Tag: silver street

#365daysofbiking A small kindness

December 16th – Another grim, blustery day, but I had a lot to do. Errands were undertaken all afternoon and crossing the Silver Street bridge in Brownhills, I noticed someone had spotted Dora the Explorer had probably been dropped by her friend and popped her for safekeeping up on the handrail.

A small act of kindness like this always warms my heart: Some bereftl child is probably missing this soft toy desperately, and hopefully they will be reunited by now (I posted the find on local Facebook to catch anyone looking).

Thank you to whoever rescued Dora: Your kindness was not unnoticed.

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#365daysofbiking On reflections:

December 10th – Passing Silver Street and crossing the pedestrian bridge time for a quick, classic shot of the waterside.

I don’t know why but it’s hard with the Canon to get a shot here I’m happy with. It just doesn’t seem to like this view much.

This didn’t come out to bad though: The water was till, and the way the reflections taper to gather in the distance always fascinates me.

Brownhills really can be beautiful sometimes.

#365daysofbiking First Christmas:

December 8th – Busy with stuff for work, and moving this journal to a better, more secure host; but on a quick spin around a darkened town I noticed many of the residents of the new houses alone Silver Street and The Moorings now had Christmas lights up.

It must be a great feeling to light up your new home for the first Christmas there. 

I welcome you all to Brownhills. Merry Christmas!

#365daysofbiking You’ve come a long way baby:

November 25th – A late, short, frantic test ride saw me crossing Clayhanger common by the Spot Path and just as I neared the Pier Street Bridge this view pulled me up short.

Just 18 months ago, I’d have been looking at an empty marketplace, forlorn, money, desolate.

Now look at it.

A change for the better that did much to cheer me up.

#365daysofbiking Chains changed:

November 16th – Heading back to Brownhills and home, I stopped to look at the view of Silver Street now the building works are finished here. Around 200 new, modern dwellings on what was 12 year dead wasteland and an abandoned marketplace. The change from desolation to signs of life and habitation is remarkable. Every time I see it, I struggle to take in the massive change here.

Change for the better.

About 6 years ago I speculated that this then desolate, windswept, empty place was haunted by the ghosts of civic failure. They have been exorcised, and gradually, almost imperceptibly, there are signs of life developing in my old town again. The people that live in these houses now will use the local takeaways, pop for a paper, a haircut and use the high street out of convenience. No, it’ll never boom like it did, but this trade fillip has to be welcome. 

Finally, Brownhills is becoming unshackled from the system built housing misadventure of the sixties. All we need to do now is finally rid ourselves of the blight that is Ravens Court…

365daysofbiking Ever falls the twilight:

October 6th – I returned to Brownhills in the overcast weather hinterland between night and what passed for day. It was damned grey and inside, I felt that way too. The onset of winter has me by the neck this year and I’m alternately OK with it and then quite down. I somehow feel I let summer slip away – I didn’t, I rode lots and saw lots and it just ended early, but I feel bereft.

From the Silver Street pedestrian bridge, I surveyed one of my classic winter views: Autumn is settling well here now, and the new houses with the nice line along the canal made an interesting match to the colour of the trees before them. There is life here now, lights in the new dwellings, and no longer does it feel desolate to stand here and be confronted with the place I love. 

This town is changing, like the season; slowly, imperceptibly if you’re not attuned to it, and I think for the better. Finally, the ghosts of the civic failure here are being exorcised, and there is evidence of a little hope, a little life, a little warmth.

Unlike the season, Brownhills is opening up. Perhaps this grey twilight is better than I thought.

#365daysofbiking Duck tales:

September 21st – The humble mallard duck doesn’t get much love, but I’ve always held that, like magpies, if you study them in any more than the most cursory fashion, they’re absolutely beautiful. The iridescent, shimmering greens of the males are lovely enough, but also the females are very much more than drab brown; if you study them, they have the most gorgeous blue and white flashes on their wings.

But better than appearance is their personality and social behaviour – here on the overflow in Brownhills near Silver Street, the ducks were in parliament doing what ducks do – sat in running water, dozing, chattering and generally being the best ducks they can ever be.

Such contented creatures.

August 5th – Boater dogs are always the best.

This one, so determinedly drinking from the canal y Silver Street bridge in Brownhills that I couldn’t distract it, was a lovely animal belonging to nearby narrow boaters. He seems to enjoy running along the towpaths while his boss is  piloting the boat.

I saw them later in Walsall Wood and boy, that dog can run!

June 23rd – I have developed a strong liking for Canon cameras, through the trusty G7X which has been my weapon of choice since Christmas. The G1X is larger, more awkward to use but the things it’s capable of are clear, they question being can I gain the nous to exploit it?

Also on test I have a Sony RX100 mark VI – an altogether different proposition. I’ve always liked Sony’s user interface, but the boxy nature of this small camera feels awkward so far, but not had much chance to play yet. The images seem nice.

Cameras fascinate me, and as a means of showing folk just how beautiful our area is they cannot be beaten. Even at night, Brownhills can be stunning…