July 14th – On my return, I needed to call on a pal in Newtown, so I headed up the canal past Ogley Junction. Whilst passing, I noticed a delivery of sectional piling and plant, and wondered if the Canal & River Trust had got it together to stabilise the slipping local embankments.
I guess time will tell…
June 17th – Thanks are due to reader Julie P., who I think was the last one to report the canal bank falling away on the bend between Catshill Junction and Pier Street, Brownhills. There are signs that six months after being initially (and repeatedly since) reported, the Canal & River Trust (C&RT) have finally sent someone out to survey the problem.
Not sure on the longevity or effectiveness of those post flags and polythene tape, though – but it’s a start, and at least they’ve acted.
Dealing with the C&RT is like trying to nail blancmange to a tree…
June 13th – Credit where it’s due, several people (including myself, and I know @TheStymaster) complained about the water damaged towpath at Anchor Bridge last week.
Following heavy rains, the hardcore always washes out from either side of this concrete block, leaving a 6 inch void either side that can easily cause a pedestrian or cyclist to fall or injure themselves. It’s a recurring problem, and the Canal & River Trust appear to have sent someone out during the week to fix the damage.
It’s not a permanent fix – the loose material has just been shovelled back in, and first heavy rain, it’ll wash out again – but at least it’s safe for now. This needs a much better solution in the long term (like compacting properly, and maybe mixing in a little cement), but well done for filling the hole.
May 6th – Three years ago, I took and posted a photo of the glade of Ramsons (or wild garlic) in the Arrow Valley Park in Redditch. For some reason an odd, quite poor photo of a common British plant has earned over 10,600 likes and reblogs on Tumblr, It’s far and away my most popular post on this journal ever, and I have absolutely no idea why, it’s bizarre.
Today, I had to go to Redditch early – a rare occurrence these days. I stopped off to check out the glade this year – it’s still gorgeous. The smell – a heady, full on odour just like normal garlic – is astounding. This really is a remarkable plant.
Bear in mind this glade is no more than a few hundred yards from heavy industry, and about a mile from Redditch town centre. It’s a remarkable place, Redditch, in lots of ways.
April 9th – I found myself in Aston, exploring the underbelly of Spaghetti Junction, and the bizarre number of other arteries it conceals – a rail junction, a river, and four canals. I spun around Aston, and spotted the Britannia, a classic, over-the-top Brum boozer, like the Bartons Arms, now marooned in a sea of modernity. It had been a couple of decades since I’d been this way, but little has changed. Some of the street art on the flood channel walls along the Tame is nearly 30 years old.
February 16th – It was a gorgeous day, and a reminder of what this country is like when the sun shines properly. With the sun on my back, I rode out at lunchtime to check out the floods of the Tame Valley, around Hopwas, Elford and Croxall.
I was expecting the Tame to be in flood. This wasn’t the case at all – the Tame had clearly stayed in-channel, and although brisk, the Footherley, Black and Bourne brooks were all below capacity, too; although we’ve had record rainfall, it’s clearly been spaced out enough to avoid the horrific scenes locally that we saw in 2007.
Of course, other areas have not been so fortunate.
What is evidenced is wind damage. At the hump bridge on Gravelly Lane, Footherley, tree debris blocks one arch, and a whole tree lies similarly before the Elford Bridge. Clearing the detritus from trash screens and under bridges is an essential part of waterway maintenance, and this will have to be removed.
The technicians that do this work have plenty to do in the coming weeks – their work is essential, and I wish them well.
February 12th – Still tacking into the wind into Brownhills, I hopped onto the canal at Clayhanger Bridge. The towpaths, of course, were sodden and hard going. The overflow here was working at full capacity and to a degree I’ve never seen before. This certainly made me think; this water is heading to the Ford Brook, which becomes the River Tame, and meanders through North East Birmingham, then Tamworth to Alrewas, where it meets the River Trent. The water from Chasewater will find its way to the Tame, too, via the Crane and Bourne Brooks. This is serios flow, from just one overflow.
The Trent must be very full at the moment…
August 10th – Himalayan Balsam is a pain. Lovely to look at, its highly aromatic, metallic-smelling flowers line wetlands, riverbanks and marshes at this time of year. Growing to a couple of meters, it chokes native plants and is considered an invasive species. Sadly, it’s so prolific – this clump was on the banks of the Trent at Shugborough – I don’t think we’ll ever be rid of it.
July 13th – The dog’s name is Veronica. This is the otherwise glass-calm Trent and Mersey river section at Alrewas. A fine dog on a fine day.
August 16th – It is time again for the annual warning: there’s a killer in the hedgerows right now. These stalks of what will become bright red berries grow in hedges, woodlands and other scrub, and grow 6-10 inches tall. Very distinctive, Lords and Ladies is very attractive, particularly to kids, but is one of the most toxic plants in the British Isles. This still ripening example is growing on the woodland water margin of the River Arrow in Redditch.
The berries of Arum Maculatum, also known as Devils and Angels, Cuckoo Pint or Wild Arum contain a poison that causes swelling of the mouth and throat and sickness. Fatality is rare, as the berries are very acid and consuming enough to kill would be a challenge, but the plant causes most admissions to A&E for plant poisoning in the UK.
It’s a gorgeous thing to look at, just don’t touch it, and keep small children away.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 