Tag: lynn

June 21st – Another very common but sadly overlooked wildflower is cow parsley. Tall, with flat, creamy-white flower heads, it’s a staple of the British hedgerow – which is where I found this specimen near Stonnall. Considered edible, it has a very bitter taste, and is related to the carrot and hogweed families. Cow parsley is often confused for Hogweed, which is very toxic and can cause severe burns, so don’t pick either if you’re unsure. Cow parsley is also colloquially known as Queen Anne’s lace, and you can see why when the delicacy of the flowers are studied closely. An unsung beauty.

June 21st – It was another miserable day, but I had managed to avoid the worst of the rain. I thought I’d continue with my wildflower feature, and after yesterday’s thistles, it made me think which other flower buds were interesting. In Thorneyhurst Lane, near Lynn, I spotted this poppy bud. Poppies seem such fragile flowers, yet the buds seem almost prehistoric in nature. The hedgerow and verges here are peppered with these downy buds, and with other poppies in various stages of the flowering cycle. A beautiful flower.

April 24 – the poor weather continued. As I came home on the train we passed through a shower to the south, and I alighted at Shenstone to dry roads and darkening skies. I’d forgotten my waterproof trousers, and this didn’t look good. Conditions became increasingly threatening, and the rain started at Lynn. By the time I’d got to Sandhills, the rain was torrential and I took cowardly refuge in the bus shelter, and watched the storm for 15 minutes. Eventually, bored and cold, I plucked up courage and cycled home. Very wet, very cold and somewhat cheesed off.

April 11th – This makes me angry. Very angry indeed. This small bungalow – the lodge to Owletts Hall Farm, in Lynn, on the road between Shenstone and Stonnall, is another long-empty property being left to collapse by its selfish owners. This wrecked, derelict house – like Keepers Cottage and the abandoned terraces in Footherley – could make someone a lovely little home. But for some reason, the owner would rather see the building carried to dust. I’ve known this building to be empty for over thirty years. There ought to be a law against this. 

February 21st – It seems I’ve got a change of scenery for a few days. Off to Telford early today, and the weather – after a distinctly wintery dip yesterday – seemed really springlike this morning. Heading to Shenstone station along Lynn Lane, I noticed this row of bare trees. Spring will be nearly over by the time they green up, but I’m sure, somewhere in those weathered trunks, sap has started to rise. I notice bulbs are coming up and growth is tentatively commencing for another year. This thought cheered me as I sat on the train…

February 3rd – Cycling home from Shenstone the sunset was beautiful. Looking over the fields towards Stonnall and Little Aston I loved the drama and march of the pylons against the sky. Five to the mile, to me they’re beautiful and a wonderfully minimalist design. Today, they hummed and crackled in the frosty air. Electricity is the closest thing to magic humans possess. I’m transfixed by it.

October 24th – The start of the leaf-fall timetable on the Cross City line means that for a few weeks in Autumn, I can catch a train from Shentone directly to Redditch. It doesn’t save time, as the service is a lot slower, but it does mean a break from cycling into Four Oaks. As I was piling it in down Lynn Lane this morning, I noticed the sky; the tail-end of the sunrise was as gorgeous as recent sunsets., and was setting off the skyline of Shenstone beautifully. Taking the picture made me late, and I only just caught my train. Worth it for an image like this, though.

October 19th – Returning home, once again battling a keen wind and what seemed like biting cold – although this will seem mild, soon – I noticed lots of new crops growing in the fields between Shenstone and Sandhills. This one was in Lynn. I don’t know what they are – probably winter wheat of some sort – but they’re providing a welcome, verdant distractions from the autumnal yellows and browns. It’ll be interesting to see how they develop and when they’re harvested.

October 18th – against the odds (and it has to be said, against the forecast) the great sunsets continue. Battling a westerly wind on the way home, I’d left the train at Shenstone. Winching myself along Lynn Lane and past Fighting Cocks, the sky grew ever more beautiful. I didn’t mind the wind as long as I had views like this. Magical.