#365daysofbiking Catching the leaves:
October 26th – Heading to Hortonwood from Telford Station on the cycleway, I crossed the motorway bridge to Priorslee and my attention was caught by the sunlight catching the turning leaves.
Motorways are not beautiful but they do have a particular charm, especially in autumn when their embankments, generally undisturbed havens for wildlife, become especially beautiful.
#365daysofbiking Loaded:
October 19th – In telford at the other end of the journey, on the new bridge project, technicians are stud welding – mounting threaded pins to steelwork to enable attachment of another structure.
A better demonstration of the loading effect on a generator could not be found anywhere.
Every time they weld, watch and listen to the generator.
Science in action!
#365daysofbiking Prolific:
October 10th – The fungus is really coming forth now, but it’s interesting to note that while some species are booming, others I’m used to seem scarce this year.
I’ve not seen many glistening ink caps, puffballs, or fly agaric – certainly not in their usual number. I’ve yet to see my favourite Japanese parasols. this is curious, or it might just be me jumping the gun.
Whilst in Telford today I noticed that there are loads of is paxillus involutus, the brown roll-rim, and these tiny, delicate caps I don’t recognise but may be ink caps of some kind. But none of the regulars.
I wonder if this is connected with the hot, dry summer?
#365daysofbiking I dream in colour:
October 9th – In Telford for the morning, I had business up on Stafford Park and the hedgerows and trees along the cycleway were absolutely gorgeous.
The blue sky merged with the reds, golds, yellows and the still green and made a beautiful multicolour palette as I cycled past on a lovely warm, sunny autumn morning,
Autumn’s pretty fine once you stop struggling and accept it.
#365daysofbiking An impressive span:
September 17th – At Telford, a major step in the contstruction of the new station footbridge has been taken – the deck of the main span over the ring road adjacent has been lifted into place. It’s huge.
I watched it grow from a skeletal form on the central reservation of the road system, to see it glazed clad and wired, and now it spans the roadway in parallel with the facility it is to replace.
As a design, I’m ambivalent, but it will be a much nicer, convenient thing to use. But there’s a long, long way to go yet.
At least it provided the morning commuters with an interesting spectacle.
#365daysofbiking The Crane life:
September 12th: My first trip to Telford in several weeks and the new station footbridge is making steady progress. The ring road is now closed under the bridge, and. a large crane is being assembled, presumably to lift the massive main deck into place from it’s construction point on an adjacent verge.
A queue of HGVs and machines lines up down the empty roadway. People discuss, Marshall and prepare. This is clearly to be one heck of an operation.
The rest of the project progresses: Brickwork is going up, lift machinery is taking form in the assembled bridge piers and lots of ancillary pathways and steelwork are moving into place or emerging.
This is going to be one to watch.
August 13th – At Hortonwood in Telford, I found a small wayside oak sapling, which was growing round, large acorns. they were generally healthy and surprisingly large, with only a handful affected by knapper galls – and where they were, the actual effect of the acorn remained small.
The ants were clearly interested in the acorns, but I have no idea why, and I’m wondering if the low gall-count and manner of development is maybe signifying and evolved defence to these parasites.
Certainly is fascinating. Going to be a good crop of acorns this year I think, and a bumper hedgerow harvest generally from what I can see so far.
August 13th – A brighter day when the morning got going and I found myself visiting Telford feeling better, even if my stomach was still uncomfortable.
The footbridge project is progressing well but there still seems to be an awful lot to do: No discernible structural assembly of the lifts yet, and the access point on the west side seems miles off completion yet, although in the way these things generally do, it’ll probably come together very quickly in the end.
Interesting to note the main span mainly constructed now, and it’ll be lifted in one piece onto the piers. I’d be interested to see if that ripples the roof skin.
At the station end – which this construction is already dwarfing – there are to large, green service cabinets in position by the steps. Perhaps it’s me, but they look really, really incongruous.
This gets more and more fascinating every time I visit.
July 26th – At Telford, the new footbridge at the station continues to take shape. Steel is being erected, steps and glazing are being added and lifts seem to be going in too.
There are now five distinct building sites that make up this construction. Getting to the right one to start work – across a railway, a major dual carriageway and slip roads – can’t be much fun!
July 16th – In the bike shed at Telford, something that worries and irritates me.
So many companies sell seat post mounting rear lights and reflectors, which seem like a good idea.
Until the rider wears a jacket that overhangs the saddle. Or uses a carrier.
I’m surprised this issue never, ever seems to have been addressed.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 