Tag: silly

#365daysofbiking Not just pointless, but wrong:

November 18th – This one may be of interest to the Back the Track guys. 

When the NCN – National Cycle Network – was created by charity Sustrans in the late 90s in the UK as a Millennium Project, the Royal Bank of Scotland invested heavily in creating thousands of cast iron mileposts for the new routes, to be erected, well, every mile. Apart from being an utter waste of metal and time, the money spaffed on this pointless vanity crap could have gone into trail upkeep or whatever.

I notice of late some kind soul with a surfeit of time has been touring the network painting and renovating these monuments to banking largesse, but this one, on the old rail line just south of the Old Cement Works – or Slough – Bridge in Brownhills remains neglected and forgotten. 

There’s a reason for that.

It’s not actually on the National Cycle network at all.

Trail 5 comes through Brownhills on its amble from Walsall to Lichfield, and at this point arrives at the bridge from Ryders Hayes by canal towpath; it then continues up onto the bridge and along the former line north to Coppice Lane. This post is about 15 metres off the route on a cuthrough to Apex Road, that’s not actually part of the route at all, and due to barriers and a steep bank, is dammed hard to get a bike up.

So not just pointless, but wrong.

Sustrans. Never knowingly the cyclist’s friend.

#365daysofbiking Bitter gourds:

November 7th – One of the odder recurring themes of this blog over the years has been the errant, discarded pumpkin. Whether is’s apparently forgotten in inner city Acocks Green,  cruelly cast aside on a country lane or just randomly left on a canal bank, I see more of these forlorn gourds abandoned than any other.

These otherwise untouched, whole specimens – that would have made a decent meal for several people (and it looks like a fox already had tried and got bored with one) were inexplicably lying around in Victoria Park, Darlaston.

#365daysofbiking A short run

September 2nd – I’m always amused to note the very British thing of Prince’s Park in Burntwood – theoretically the smallest park in the UK, although in fairness it’s a grass verge with three mature trees, railings around and a park bench.

I spotted the sign advertising the World’s Shortest Fun Run event here on Sunday 9th September at 12:30pm when the organisers will stage a mass run around this peculiar landmark for charity, hoping to break a world record.

It doesn’t get more British than that. I wish the participants well, and hope for a few record times for the purported 56 step run.

You can find out more here.

August 12th – I didn’t find the deer, and it started to rain. But these guys really did cheer me up – the Chasewater North Heath coos. They were moving off the low heath up into the scrub for shelter I think, and didn’t give a toss who they held up, which is exactly how it should be. Their nosiness, and gentle inquisition charmed me as it always does, and I cycled on with a smile on my face.

Well done, lads. Mission accomplished.

June 29th – A dayride from Macclesfield back home, via the Trentabank, the Roaches, Royal Cottage, Morridge, Longnor, Hurdlow, the High Peak Trail, Carsington, Holland, Hatton, ALrewas, Whitemoor Haye, Weeford and Shenstone, totalling 121 miles. 

I really am back in the saddle this season, thanks to the excellent weather, and a bit of determination.

Find out more at this post on my main blog.

June 17th – Obvious cat is obvious.

This puss with high hopes and lofty ambitions was hunting by the canal at Rugeley – a roosting mallard had been spotted in the grass with her ducklings, and the story unfolded. Not a great hunter, no ducks were harmed in the making of this post and indeed, they seemed to be mocking the cat in the end.

The cat’s facial expressions are wonderful, particularly in the second image ‘Just a doin’ ma thang, nothin to see here’

Better luck next time puss.