Tag: Walsall Wood

November 18th – A tough journey to work in a gusty headwind the morning after severe gales blew through. My earlier than usual return home, however was again assisted, so much so that I forgot I had to call in to pick something up in Aldridge. As I trundled up a very wet canal towpath on my errand, it was a very atmospheric sunset. That horse weathervane at Bullings Heath fascinates me. 

Also interesting – and now becoming visible due to the leaf-fall – are the industrial yards and excavations near the canal at Stubbers Green, including the brickworks. I still find the scent of firing bricks peculiar. 

Getting used to a new camera, too. Quite impressed with this one. Let’s hope the weather settles for a bit now.

November 17th – Passing through Walsall Wood, the wind was ferocious on the way home – but thankfully, it was behind me. Clocking up a near record commute time of 35 minutes and hardly having to pedal from Walsall, the few hardy souls I saw cycling in the other direction had my utmost sympathy. 

The view in both directions from Walsall Wood Bridge is great at night and I’ll always adore it – but I had to hold the camera really carefully tonight in case the wind snatched it away.

November 16th – A particularly hard ride home, and I’ve no idea why – I was just tired, I guess. The Black Cock Bridge was a tough too – and taking a breather at the top, I realised that this was the first time this year I’d commuted in both directions in darkness.

Still, it’s little more than a month until the darkness stops closing in and begins to retreat for another year.

Just where has this year gone?

October 18th – I also liked how beautiful Walsall Wood was on this greyest of grey Sundays. The trees around the Brookland Road junction look superb – and the church of St. John, this evening with lights on for a service -looked great with the turning leaves in the background.

I felt much better today. I got stuff actually done. Once the black dog settles in it can be the very devil to shift, and at this time of year I’m always susceptible. But in truth, the light nights will return, a new year and new spring will dawn, and I’ll feel the warmth again.

In the meantime, I’ll learn to love the darkness. Sometimes it’s your friend. But it’s like doing a deal with the devil.

There’s a lot of cold, a lot of rough weather and a lot of darkness to come before the next spring.

October 18th – I felt much better today, and had an errand to run to find a bunch of conkers for a good pal. Sadly I didn’t escape until late on a grey afternoon, so didn’t have time to take photos. Later on, the errand done, my pace slowed and I found myself returning from Aldridge, and I noted the marina at the back of Brickyard Road was busy now, presumably with boats overwintering. 

It looks like a nice mooring with secure, modern facilities – and there are some nice boats there. I’d quite fancy a narrowboat to live on were it not for the cold and continual running costs.

October 6th – It’s nice to see a local pub coming back from the brink. It had been a hectic day at work, and two horrible, grey commutes. I had to call in on a mate in Stonnall, and as I returned to Brownhills, I noted the scaffold around the now closed Shire Oak.

This historic pub has had a difficult time for the last few years with a succession of landlords, and it desperately needed renovation. It closed for a refit a couple of weeks ago, and has been gutted. Work continues, and I noted the scaffolding was a new addition as I rode home.

It’s good to see this historic, landmark pub get some love – we’ve lost so many, there must surely be a place for this venerable and noted house.

It’s scheduled to reopen on the 20th November. I wish the new landlords well, and look forward to a pub reborn.

October 1st – Although the wonderful Indian summer continues, each day seems to be getting noticeably colder now. Mid afternoon in the sun, it was warm on my back, like April; but move around and autumn chilled the air. It’s making for some divine golden hours, though, and the scenery around the canals is gorgeous now. Trees are turning, and soon everywhere will be golden.

Autumn is OK once you accept it.

September 29th – Jockey Meadows and the surrounding farmland are shrugging on their Autumn jacket now; the colours are moving from greens and golds to taupe and dark brown. The crops have been harvested, and I expect soon these fields will be ploughed.

This is the sadness of the time of year for me; not yet 7pm, and getting dark; the colours of summer to the colours of cold, and hibernation.

And so the seasons tick on. I can feel the darkness creeping in…

September 28th – Nipping from Stonnall over to Walsall Wood on an errand at sundown caught a misty, golden take on one of my favourite views: The Lichfield Road down into Walsall, and on to the Black Country.

Look at the traffic, the skyline. Then take in the sheer number and variety of trees. We may not realise it, but we live in a very green place. Long may it remain so.

September 13th – If you didn’t get a copy of last week’s Walsall Advertiser and live in Walsall Wood, it seems to have been dumped under the pedestrian walkway next to the Black Cock bridge.

About 30 copies, clearly dumped to avoid the work of actually delivering them.

Clearly not the sharpest tool in the box, because if they’d been dumped in a recycling bin instead nobody would have been the wiser.