Telford – Page 15 – BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking

January 5th – First trip to Telford of the new year and on a very cold morning indeed – but at least I was prepared for it unlike the night before. I was on a bike with decent tyres for the conditions, but thankfully the black ice was minimal anyway.

I stopped on the old footbridge by the station to record the sunlight thing down the track below – it was dawn-like and harsh, but had a beautiful quality that sunrises alone have, a sort of sharpness, unlike the mellow glow of a sunset.

I must make an effort to record this bridge more – now planning is going ahead, it won’t be long until this curious, red steel structure is replaced by something more practical. Whilst it’s awfully dystopian – particularly at night, it does have a lovely photogenic quality about it.

December 15th – My life, at the moment.

Telford, late. Heavy rain, waiting for a train that was, at least, not crowded and on time. A real late night feelings moment – I particularly liked the effect of the platform lights in the rain.

Only four days to go now.

December 8th – In Telford briefly, I tried a different route to Hortonwood and the cycleway led me from a lower path up to an elevated road.

Telford is crisscrossed by cycleways and paths, many totally undocumented and unknown to casual visitors, but once discovered, they’re lovely. Note these steps have a ‘wheeling channel’ up the right hand side so you can walk up them whilst wheeling your steed.

December 6th – Still cold, and again, a foggy, treacherous ride: I was at Telford early, and the cycleways were wet and dripping with water. The temperature was clearly rising and everything, every surface was saturated, including me.

I really hope this grim spell ends soon.

December 5th – I had to go to Telford, and on the way I bought a ticket from the Arriva Trains Wales conductor, as I usually do.

It appears the staff have been issued new ticket machines. Instead of printing a return on two standard, credit-card sized stuff card tickets, I was awarded this scroll: a twenty inch by three inch piece of thermal paper bog roll. This is the new standard for tickets issued on trains.

So, just as Network Rail adopt automatic barriers at stations, train operators start issuing huge, impractical tickets that won’t operate them.

Well done to everyone concerned. I’m really impressed.

Not.

November 25th – I have no idea what these lovely yellow flowers are, but a bush by the cycleway at Euston Way in Telford is covered in them. Such a cheerful, bright and unexpected joy after a dull, wet week.

Maybe this winter thing might work out after all…

November 17th – It felt a long way from Christmas on this sunny but chilly day, but I found something quite festive in Hortonwood: the holly and the ivy. The holly berries are bright red and plump, this year’s crop, and the holly leaves are so shiny and perfect the look at first glance like they might be made of plastic.

The ivy, creeping up the fence in front, is also rather beautiful.

An odd find on a gorgeous day.

November 17th – Passing through Telford near lunchtime, it was a lovely late autumn day. Taking a short cut through Priorslee, I crossed the motorway bridge and was pleased to note the trees were still showing beautiful colours, and the cycleway was still an autumnal Arcadia.

Over the years I’ve given new towns like Telford and Redditch a lot of stick but they can be really beautiful in really unexpected ways.

November 11th – I had to go to Telford, and bruised but a lot more careful, I popped over midmorning on a beautiful day right on the cusp of autumn and winter.

The surprisingly strong sun melted the frost and suffused Telford with a beautiful, sunlit mist that made even the railway look beautiful.

October 27th – Again passing through Telford, I came past a row of trees on Stafford Park whose neat, straight planting always fascinated me.

Just beginning to turn, they’re a welcome dash of colour in a grey urban landscape on a dull day.

Every year, I note these trees come into leaf, blossom, and shed their leaves. Seeing another cycle complete makes me feel old…