October 10th – by the time I reached the top of Shire Oak Hill, dusk had fallen and the lights were coming on. This was dismal, I loathe and detest the enforced loss of light. Yet, even so, balancing the camera on the quarry gates and taking a timed shot of the view to Lichfield made for a wistful, evocative view of the Old Lady of the Vale. I will get used to it, but for a few days at least, I will mourn the coming darkness. Was it really summer a week ago?
October 4th – Nice to see as I winched myself up Pipe Hill, that the milepost that stood by the site of the long-gone Royal Oak pub has been moved and restored. I love Staffordshire mileposts – this one, marking the parish boundary as well as distance – had been hidden in the undergrowth a short distance away for quite some time. I’m glad that Staffordshire County Council seem to appreciate the historical value of these marker monuments and are actively maintaining not just this one, but posts across the county. A real link with the past.
October 4th – I had to nip into Lichfield on my way home, and it was as I was heading out of town I noticed this shiny new bike chained to the Guildhall Railings. A Cotic ‘Road Rat’, it’s a bike with a fanatical following. A single speed with disc brakes, it’s made for urban riding, and I loved the shiny leather Brooks saddle. There’s an unusual design feature, though… Initially I thought the forks were backwards, but they’re clearly the right way round. The front disc brake is mounted on the opposite side to the usual one, which puts it on the front edge of the fork. Intriguing, but I can’t see a valid reason.
Nice bike, though, my compliments to the rider.
September 14th – I headed off to Lichfield late in the afternoon for some shopping and to chill out over a cuppa. When I left, the sun was still warm and the wind low, but as I returned, the skies blackened and a stiff breeze sprang up. The combination of the golden hour, darkening skies and Leomansley’s interesting architectural textures made for a captivating scene.
August 20th – A late afternoon ride to keep the legs moving after a tiring morning at work. I spun around Chasewater, then headed down through Burntwood to get some stuff from Waitrose in Lichfield. On the way, I passed the former old people’s home Greenwood House, near Swan Island. Empty and decaying, this modern, well loved facility was closed by Lichfield Council as part of their hated ‘Changing Lives’ project, created solely to farm social responsibility onto the third sector and offload all those expensive vulnerable people into the community. This building has been empty for over two years now. An utter waste. Welcome to the social state in the UK in 2011. Utterly bankrupt, both financially and morally.
August 4th – Cresting Greenhill in Lichfield, heading down the Birmingham Road on my way home, traffic was very heavy. I love riding the traffic in Lichfield – challenging, exhilarating and smugness-inducing. A fine ride.
Sadly, I had a better audio track for this ride, but yootoob’s audio fingerprint thing spots it and removes it, which is a great shame. That technology is bloody impressive, though…
July 13th – As Summer’s clock mechanism whirs away, inexorably ticking the days away until autumn, little markers fall in place like the escapement of a precision mechanism. Flowers bloom and fade, trees blossom and fruit, animals breed and fledge. Today’s marker is this very nearly ripe field of wheat at Harehurst Hill, between Wall and Lichfield. Almost overnight it has transformed from a fresh green to a warm gold. Soon, it will be harvested, another marker in time’s passage.
July 12th – Red light jumpers really annoy me, whatever type of roaduser they are. On the same morning commute, two classic examples, 15 minutes apart. The first turns left toward Lichfield at the Shire Oak Junction in a car. The second, a cyclist, drifts off the pavement and into lane at the Church Street junction in Lichfield, only to drift back again and cruise through the junction illegally. Both are idiots, and there’s no need for it.
July 7th – It’s not just the car park at Waitrose that tends to be full of posh vehicles. This Pashley is one classy bike. Weighing a ton, they tend to glide gracefully rather than race. Fully enclosed drive system and relaxed, classically upright position appeal very much to the more mature lady, which would be an excellent description of the rider who locked it here. A fine steed indeed.
Edited a couple of hours after posting: Thanks to reader Ziksby’s sharp eye, I now know that this isn’t in fact a Pashley but a Raleigh Elegance, a knockoff Pashley copy. I should have spotted the lack of hub brakes. Still an elegant steed, and it does look heavy. Must put the glasses on next time… D’oh!
July 7th – After taking lunch in Pelsall (the principality border guards were napping) I popped into Lichfield to get some shopping. After getting soaked, the sun came out and made for a warm, summery afternoon. Passing the new junction on Pipe Hill, I noticed that Maple Hayes – now a school for children with dyslexia – was beautifully framed by the countryside around it. Maple Hayes was once the source of water for Lichfield, a very early pipe from which appeared in Cathedral Close and gave name to Conduit Street.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 