Tag: Kings Norton

June 28th – I had an early meeting in Droitwich, so cycled back home. I’ve always loved the stretch of canal up through Browmsgrove and Alvechurch to Birmingham, so many sights, although now, north of Kings Norton it’ a bike-commuter trunk route and one has to concentrate hard on other users, which prevents you taking in the best of it.

The way over the Wast Hills Tunnel is arduous but interesting, and I still love the Birmingham University Clock; such an elegant edifice.

In between, peaceful rural and urban waterway.

I’m curious about the growing fashion for jokey, not that funny, punny names for narrowboats. They seem to be allowed the same artistic license as hair salons and some of the worst city centre bars. Bewildering.

A great ride on a day much hotter than expected.

May 27th – The birdlife on the canals of Birmingham and the Black Country is wonderful at the moment – everywhere there are goslings, cygnets and ducklings, and the herons were performing well, too – I particularly liked this guy’s Eddie Cochran impression.

Iff these don’t make you go ‘ahhh’, you’ve no soul…

March 26th – It was a tough ride; the wind had been forged on Satan’s back step, and blew relentlessly from the southwest. My route had it behind or across me mostly, but the stretch from Gas Street Basin to Smethwick was ceaseless.

But all the while, the sun shone, and otherwise, it wasn’t bad. Birmingham and the Black Country showed itself well, in all it’s diversity.

I noted the cormorants at Sandwell Valley just for Phil. Soon, Phil, soon. I, for one, welcome our new midnight black, long billed, fish-breath overlords…

March 26th – I escaped work early, and despite a fearsome wind, headed down to Kings Norton on the train and cycled back up the canal, and through the Sandwell Valley.

At Kings Norton station, this poster and one of the worst photo editing failures I’ve seen in ages.

Just what is going on with the spokes in that wheel, and are images of bicycle wheels so sparse that you have to badly photoshop your own?

July 18th – Again, I made my escape, and I slipped into Birmingham mid-afternoon and got the train to Kings Norton, intending to ride into Birmingham University where I had a call to make, and then on to the city centre along the canal, which is great from King’s Norton all the way into the city.

It is when it’s open, that is…

It turns out the towpath is shut until September between Bourneville and University, for resurfacing. I slipped through the barriers easily at Bourneville, and rode a peaceful and generally rideable route all the way to the barriers at the other end, which were impossible to transgress, so I doubled back and found a way over wasteland down to the Aston Webb Road. 

Hot and bothered, I made the visit I intended to, and rode into Brum on the canal, which was lovely.

It was again a great afternoon – but very, very hot indeed.

Just one thing spoiled it – I have a foot injury, or so it would seem. I don’t know what I’ve done, but my foot is agony to walk on; not bad to cycle on, but it makes it more difficult. This is unusual for me, and I hope it heals soon.

Rather than ride home from Birmingham, I caught the train.