October 26th – I had to nip to Telford in the afternoon, and again, I bore you with autumn pictures – but this really is the best time to see and use the cycleways of the new town.
On a grey, damp day, who’d have thought a track so mundane it has no name could be so beautiful?
August 23rd – Like an idiot, I left home without my camera today, but on a midday train journey to Telford, I met this lovely old lass off on holiday to Wales with her dad.
Apparently Jess likes a swim in the sea, a bit of seaside fish from the chip shop, and a little beer in her bowl of an evening. And long walks in the hills.
I hope Jess and her dad have a lovely holiday. She surely is a gorgeous dog.
August 22nd – I had to pop to Telford mid day, and leaving the station for the cycleway I looked back and noticed something in the sea of built environment – the tip of a yellow drilling rig near the westbound railway platform.
I noticed a few weeks ago there was an application to build a replacement bridge here – the current one is decaying, and not compliant with disability legislation (the slopes would be very unpleasant in a hand-propelled wheelchair, it’s clear to see). The proposal is in, and it looks like the engineers are doing ground investigations in readiness of anticipated approval.
I never noticed the rig as I rolled past, and it’s position was very secluded – but looking over, it’s quite large.
Hiding in plain sight.
August 3rd – Telford on a quick visit midday, and a surprise: I noted evidence of recent exploratory drilling and a planning application to replace the dingy, 80s footbridge over the railway and adjacent main road with a new structure.
The bridge as it is is corroded and not ideal, but it’s a very large structure and it’ll be interesting to look at the plans for a replacement.
One of the biggest problems with the structure is it’s greatest asset: being enclosed with a roof makes it an excellent sheltering point in bad weather, but makes it dingy, dystopian and unpleasant at night.
I also wonder what they’ll do with the overgrown vegetation that also make the footways here so grim at night.
The times seem to be changing. Let’s hope for the better.
May 16th – I had to visit Telford briefly, but I noticed how much greener the cycleways were than the last time I visited. Sadly, I’d just caught the end of the blossom on that wonderful line of trees, but the tunnel effect and verdant hedgerows were a joy all the same.
People knock Telford (me included) but it’s surprisingly beautiful in places.
May 4th – Summer seems finally to be on it’s way in. A warm, sunny day during which I had to visit telford, where the tulips in the station flowerbed are divine. On the way back from Lichfield, the daffodils were still strong in the hedgerows, and the oilseed rape was burning yellow in the fields.
Sunshine, it’s so good to have you back… please stay awhile.
April 28th – Another striking return is of the leaves to the row of trees on Stafford Park in Telford. I love this regimented row, which in winter always makes me think of Joni Mitchell and her song ‘Urge for Going’ with the line ‘Shivering trees standing in naked rows’ – but in spring, summer and autumn, when caught at the right angle, these carefully planted and well maintained trees are a joy to the heart.
Such a lovely shade of green.
April 27th – I keep noticing this Giant bike at Telford; I don’t know who it belongs to, but it annoys me irrationally every time I study it. Giant are an American brand whose bikes I’m not a huge fan of; like fellow US companies Cannonade and GT they often have a non-standard, peculiar approach to design resulting in bikes with odd features or incompatibilities, usually only noticed after purchase when something goes wrong.
This one annoys me for two reasons: one is design, the other is just happenstance. The rear seat-stay seems to be 2 parts, a U formed tube for the stays and a curious, welded linkage interpenetrating between the U form and seat tube. The weld, being aluminium, is rough, not square and looks absolutely awful. What on earth was the designer thinking?
The other thing is that rear quick release. Who would leave it closed facing backwards in such a vulnerable position? I want to sort it but would never touch another’s steed.
A mystery are the two M6 tapped holes on the non-drive side dropout; they aren’t present on the opposite side, and serve no apparent function, but designing them, machining them and fabricating the form they’re in was clearly serious effort. What are they for, does anyone know?
An odd bike. Never been fond of US designs.
April 27th – When I left home just after dawn there was a heavy frost; I left Darlaston later in the morning for Telford in bright sunshine, which really highlighted the blossom on roadside trees. Mainly cherry, but some apple and plum, too. Absolutely beautiful.
Sadly though, this doesn’t bode well for a bumper fruit crop like last year; a frost on the blossom now will damage it and reduce the fruit yield.
With such beautiful blooms, hope the weather and sunshine pick up soon.
April 7th – Passing through Telford mid morning, I passed a bank of daffodils on an embankment near the cycleway. There were were several varieties of the flower here – normal types, some lovely feathery yellow ones, white ones and others with beautiful orange centres. They were an absolute joy to the heart after a few bad commutes – as were the beautiful polyanthus in the planter at Telford station.
This is a very unusual spring, but the usually short lived spring flowers seem to have been in bloom for ages now, and i like that very much. After the darkness of winter, it’s always good to see a fine display of these gorgeous plants.
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