January 12th – Passing throughGreat Bridge in the last of the light, the weather was grim and the traffic horrid – the promised snow had also passed through and the only trace of it was overlooking the Black Country from Turner’s Hill.

For a moment, snow on the hill – no more than an icing-sugar dusting – was beautiful.

I hope we get some more.

June 9th – Sad to note that like other towers in the backbone microwave network, Turner’s Hill mast in Rowley Regis is looking very bare now. The BT Tower in Birmingham now has next to no antenna on it, and No Man’s Heath and Pye Green are also looking sparse too. Turner’s Hill has only a few left, and like the others, are symbolic monuments to a past communications era, a lapsed cold war and the increasing ubiquity of the internet. I loved these installations, they fascinate and haunt me, but like so much cold war technology, their time has now gone.

October 13th – A day of meetings. First in Darlaston, then a second in Telford. Leaving Darlaston mid-morning, I headed onto the canal to catch the train to Wolverhampton from Dudley Port. On such a sunny, hazy, bright day it’s easily to fall in love anew with the Black Country. I adore it’s backstreets, canals and unexpected vistas. The view of Rowley Regis and Turner’s Hill from the station was particularly fascinating. I love this place.