Tag: urban

September 28th – Terribly grainy, long distance ride cam footage of something nice about darkness commutes: Urban foxes.

Follow this short film and you’ll join me cruising around the bend by Coppice Woods on Green Lane between Walsall Wood and Sheffield. Out of the darkness to the right darts a large, fit male fox, who jumps the ditch into the wood.

Fantastic to see, and his antics will brighten many a dark commute over winter.

It’s not all dark. I just wish the footage was better. You may need to click the full screen button to see it best.

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

September 28th – My quest for fly agaric – the red and white spotted toadstool of folklore and fairytale – was satisfied today when I visited a familiar patch that unexpectedly exists between the Darlaston Road and canal in Walsall. 

This edge land, under self-seeded silver birches at the top of the cutting, is host to the largest colony of these toadstools I’ve ever seen; there must be at least a hundred of them in various stages of life.

This is a remarkable find and confirms my suspicion that I’ve largely missed the season this year – they seem to have peaked earlier this year, but this spot which is quite hard to climb to contains some of the best, most perfect examples of the fungi I’ve ever seen.

All in one of the most built-up, urban patches of Walsall.

September 23rd – Returning through Lichfield, Festival Gardens looked gorgeous too with the autumn thing going on. Although I feel cheated out of the expected Indian summer, I’m really enjoying the Autumn colour this year.

And there are few better places to admire it than the parks and streets of Lichfield.

September 16th – A frustrating daytime of delays and faffing before a decent night out with family. I was in Walsall getting – of all things – parts for the car. In Ablewell Street, I stopped and looked at a sign I’d passed many times, and always amuses me.

I know it’s an organisation (and a worthy one at that) but the sign is almost random in it’s minimalism and in context of such a busy urban place, perfectly pitched.

I love it. I needed breathing space, so I took five minutes and thought about the serendipity of the sign.

September 12th – Remember that traffic island planted with wildflowers I found in Tipton way back in the summer? I passed it again today in the sunshine and it’s still very, very beautiful.

Although the huge mass of flowers is gone now, there are still plenty of diverse, beautiful and understated blooms attracting bees and bugs. And it still gladdens the heart.

When people tell you we live in a dreary, ugly, industrial place, think of this, and smile.

September 7th – It’s about time I started doing ride cams again, and having discovered how to overcome the piss poor battery life of the Hero 5, they should be a lot less hassle to capture.

On my way home on a grey day in North Walsall rush hour, life on a bike is faster and more efficient than many of the motorists around me seem to think…

Soundtrack is ‘Smash It’ by Fuzz Townshend (yes, THAT Fuzz Townshend).

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

September 6th – I met this king (or maybe queen) of the whiskers in north Walsall on my way to work. Undertaking neighbourhood watch duties from a garden wall, the bright eyes and confident stance attracted me from over the road. Quite happy to test out my ear tickle prowess, I clearly scored a ‘that’ll just do, matey’ before I took the photo.

But oh gosh, what a fine set of whiskers those are!

Not seen this one before. A welcome addition to the local cat spotting rota, I feel.

September 5th – A washout commute home, too. The traffic was murderous, I was tired and I wasn’t feeling the love. I took to the canals and cycleways, and wound my way back to sanctuary carefully and slowly.

In Goscote, I spotted a lovely apple tree, laden with rosy red fruit, glistening and dripping with fresh rain.

For a moment, I was spellbound by the sound and beauty.

Then I realised how wet I was, got back on the bike and rode home.

September 5th – I was lucky in the morning, my early commute just clipped the edge of the forecast rain, and I didn’t get wet, but when I nipped out mid day on an errant to Wednesbury, I was caught in a downpour.

The flowers in Brunswick Park seemed to enjoy it though. I most do more on Brunswick, it’s another beautiful urban oasis that’s often unappreciated.

Can we have summer back, please? Thanks.

September 4th – Returning to Brownhills in the evening, I was pleased to note that the development of new housing seems to have finally started on the site of the old market place off Silver Street, with earthmoving plant commencing operations.

Realistically, we have no chance of ever getting the market back, and the space it occupied has lain idle for five years or more. It’s open, sad and dispiriting and the houses being built here will be a great improvement, and will also mean an end to the serial occupation of the site by travellers.

A good thing, a long time coming.