Tag: paddock

#365daysofbiking I want to see the bright lights tonight

Sunday December 6th 2020 – I had something to do in Walsall, and went on a damp, grey afternoon with trepidation. With the Pandemic it’s become an oddly desolate place in retail terms: An already suffering town centre has become more desperate.

However, I took the new camera and a good friend, and we explored familiar places with not many people in them as night fell – and it was refreshing and beautiful. Particularly Church Hill and the Arboretum.

The Panasonic loves the dark, and is much more responsive to low light in a way I’ve never known previous Panasonic cameras to be. This is a revelation.

I loved the bold colours and the way it picked them up in night scenes.

Going to have some fun with this one! It turned out Walsall was far more beautiful than ever I might have expected.

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#365daysofbiking The grass is always greener…

Thursday, September 24th 2020 – This healthy horse has made me smile a few times of late. Passing it at Newtown, on the A5 Watling Street in North Brownhills, it dwells in a small paddock between the footpath and canal.

I often see it atop the steep bank, craning through the fence to get to the grass on the footpath edge.

The horse is friendly and always enjoys a nuzzle when you stop and say hello.

Gorgeous animal. But I’ll never understand horses.

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August 17th – Another sunset return after an early start and late finish. As the more perceptive amongst you will have noticed, my main blog operations are currently on reduced power for a few days due to workload. Which is a bugger, but they do pay me so I’d better do it.

It is nice, however, to return through a twilight, almost somnambulant Walsall. The moon is still full, and rendering normally mundane views magical, and keeping me company as I pedal wearily home.

Sometimes, the moon is company, and sometimes, that’s all you need.

February 26th – Really not well at all, I did a few hours of necessary stuff at work and crawled home mid-afternoon. I wanted a change, so I came over Church Hill, and stopped to take some photos while up there. 

Church Hill is one of those conundra that I find troubling. St. Matthews is as beautiful as ever, and the views would be splendid were they not obscured by mature, beautiful trees. I want rid of some of them for a better view, but I also don’t…

No sign of the peregrines on the bellcote, but this is the first time I realised you can see the Workhouse Guardian’s offices from up here – and they look better from such a distance, and also, terribly out of place. Marooned.

St. Matthews itself is suffering the rogues of the weather, and desperately needs some love. I hope the CofE can get around to giving this venerable old church a bit of love soon.

November 29th – Feeling better, we headed up Church Hill for a spot of atmospheric stuff. Taking photos in a solitary fashion everyday makes the process mundane; I’d forgotten the joy and mischief of working with someone else. And up on Church Hill at night, you really need someone else for security. It’s bloody dark.

Yes, there is a Late Night Feelings thing going on – well spotted. That’s for Pedro Cutler.

Go on, I dare you, tell me this place isn’t beautiful;. Just try it.

Eager to see the results, we got on our bikes, and rode home.

November 16th – I headed up to Chasewater late afternoon in bad light, as I hadn’t been for ages, and as usual I took the canal route. Nearing the paddock at Newtown that had been home to Big Tasties, who’ve since moved to Stonnall, I heard the oddest twanging noise. Not long after, I spotter her.

This huge, healthy sow seems to be on her own and have the entire space to herself. She had attracted my attention by repeatedly biting on the barbed wire fence at the towpath edge, barbs and all, tugging it out and twanging it like a guitar string. At first, I was very concerned she might hurt herself but that mouth seems very, very tough. She was very tame and allowed me to stroke her head.

February 12th – interested to see that someone is now keeping pigs in the paddock between the canal and Watling Street near Newtown, Brownhills. They look well cared for, and happy. There seem to be some different breeds there – wondering if the ginger ones are Tamworths. This is an interesting addition and shall watch them grow. They’re in the corner of a field that’s also home to a rather impressive flock of sheep. I don’t know who’s farming here, but I wish them well.

December 2nd – Coming up from Caldmore (‘Karma’ to locals), passing over Church Hill in Walsall at 6pm, I couldn’t resist a few night shots around the church. The view of Paddock, is one I’ve found fascinating for years, particularly at night. Just about the last large concentration of tower blocks in Walsall, oddly they survived whilst others were demolished. The church and grounds are wonderfully atmospheric at night and offer great views of the marketplace and beyond to the north, and the Ditch area and Ablewell Street to the east. A century ago I’d have been overlooking a heaving, densely packed slum. How times change.

June 30th – Thursday took me into the Black Country. Returning via King’s Hill Park, making a call at the hated PC World in Axletree Way, I took a spin down Franchise Street. I noticed that the view from the town end was wonderful, across rooftops to St. Matthews, Walsall and beyond to Paddock. Tameway Tower is also prominent. The sixties were cruel to Walsall, very cruel indeed.