Tag: Rushall

December 19th – It’s starting to feel a lot like Christmas. The office at work is emptying of people as they drift off on holiday, the roads are quieter at rush hour, and as I gradually get my year-end tasks completed, I relax and enjoy the sights a bit more, like this Christmas tree, unusually lit by subtle, static lights in a Rushall garden.

As I stopped to answer a text, I noticed it and the way the lights glinted off the needles. It was beautiful, so I thought I’d capture it for posterity.

Merry Christmas folks, not long to go now…

September 27th – The wet, dark, mentally arduous commute season has started.

Welcome to the suck.

And people wonder why I hate the dark months…

Filmed real time. Music is Mainframe ‘Take me Home’ – a lost classic.

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

August 17th – A sad, regrettable tragedy unfolds in Rushall at the moment as the former Rushall Mews care home, an 80s-built single level facility that once housed many vulnerable old folk will soon be no more.

After four or more years of lying unused, the demolition crews have moved in.

There was nothing wrong with this place; the features were modern and it was well staffed by caring people and loved by the community. Closed by a council desperate to save money like so many others, we are now left with a care crisis, but the land will soon be new homes, probably beyond the reach of first time buyers.

Like other lost care homes – Narrow Lane, St, James, Greenwood House, Scotch Orchard – the gradual erosion of our social state makes me very sad indeed.

December 29th – I took a ride up to Park Lime Pits where I hadn’t been for ages as I thought the frozen towpaths might be easier to ride than the usual winter quagmire.

Sadly, the profusion of wildlife evident the day before was largely in hiding, although I did fleetingly see a large male fox patrolling his manor. The robins, however, were performing well.

This is a lovely spot that desperately needs the canal towpaths improving. Perhaps some of the money spent upgrading the ones in east Walsall unnecessarily could be directed here instead?

November 24th – Returning late gave me an opportunity to feature something here I mean to every year, but rarely get chance to – the remarkable Christmas lights at the house near Rushall Square. 

I usually pass in times of heavy traffic, or frustratingly when they’re not switched fully on but this fiesta of LED light takes place broadly from the end of October until New Year every winter.

It’s not, I have to say, to my taste, but there’s clearly a huge amount of work, time, and no little use of electricity there, so hats off to it and my compliments to the householder.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

August 18th – An exhausted return from work very, very late. Nearly finished now, but it’s been a hard week.

As always on a weary ride home, every light was red; but waiting at Rushall Square is never a chore at night – it’s beautiful. Something about the vehiole, sodiums and shop lights combines and is actually quite soothing.

It’s very rare I come home and fall into bed, but I did.

July 25th – In Rushall, a couple of apple trees have fruit growing well on the boughs right now. Some looks better than others, depending I think on if frost caught the blossom or not.

It’s not the largest harvest I’ve ever seen, but it’s big. It’s going to be a decent year for apples and pears, I think.

April 5th – A bad day for commuting, really; soaked with a headwind on the way to work, and shot blasted by hail and caught in a short, sharp shower on the way home. But at least by then, the wind was behind me.

The rain on my return was broken by periods of bright sunshine which although directly warm on the back, couldn’t counter the strong, bitter wind; but we did get a rainbow. Almost Imperceptible to the northeast, but stronger over the darker cloud to the southeast it was beautiful – and a good while since I saw one.

Talk about four seasons in one day…