Tag: Victoria park

December 13th – Darlaston, like most places, seems to possess its fair share of public artwork. The sculptures in Victoria park have no plaques, but their root is fair clear; they’re harking back to an industrial past. I’m not sure if the hammer is a genuine old machine or a composite, but I can’t really see how it worked, whilst the tree seems to be suffering the same rust affliction that befalls the Walsall Wood Pithead. Looking like a child’s approximation of a tree, I find this sculpture odd; it’s hugely detailed in the leaves, which contain items of Darlaston’s past; nuts and bolts, washing machines (Servis were just down the road) and so forth, yet the ensemble gives the impression of something simplistic and cursory. I’m not sure the best tribute to a true seat of precision engineering should look like this, but folk seem to like it.

December 7th – On this bright, but rather windy winter’s morning, Darlaston was again looking stunning. Here, the Police Station overlooks Victoria Park. In summer, it’s leafy and green, and in this mild season, the view has opened out yet the lawns still remain verdant. This is the Black Country in all its aesthetic glory. Yet who outside of the immediate area knows of the beauty of this place? A tragedy that Darlaston is not better appreciated.

December 1st -Darlaston is full of odd little corners. Often architecturally stunning, as I’ve previously noted, this villagey little Black Country town is also peppered with delightful green spaces of various sizes. The site of the former railway station, close to the centre of town, is now known as Victoria Park, and still maintains the profile of a cutting.This wonderful stretch of greenery is a quiet spot crossed by a lovely wooden bridge. The walkway beneath also extends under the busy Walsall Road, providing a safe underpass for pedestrians.