Tag: Lichfield

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.

December 23rd – I was aiming for a great ride; I needed to go to Whittington to get some Christmas food in from a trader I know there. I rode out as dusk fell, but this last Saturday before Christmas the roads were full of drivers – mainly taxis and private hire, it has to be said – who weren’t concentrating, or at least not focussed. I got cut up. I got close passed. The roads didn’t feel safe, and neither did I.

Rolling into Lichfield, my nerves were shot.

The city was equally odd. This was to be the last real shopping day before Christmas, as it falls on a Monday this year, and Sunday restrictions would apply. But the place was full of high spirited drinkers and stragglers, and the atmosphere was quite hostile. I took some hurried shots, and rode home.

Not as festive as I’d hoped, to be honest…

December 9th – Lichfield has a little secret that I’d love to share: Melbourne Coffee.

In a passageway between Market Street and the central car park, there’s a kiosk run by a lovely Australian lady who, to put it frankly, can caffeinate me anytime. Here espressos are toe-curlingly good, and made with expert care, dedication, and the happiest, loveliest customer service you could wish for. 

On this cold day, the bar-seats at the kiosk counter had hot water bottles for customer comfort, and the brew slid down well, as no doubt would have the lovely looking cake were I not digesting my own bodyweight in marinaded goat.

The lady running this fantastic venture is the same lady behind the frankly bonkers Leomansley Snail thing, and I think she’s ace.

December 9th – Lichfield Food Festival was huge, and very busy. I dined on tasty burgers, sweet treats and some rather divine curry goat. I bought cheese and treats and enjoyed a busy afternoon in the city, feeling very festive in the dying light. It was much better than I expected and I had a great time.

Sadly, all the food took it’s toll and the ride back was arduous. But as ever, Lichfield at Christmas was a joy. I’m glad I went, but a bit more snow would have made it perfect.

December 9th – I was looking forward to a snowy ride out to a couple of food fairs – one at Whittington, and one at Lichfield. Sadly, when I escaped at lunchtime, most of the lying snow had melted away and the ride was just greasy and dirty with meltwater and mud.

Still, the ride out through Little Hay was nice, and up over the Heath. The Whittington event was decent, and I was amused by the tiny, real snowman standing sentry on the door. 

After a look around, I headed to Lichfield with a keen seeming wind against me, still a bit miffed about the snow melting. But as it turned out, it didn’t turn out too badly…

October 27th – I managed to finish work in the early afternoon and got myself and my bike to Lichfield for a lovely autumn sunny afternoon.

The old city and the sisters of the Vale looked gorgeous with the low sun and long shadows, as did Festival Gardens, the war memorial and Minster Pool.

Lichfield can be awfully up itself sometimes, but it’s a very beautiful place and it would be impossible not to love it – and a content afternoon mooching for gifts in the junk shops and charity emporia was a great way to unwind.

Some great weather at last!

September 23rd – Returning through Lichfield, Festival Gardens looked gorgeous too with the autumn thing going on. Although I feel cheated out of the expected Indian summer, I’m really enjoying the Autumn colour this year.

And there are few better places to admire it than the parks and streets of Lichfield.

August 12th – An run out after a busy day saw me investigating a few things I’d been meaning to locally. It was a bright but slightly hazy evening, and I took the opportunity to try some familiar zoom shots from near Fishpond Wood above Stonnall, and the perennial favourite Lichfield from the quarry gateway.

It was a bit too muzzy for Lichfield, but Wall came out beautifully, unlike the familiar towers of Shenstone. I suppose the mist and haze must have been sitting in a depression or hollow between us, unlike Wall.

Wonder what the science is here?

July 9th – I shot down the A5 to Tamworth, heading for Atherstone, because I was late. Just at Streetway, near Weeford, a field of stunning light purple flowers I mistakenly thought were flax. They were absolutely gorgeous.

Alive with bees, I counted 15 species. The flowers themselves seemed to be a lavender-white with purple stamens, and I’ve not seen the like before.

It turns out the crop is phacelia or purple tansy, a crop that’s grown to rest the land and attract pollinators between productive years.

You can find out more about phacelia here. A remarkable and beautiful thing.

July 8th – A bit of a recovery ride I suppose took me out and around Lichfield late in the day. Noted hazelnuts in profusion near Darwin Park, but what really stole the day was the sunset. From the cobwebs eerily lit on the gorse to the sundog that shone to the south of the sun, it rendered everything it touched utterly beautiful, none less so that the oceans of ripening barley.

What a beautiful end to the day.