January 13th – I was grumbling uphill in Bradford Street, Walsall, and a piece of fresh graffiti art caught my eye. In light of the recent grumbles I’ve been having about the weather, it seemed like a message from fate.
In the last couple of days I had a message from a good friend and reader of this journal ‘Stop moaning about the rain!’
I shall try, promise. There’s always hope, after all.
January 12th – this was around 3:30pm, during the rains. I was soaked, and cold. Every single light was red and the traffic was doing the mad things it always does when we have rain.
I keep saying I think I’m developing webbed feet. Shelve that. At the moment I’m considering a coat of Cuprinol to stave off wet rot…
January 12th – A better day health and mood-wise, but not in terms of the weather. I had to go to Droitwich, and got wet on the way. On my return, it was sunny in Worcestershire and Birmingham; as I got to Walsall near 3pm, the sky blackened and dusk seemed to fall early.
The sky was incredible, seen here at Station Street in Walsall, just as the rain started.. The following downpour? Not so much.
January 7th – Passing through Pleck on the way home, on the first winter night of the season. It was cold, so very cold after all the unseasonal warmth and I was hungry. What better way to warm up than a quick snack of samosa and shashlik?
Place is like that other glowing night-suburb, Caldmore. It seems busier at night than in the day, and a constant hubbub of traffic, people, shops and lights.
There’s also some great architecture.
I love these places and the snacks really filled the gap.
January 6th – Then there was this fellow. Just look at the unbridled smugness.This is a cat whose self-belief defies his probable hatred of water.
Perched casually on a tree trunk sticking out of the canal bank in Pleck, puss is about 2-3 feet over the water. If he fell off, he’d be very wet and there’s no easy escape; but this cat is unconcerned.
He just sat there, looking pleased with himself.
January 6th – A fair commute in both directions for once, in fact almost sunny.
On the way, the sun was trapped above low smog but I didn’t mind – as I came through central Walsall on the ring road, it made everything look beautiful. I don’t know if it was just in the haze or my mind, but everything was suffused in a delicious yellow, soft light.
The Workhouse Guardian’s Office in front of the Manor Hospital may still be derelict, and gradually being carried to dust, but it’s at times like this it regains some of the lost stature.
Could do with a few more days like this, please.
January 5th – Passing through Walsall in the morning, winching myself up Bradford Street, I was reminded of what a fine and idiosyncratic place this is architecturally. At first glance, this place doesn’t seem to offer much merit.
But look closer. Look up.
It’s why I love Walsall.
December 21st – Walsall’s Gala Baths, wedged in-between the Council House, library and the ‘civic quarter’ on Tower Street seem very popular; featuring a good size swimming pool with and additional brine pool and gym. It was clearly busy when I passed mid-vining, and it makes for an interesting night photograph with the curious lighting.
It’s due a refurbishment soon, to bring the early 60s building up to modern standards. A fine thing indeed, of which Walsall can be proud.
December 15th – I spotted these odd remnants of toadstools on a damp grass verge near the canal at Walsall. I can’t recognise the original fungus, and they seem to be decaying in an almost skeletal manner. I’m fascinated by the way they seem to be reducing to the structure of their gills.
Fungi are endlessly captivating.
December 9th – A better day today, for sure. For starters, it was dry, sunny and cooler – it felt like a real winter was coming. We’re getting really close now to the winter solstice and the start of the opening out – yet we’ve barely had a true frosty morning. This year has been odd.
I was further cheered to note that at James Bridge, on the Walsall/Darlaston border, the hard work by planning enforcement officers and the Environment Agency has led to the clearing of the mess here on the field next to the River Tame. It had been in use as a store for general building materials and assorted debris, apparently without planning approval. The whole site looked a mess and seemed to be little more that a glorified fly-tip.
The site isn’t completely clear yet, although it’s much, much improved. It’s good to see action to remove the blight and a possible source of pollution to the recovering river.
Nice work. Thank you.
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