September 21st – The next morning, all was right with the world again. The sun was kind, if not terribly warm, and the rain had stopped. The Arrow Valley looked misty and green again – but I wondered how long it would last with the winters drawing in and the autumnal equinox due soon. These really are the end-days of the summer warmth. This time of year is so bittersweet.
September 20th – Had I known what I would face on the commute home, I probably wouldn’t have spent so much time fretting about the river. Halfway into my journey to Redditch railway station, it started to rain. By the time I got to the train, it was raining really quite hard. Luckily, I’d come prepared and had my waterproofs on, but the mostly uphill journey (I was running a tad late) and some mechanicals with the bike made this journey a tad trying.
September 20th – I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that the River Arrow through Redditch was running very low. It seems to have picked up with recent rains; looking at the submerged vegetation on either side, it’s risen a couple of inches in recent days. Little did I realise that later that day, it was to get a further boost, and I’d be cycling homewards in a rainstorm. Such is life.
September 20th – An innovative approach to flytipping. Load all your shit into a wheelbarrow, push it as far away from roads as you can get, then just dump the perfectly good barrow and the rubbish. Sorted. This scumbag’s rubbish lay by the Arrow Valley Cycle Trail in Redditch for less than a day; a quick phone call to the relevant council and it was all cleaned up. Top work – I just hope the arseholes left some identifying material in the heap…
September 8th – The main watercourse through Redditch, the River Arrow is highly variable in character, depending on the season and the weather. What can be, at the height of a wet winter, a raging angry torrent, is today little more than a limpid, sleepy brook. this summer has been so dry that even the rains of the last few days haven’t changed it’s state much. I don’t see many kingfishers here at the moment, which is unusual. I don’t think the Arrow is supporting much in the way of fish right now, limiting the feeding potential.
I’m sure the river will have plenty of opportunity to recover over the coming winter months.
September 8th – Arum Maculatum is a common sight in hedgerows and woods at this time of year. Known variously as Wild arum, Lords and Ladies, Devils and Angels, Cows and Bulls, Cuckoo-Pint, Adam and Eve and even Naked Boys, it’s a very unusual plant which sheds it’s foliage before fruiting leaving a 6 to 12 inch high column of bright orange-red berries. These berries are highly poisonous and this is the plant responsible for most hospital admissions due to accidental ingestion in the UK. The berries contain a toxin which makes the oral tract tingle, and causes sickness and swelling of the throat. Always avoid touching it, although the temptation to do so us great, it has an almost artificial appearance that renders it grimly fascinating. This example is growing, along with lots of others, on the riverbank near the Arrow Valley cycle path in Redditch.
September 7th – To the east of Redditch Church, there’s a small, open park-style garden, which is where I assume the name Church Green gets it’s name. It’s a lovely spot; not more than a postage stamp, it contains an intriguingly ornate fountain and a well looked-after bandstand. The green is pleasant, clean and tidy, and in spring, lined with blossom. Now autumn is coming, a host of seasonal hues will compliment it. Why did the town planners destroy what must have been a lovely old town?
September 7th – Redditch gets a lot of stick – not least from me – for it’s awful road system and urban design. There are some very surprising bits, however, like the church in the centre of town. It’s huge, dramatic and beautifully complimented by the surrounding market and gardens. The Church Green are is a reminder of a Redditch long since passed, of the old town before the development and Birmingham overspill. I love this building.
September 1st – I’ve followed this guy and his wonderfully joyous dog down the Arrow Valley cycle route in Redditch a couple of times this week on the way to work. There’s something infectious about the way the dog is so happy to run with his cycling master – I love the way he looks back at me and to his companion, almost as if he’s laughing. The happy tail and general air of enjoyment make me sad to overtake this pair on what must be a regular fixture. Look out for the quick glance rightwards as the dog crosses the road, and his expert negotiation of the barriers. Love it.
September 1st – An hour and a half later I was cruising to work down the Arrow Valley cycle route in central Redditch (Part of route 5, the same one that traverses Walsall from last weekend) and the morning was blessed with a mellow, hazy sunlight that lit everything in a kindly glow and highlighted a remaining, soft mist. I stopped to watch it rising of the boating lake. This part of Redditch is rather beautiful, and all credit to the authorities for that.
I often see that guy with the dog running beside his bike. The dog is free and not on a lead, and loves to run with his mate. He looks back at me smugly every few yards – I swear that mutt is laughing. I rarely have the heart to overtake these friends enjoying their morning communion.
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