January 4th – it has been a temperate commute in the morning, spoiled only by ten minutes of rain, but it felt reasonable for first day back, but in the evening my return was a shock. Not dressed for sub-zero temperatures, and on a bike without ice tyres, I gingerly picked my way through lanes and backstreets chilly and nervous.
That’s the trouble with having time off; you need to sharpen your commuting game on your return, because you get out of the habit.
December 1st – The long-closed Shire Oak Pub at the crossroads atop Shire Oak hill reopened only a few days ago, and it’s so nice to see the building lit up again at night. The pub deserves a good future as it’s a historic and well loved inn that’s survived many years.
As I winched myself up the hill from an errand in Stonnall I appreciated the warm, welcoming lights and hoped the new team running it have every success.
October 11th – Crossing the Shire Oak Junction and heading down to Brownhills at dusk is a sadder experience of late.
The Shire Oak Pub – recently refurbished at no little cost – closed some weeks ago following poor public reception and has yet, despite assurances of people who apparently knew what was going on, to reopen, and stands in total darkness.
The lights of this landmark used to shine out in the darkness and often be like a welcome as I crested the last hill into Brownhills form a day at work, or long ride out. Not any more.
Let’s hope it reopens soon. It could be a great house.
October 4th – Winching myself up Shire Oak Hill at Sandhills at sunset, I noticed the potatoes in the fields that stretched to the canal had been stripped of their foliage ready for harvest. I love that view of Ogley Hay and St. James from here, and it looked beautiful and autumnal.
Elsewhere, harvested fields have already been ploughed, harrowed and replanted, with spring-like carpets of green sprouting winter crops, with almost springlike colour.
Whatever time of year, the farming continues.
September 21st – I’d had to nip to Birmingham late, and came back to Shenstone. There had been heavy weather about, but I’d managed to evade it al day.
When it caught me in the lanes on the way home, it wasn’t messing about. I was like a drowned rat.
Still, like summer rain tends to be, once I was wet through, it was quite enjoyable and not cold. And it hasn’t rained much of late, after all.
Lets hope it’s just a blip.
September 19th – Freewheeling down Shire Oak Hill into Brownhills, I stopped to look at the sad hulk of the Rosa – or ‘Middle’ Oak, closed a couple of years ago, and once a popular, award-winning pub. Sold privately, no planning applications have ever been submitted for another use, and the building continues to fall quite into decay. The only use it sees these days if neighbours using the car park.
Nobody seems to know what, if anything, the owners have planned.
A sad end to a once fine community pub.
July 26th – The harvest started a few days before the weather broke yesterday, bringing it to a juddering halt – I note some bales in fields now, but mostly the combine harvester hasn’t been around much yet.
This field of wheat at Sandhills looks mostly ready now, but look closely at those plump ears and there’s still a fair way to go yet.
Hopefully, the current damp spell will pass quickly and the harvest can continue before mould sets in.
July 16th – I know the deer have been on Home Farm at Sandhills for a while – I accidentally photographed a lone stag there last autumn – but I’ve never seen a large group. Until today.
A grouo of red deer females, with three fawns, were loafing in a field margin but the canal, at the conjunction between the oilseed rape crop and some wheat. They were not nervous and seemed comfortable.
I think they’re getting here from CLayhanger Common, as previously I’ve seen footprints on Catshill Junction Bridge, and there seems to be a lot of trampling in the hedge-gaps.
The local deer population really is ubiquitous now.
June 19th – I note that the long expected narrowboat rebuilt for Millfield School in Brownhills – the Tucana – has finally arrived at Millfield school, looking rather splendid.
The mooring jetty has been here and largely unused for a few years, and rumours of the boat have ebbed and flowed, but it’s finally here and presumably now, schoolchildren will be using it, which will be great – after all, canals, canal freight and boats are a large part of local history.
I note the boat is now part of a partnership involving Shire Oak School too – I love the logos.
It’s a lovely thing indeed, but I do wonder at the cost…
June 17th – The skies were still grim when I reached Shire Oak, although the sun was trying it’s best.
I hope this is the start of some more settled weather.
The rain does seem to have made the trees and fields very lush though. Beautiful.
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