Tag: Pier Street

December 4th – A bitterly cold day, but it was sunny and bright and I felt Cannock Chase calling me – so I wrapped up warm and went for it.

On the way, checking out the condition of the rosy earthstar fungus at Clayhanger Common, I passed this juvenile swan on the canal between the Pier Street and Catshill Junction bridges. This is very probably one of the large brood hatched here in the summer, which have mostly now migrated into the large flocks at Chasewater and Stubbers Green where they regularly get fed.

Still in juvenile plumage, this was a large, healthy bird, clearly used to admirers as it approached me eagerly chattering for food, yet drifted away when the realisation that I was empty handed dawned.

I’ve not seen many swans on the local canal recently, so this was a pleasant change…

November 12th – I was busy most of the day, and slipped out after dark on errands.

I’d forgotten how good the Nikon was at night. This camera loves the dark, but you do need a gorilla pod or similar.

I know it’s a cliche, but this spot at night feels so homely to me. It’s my patch and I adore it.

November 3rd – Oh well, I guess it’s time to rediscover night photography again.

I came back to Brownhills, and realised I’d forgotten to make a call in Clayhanger, so looped around. The classic view of Silver Street and the canal is always nice at night, but I’m not sure the TZ-80 is as good in low light as the TZ-70 was, or maybe I have to tweak a few settings. I like night urban shots to be hard and crisp mostly, but I can’t quite get what I’m after with this camera yet.

It’s a shame, really; when I played with the Nikon 9900 it was a great camera for most stuff, but the lack of manual focus made it difficult for night use.

My ideal camera would have Panasonic build quality, a Sony interface and Nikon optics. I guess it’ll never happen, though…

September 10th – A grey, wet and miserable day saw me slipping out late on errands. Having left my camera behind, I had to rely on my phone – but it wasn’t a particularly photogenic day. Crossing the Pier Street Bridge I noticed boats moored at the canal side, the smell of woodsmoke, and the stillness of the water.

It really does feel like autumn’s in now.

November 21st – A late spin around Brownhills after a long day, and at night this place still fascinates me. The lines of Silver Court are still otherworldly and night, and the vies of the canal from the Pier Street Bridge are ones I keep returning to.

After a grinding day, it’s good to be home.

November 15th – I span up the High Street and back down a canal just to stretch my legs and get some air. Not too bad for handheld shots, this one really. Considering it was relatively early, I couldn’t get over how quiet the town was. I didn’t see a single soul and very few cars.

September 10th – I was busy with technical stuff all day and finally got out as darkness fell. I spun up the High Street  into Brownhills, up to Anchor Bridge, and back via Catshill Junction and Silver Street, catching the lights on the canal in all their unexpected splendour.

I love that view. The tower blocks across the old marketplace didn’t work out to badly, either…

August 27th – Returning to Brownhills that evening, I stopped to look at these shrubs growing by the Pier Street bridge on the towpath. I’ve been peripherally aware of them for ages, but not studied them before.

I have no idea what they are, and the blooms – now mostly over – seem almost prehistoric.

I’ve never noticed this before and am curious as to what it is. I’ve not seen it anywhere else locally and it appears to be thriving. Is it a garden escapee?

June 29th – I’m loving the orchids this year – they seem to have been becoming steadily more profuse over the past few years. I make no apology for repeatedly featuring them, for they are remarkable flowers, and this year they face a herculean struggle to avoid the rigid, inflexible Canal & River Trust mowing schedule, which has seen many fine blooms wiped out.

They’re only here for a short few weeks. Keep your eye out for that flash of vivid purple in the grass – there are several different varieties locally. This one is near Pier Street Bridge in Brownhills.

March 12th – I revised some old haunts tonight to try out the new camera on some familiar night shots. I’m astounded with the improvement in image quality of the TZ70 over the TZ60; the shots are far sharper and less noisy than I’m used to getting. Even the flats on the Watermead by Coopers Bridge are well defined and sharp.

They really let the unexpected beauty of Brownhills at night shine through.