December 16th – Heading back into Brownhills mid evening, the roads were oddly still busy, the traffic through the High Street heavy and challenging. Emergency vehicles came through, perhaps an accident, or perhaps just the normal buzz of life.
I was tired. It had been a long week. But a pleasant meal and evening with workmates had been enjoyable.
A weekend, and three days to go. I just need to hang in there.
December 14th – Having arrived at work, I discovered I was needed in Telford, so nothing for it, I headed for the train. At New Street, there were delays and confusion and the usual busy, frenetic chaos.
I stood at the end of the platform, wandering what I was doing there. Every signal light I could see was red.
Some days wear you out before you start.
December 10th – In a bizarre twist of events, in an already hectic, busy day, I had to go to Leicester to collect something from a shop. This pre-christmas errand wouldn’t have been so bad, but I had to pop in to Aldridge on the way, and the weather was awful.
It started to rain before I set out – steady, but light. When I got to Aldridge, the errand I was on there proved to be pointless, so frustrated, I headed for Blake Street to get a train to Birmingham. The train, unusual even for a pre Christmas one, was heaving. I’d tangled with the crowds going to an Aston Villa home game.
Dishevelled and irritated, I hopped on a warm, peaceful train to Leicester, and as I found my way to the mall where the shop in question is, the rain was very nearly stopped. I locked the bike up, and completed my task.
Re-emerging from the electric glare of the Mall it was pouring with rain. I returned through a beautifully glistening city, alive with interesting bikes, shops, lights and a rather wonderful but slightly wonky Christmas tree. I was wet, but Leicester was gorgeous. I love that place, I really do.
Returning from Blake Street was a trial. There was local flooding. The Chester Road and Brownhills High Street were awash with standing water the traffic wasn’t handling well.
But I’d completed what I needed to. I felt better. Mission accomplished.
December 7th – And when I reached Tipton – busy with rush hour traffic – I found a delight of street, shop, Christmas and traffic lights all blending into one magical, beautiful electric night.
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the Back Country steals your heart anew.
December 7th – I had to go to Tipton late in the afternoon, and as I travelled through Moxley I spotted a familiar sight in the gathering dusk that was looking particularly splendid.
I know the urban landscape isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I do think it’s rather beautiful.
December 2nd – Christmas is inescapable now; everywhere there are lights, decorations, trees and the general glitz and expectation of the season.
I don’t mind it to be honest, and this year I’m looking forward to a much-needed rest, so the oncoming festivities are quite welcome.
Passing through Walsall, weary and tired, I noticed the town this year had a rather lovely tree in St Paul’s Square, between the Bus Station and Leicester Street.
It cheered me up no end on a chilly, weary end-of-week commute.
December 1st – The long-closed Shire Oak Pub at the crossroads atop Shire Oak hill reopened only a few days ago, and it’s so nice to see the building lit up again at night. The pub deserves a good future as it’s a historic and well loved inn that’s survived many years.
As I winched myself up the hill from an errand in Stonnall I appreciated the warm, welcoming lights and hoped the new team running it have every success.
November 24th – Returning late gave me an opportunity to feature something here I mean to every year, but rarely get chance to – the remarkable Christmas lights at the house near Rushall Square.
I usually pass in times of heavy traffic, or frustratingly when they’re not switched fully on but this fiesta of LED light takes place broadly from the end of October until New Year every winter.
It’s not, I have to say, to my taste, but there’s clearly a huge amount of work, time, and no little use of electricity there, so hats off to it and my compliments to the householder.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…
November 10th – It was a very long, tiring day; I was in work early, and in the afternoon, made a couple of errands by bike in the Black Country and Wolverhampton. Whilst there, I was called back to work take on a very urgent job, so I hopped on the train to Coseley. Sadly, as I boarded the train, it started to rain, and it caught me in a downpour from Coseley to Darlaston.
I found myself starting work again at 5pm, soaking wet and cold. I finally got home around 10.
I love my job but sometimes it’s unrequited.
November 7th – I’m still not happy with the low light performance of the TZ-80. In lichfield I’d been using the Nikon, which seems to love the night, but this particular incarnation of the Panasonic compact seems very middling.
When you can get it right, as above, it’s not too bad, but the reflection of the street light is better than the light itself.
On the TZ70 if I munged with the aperture, I could get the hard sharpness I liked, but not on this one.
Something is obstructing me, but what? This was the best of 20 odd shots, most unusable mush. I suppose if it comes down to it, I could always read the manual…
I’ll crack it.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 