December 16th – Heading back into Brownhills mid evening, the roads were oddly still busy, the traffic through the High Street heavy and challenging. Emergency vehicles came through, perhaps an accident, or perhaps just the normal buzz of life.
I was tired. It had been a long week. But a pleasant meal and evening with workmates had been enjoyable.
A weekend, and three days to go. I just need to hang in there.
December 10th – In a bizarre twist of events, in an already hectic, busy day, I had to go to Leicester to collect something from a shop. This pre-christmas errand wouldn’t have been so bad, but I had to pop in to Aldridge on the way, and the weather was awful.
It started to rain before I set out – steady, but light. When I got to Aldridge, the errand I was on there proved to be pointless, so frustrated, I headed for Blake Street to get a train to Birmingham. The train, unusual even for a pre Christmas one, was heaving. I’d tangled with the crowds going to an Aston Villa home game.
Dishevelled and irritated, I hopped on a warm, peaceful train to Leicester, and as I found my way to the mall where the shop in question is, the rain was very nearly stopped. I locked the bike up, and completed my task.
Re-emerging from the electric glare of the Mall it was pouring with rain. I returned through a beautifully glistening city, alive with interesting bikes, shops, lights and a rather wonderful but slightly wonky Christmas tree. I was wet, but Leicester was gorgeous. I love that place, I really do.
Returning from Blake Street was a trial. There was local flooding. The Chester Road and Brownhills High Street were awash with standing water the traffic wasn’t handling well.
But I’d completed what I needed to. I felt better. Mission accomplished.
December 7th – And when I reached Tipton – busy with rush hour traffic – I found a delight of street, shop, Christmas and traffic lights all blending into one magical, beautiful electric night.
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the Back Country steals your heart anew.
December 7th – I had to go to Tipton late in the afternoon, and as I travelled through Moxley I spotted a familiar sight in the gathering dusk that was looking particularly splendid.
I know the urban landscape isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I do think it’s rather beautiful.
November 7th – Coming up from the Black Country, back to Walsall – at this time of year, Junction 9 is the safest route, as the traffic volume makes negotiation of the junctions easier.
Music is ‘Snapshot’ by the Art of Noise.
November 3rd – I hadn’t been up on the old Clayhanger railway bridge for a wile, and thought I’d try some long exposure shots. Sadly, the traffic wasn’t heavy enough to make it work well, but I had fun playing around.
I must get around to trying this somewhere busy, like the footbridge over Great Charles Street in Birmingham, or maybe Junction 9 of the M6 if I can find a good vantage point.
October 2nd – Passing through Weeford, on the old A5 as the sun set, a tortoiseshell sentry kept watch, gazing up the old main road and enjoying the peace.
A few short years ago this road would have been very busy, and puss would have been in some peril, but today, since the advent of the A5 bypass, few vehicles come this way and puss can scan the horizon in peace.
Peace that is, except for irritating cyclists, insisting on taking pictures…
August 18th – An exhausted return from work very, very late. Nearly finished now, but it’s been a hard week.
As always on a weary ride home, every light was red; but waiting at Rushall Square is never a chore at night – it’s beautiful. Something about the vehiole, sodiums and shop lights combines and is actually quite soothing.
It’s very rare I come home and fall into bed, but I did.
March 14th – So pleasant to be coming home in the light at last. Not so pleasant, several motorists today seemed to want me dead, which was a shock. People, check when you turn or change lanes, please.
The wind was very sharp, against me and I was cold, but the dusk falling over jockey meadows was beautiful, and it looked like a low bit was forming.
It’ll be a while yet before the meadows green up for a new season, but right now, it’s enough that I can see them at all at gone six o’clock.
I note from sunrise and sunset times on the GPS that we’re approaching the equinox… it’ll be interesting to see when that occurs.
March 9th – Coming back to Brownhills on the wettest and greyest of evenings, I stopped to take a call at the top of Clayhanger Lane on Lindon Road. The traffic was terrible, it was cold and the rain was penetrating.
It seems a world away from the warmth of a few weeks ago.
Hopefully, spring won’t be far away – and we can at least, hope for warmer rain…
Have to say, if the road surface gets any worse on Lindon Road they’ll have to give up sweeping it and plough it instead.
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