January 12th – Crossing Festival Gardens at night, the very old subway under the main road is always worth a visit. The effect of the corrugated street it’s made from combined with bright lighting and cram paint makes for a very otherworldly sight in a dark environment.
It’s like something out of a science fiction film.
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January 12th – In Lichfield on an errand as night fell, and as always, in love with this place.
From the quiet of Cathedral Walk with it’s remarkable perspective, a somnambulant Minster Pool to the hectic traffic of Saint John Street, this tiny city never disappoints.
It’s not a bad old place really…
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January 1st – So me and a companion went looking for something, for another local historian. And we found it!
Old pal and top history writer Kate ‘Cardigan’ Gomez had written a post, published a couple of days before, about a mysterious ‘wishing stone’ up at Pye Green, on Cannock Chase (click here for that).
Since I was finally out of house arrest, we saddled up and went to look.
I won’t detail where it is exactly so it can still be fun to find, but if you know the area the pictures speak for themselves.
The journey was made even better by the remarkable sunburst seen over Huntington.
Cheers to Kate for the inspiration for a great ride! It’s good to be back in the saddle properly…
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December 31st – In Lichfield briefly, I noticed this little piece of pride and joy, locked outside the new library and later, near the Garrick.
That’s clearly a very much loved Christmas present and it’s good to see the parents getting the wee cyclist into the security habit.
This little blue, green and yellow steed could be the beginning of a lifelong love affair, like my first ‘real’ bike was. Cracking stuff, and a joy to the heart.
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December 30th – A spin out at dusk to Lichfield and beyond was lovely. Although I’d vowed (and promised) to rest I was going stir crazy and the chin fever was mounting. I had to get out.
The late afternoon spin – out to Lichfield, then Whittington, down the canal to Hopwas and back up the old A5 to Weeford and then through Shenstone.
The villages of Whittington and Shenstone were glorious and pretty in the descending night. A real joy to the heart.
For anyone planning to ride between Hademore and Hopwas on the canal – beware. The towpath, which is just packed earth and unsurfaced – is clearly being used for a horse gallop and is very hard going on a bike. Beware – it’s muddy.
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December 27th – I returned via Aldershawe and Wall, for no other reason than to avoid the grind of Pipe Hill. As I was coming through Wall I noticed how warm and cosy looking the Trooper pub/restaurant looked.
A pub that was closed for a while about a decade ago, it’s rebirth is a real success story and one I thought I’d never see: but it’s gone from strength to strength and always seems busy when I pass.
It’s a wonderful, welcoming landmark at night.
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December 27th – A late afternoon visit to Lichfield was in order to sort out some post Christmas buys. The place was oddly quiet and I expected it to be much more busy than it was.
The weather was warm, very grey and overcast but rather warm, which seems to be the order of the day for the winter so far.
The lights of the city however, were as bright and beautiful as ever and I thinks it’s a place I’ll never tire of photographing in low light.
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December 23rd – A ride out on a wet day on pre-Christmas errands: Getting game, cheese, mince pies and other bits and pieces in the pouring rain. On my way from Whittington to Lichfield, I came over the A38 junction at Hilliards Cross near Fradley South an on the otherwise unremarkable flyover, a flash of blue caught my eye. I stopped, backed up and spotted a blue plaque.
I’m not sure if it’s an official English Heritage plaque, but somehow I doubt it: but it’s a fascinating thing and a real bit of local culture.
The Ride to the Wall is a charity mass motorbike ride to the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, and you can find out more here – it’s a real spectacle and a great fundraiser for charity.
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December 21st – Summerhill motorway bridge on a dry evening is the ideal place to try long exposure photography, with the opportunity presented by the motorway below and also down the A461 from kerb level.
Today is a turning point: Not just last day of work for 2018, but the shortest day. Today, I have beaten The Suck – the darkening, grim winter commutes when traffic is bad and huge riding concentration is required. From today, the days will lengthen, sunset will get later and later and the driving will actually improve.
Regardless of the weather, the light will return and things will get better. Today was a turning point, and a very welcome one.
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December 21st – I came from work, then needed to head to Lichfield with a companion for some urgent Christmas shopping. Lichfield at 5pm on this Friday evening was quiet, peaceful and very atmospheric. Almost Dickensian, in fact.
The only troubling thing was those creepy Nutcracker figures dotted about town. I find their style unsettling and always have; I know they’re a traditional German thing but to me, they really are the stuff of nightmares.
Amplified to life-size and they are really quite unpleasant in my opinion.
Lovely photographic subjects, though…
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