

Bring it on.

August 30th – This has me flummoxed, and quite, quite furious to be honest. I rode on the cycleway onto the canal near the Jaguar plant at Castle Browmwich; from there it’s a decent ride on the canal to the city centre, via Spaghetti Junction. I do it loads. The towpaths for the whole route have been excellent in the last few years, from when they were upgraded about 10 years ago.

Today, I noted huge sections of path out of city towards Spaghetti, and further out towards Tyburn are being completely relaid. There is absolutely no need for this, and it’s a huge waste of resources that would be better employed instituting a decent towpath between Perry Barr and Rushall Junction, which is currently lousy, or from Bordesley to Solihull, which is pretty much impassible in winter or wet weather.

I’m assuming this is to do with the council and the ‘Birmingham Cycle Revolution’ – I wouldn’t trust the buggers to run a bath judging by this pointless waste.

July 20th – A day coloured mainly by the sad news of the loss of a good man, but as I rode the canal mid-afternoon, taking it gentle, I reflected on life. I noted a family of 4 cygnets and mum – dad seems to be gone – doing well up in Walsall Wood. I think they’re from up the canal in Pelsall. They are healthy birds, clearly getting by just fine.

Further down the water at Catshill Junction, the swans from Catshill still numbered seven youngsters and two parents. Nature is cruel, but the cycle of life continues.

I’ve grown very attached to these birds, have many of the local residents. It’s odd that we take such beautiful but grumpy and obstreperous characters to our hearts, but we do.

We feel great sadness at the toll of nature, and predators. But that’s the roll of nature’s dice, and it was ever thus.

And life continues, as it always has.