Tag: twin sisters

January 29th – Kings Hill, my workaday home. 

Light is just edging into my evening commute again. I am nearing the season of the early spring sunset. Tonight, I caught the dying light on the twin sisters, and saw the Kings Hill communication tower trading it’s secrets with a glowing, clear ether.

It’s been a cold, grey, horrible month: With the shoulder injury and that awful bug, coupled with atrocious weather riding a bike has been a battle since before Christmas. But tonight, I was fluid again. Speed, like the light, is returning.

I hope this darkness has reached it’s end.

January 10th – For the first time this year, a pleasant, dry, almost tropical morning commute; sadly, it wasn’t to last and the journey home was cold and damp with a return to mist.

Cycling up the canal over Bentley Bridge my eye was caught by a flash of verdant green – a plant of some variety has clearly seeded into the rotting cavity of an old bench, and is growing well – truly life from death.

Crossing Kings Hill Park purely to catch the day, I tried the twin sisters and liked what I saw; The clock on St. Bart’s is in fine detail and all we need is some green on those trees. 

I know it’s way too early, but come on spring!

August 22nd – On a grey, grim morning in a dreadful hurry having been called in to work early, I stopped for a quick breather in Kings Hill and noted the twin sisters were looking good over in Wednesbury.

I’m so used to living workaday life in the shadow of this beautiful urban hill that I don’t pay attention to it enough. It’s gorgeous, and deserves more credit than it gets.

Green, with two stunning churches side by side, Church of England and Catholic, the view across the rooftops hasn’t changed much here in over a century.

Steady, slowly changing with the seasons, but essentially changeless. Always watching life below.

Oh how I love the Black Country.

March 6th – I was passing through Wednesbury on my way home, and it was light – so I did something I’ve been meaning to do for years – visit the twin churches of St. Bartholomew’s and St Mary’s on top of Chuirch Hill, overlooking the Black Country.

I frequently admire this pair of spires from Kings Hill – one Church of England, on Catholic, both having watched over their flocks from this high vantage point for over a century each.

St Bart’s is lovely: large grounds with spring flowers and wide views surround the sandstone church, which has a great spire and beautiful clock. Weather-worn and stained with soot, this handsome church has withstood the ravages of the Black Country air very well indeed.

The grounds of St Mary’s were disappointingly locked, so I was unable to get a close look, but it’s an equally beautiful terracotta brick church with a lovely copper-roofed spire. It very much put me in mind of St. Chad’s, in Birmingham.

The ride up here really wasn’t too bad, and I’ll certainly be coming back to watch the seasons change. If you’re at a loose end near here, I can really recommend a visit.

February 16th – On a misty, hazy mild and sunny lunchtime I crossed Kings Hill Park on a quick run out and stopped to gaze at Church Hill and the twin sisters of Wednesbury.

The view changes subtly though the years – new buildings replace old ones, trees grow and are felled, factories and buildings like the old Carcraft site fall in and out of use.

But overseeing all, those twin, beautiful spires, watching their industrial, urban flocks for over a century each.

This is a view that never ages.

November 4th – And then, in the afternoon, again crossing Kings Hill Park on a short errand to B&Q, the twin sisters caught in the soft sunlight of an autumn day, surrounded by turning leaves.

This scene has occurred every year for over a century, and makes me feel safe in it’s constancy.

October 19th – Darlaston is at it’s best in autumn, and with the leaves turning, this is a great time to visit this humming little town and take in it’s unexpectedly great architecture and scenery.

Some of the best of Darlaston can be seen in it’s two parks – Victoria and King’s Hill, from which the glorious twin sisters of Wednesbury can be appreciated in all their glory.

It would be hard not to love this place.

February 15th – A few weeks ago I was recording this view at this time in darkness. The twin sisters of Wednesbury looking beautiful in the cold evening light of a winter sunset.

I love this view and never tire of it.

It was just about light until I got home – soon I’ll be travelling in the daylight again. This makes me very happy indeed.

January 5th – My experiments with the night-time view of Wednesbury’s twin sisters from Kings Hill continue. This is the third camera I’ve had a go with, and the best so far and more what I was after, but the limitations of the Nikon S9900 – lack of manual focus and noise – were very apparent.

I know what I want, and this is almost it, but I need to learn more about the craft to get it, I think.

It’s still beautiful, though, and one of the best views in the Black Country.

December 14th – I went back to Kings Hill, to have another shot at that night view of Wednesbury, this time with the FZ72. It’s still not quite what I’d like, so will try on a clear, crisp night with the Nikon (tonight was quite murky and damp, so wasn’t ideal). Still, the camera made a decent fist of it considering the operator hasn’t a clue what he’s actually doing.

I know what I want here, and I’m not sure if it’s even possible with the kit I have. I think the Nikon may be the job though, it can do the harsh light thing I like.

Closer than yesterday. It still looks gorgeous.