July 4th – Kidney vetch is a local oddity. I only know of it growing in two spots hereabouts – on the bank above the new pond at Clayhanger, and alongside the cycleway running along the old rail line through the Goscote Valley. These two places are entirely consistent with the usual habitat of the plant: cuffs, slopes and sandy soils.
It’s a fascinating flower, little yellow buds seemingly on little fluffy white balls of cotton-like fibre.
A real curiosity that’s worth looking out for.
July 3rd – I passed Grove Hill near Stonnall late afternoon, under a stunning blue sky with light clouds. Currently with barley on the lower slopes and wheat on the upper, it’s a timeless sight that can’t have altered much in a century or more.
The other thing I like about this is it clearly illustrates the purpose of the hedge and lone three; they are there to limit soil erosion. Think about it.
July 2nd – The day was also characterised by the animals met along the way. I’ve always loved canal animals, and these were all spotted nearby; the border collie waiting for his mistress outside the canalside farm shop at Haywood, the cat living at the canal cottage near Cowlick, and the two boater dogs watching silently as I passed.
I loved the terrier and venerable old collie on the boats particularly. They were clearly doing their job and looked happy and content with life.
Sometimes, it’s the animals you meet who make for a good ride, not the humans…
July 2nd – A ride out to Brockton, Milford and Tixall marred by mechanical problems, a headwind and tiredness, but a good trip all the same. Tixall is as beautifully incongruous as I remember, and the Chase was as gorgeous.
The waterfowl of Chasewater were also on good form as I passed through. I’m wondering just how much the swan numbers can increase to – gorgeous birds, but so many of them now. Interesting to watch.
July 1st – Between the railway line and the the backlane into Shenstone, a curiously planted field corner, laid in neat rows. I couldn’t see what the crop was from the road, and it piqued my interest, so I took a zoom shot.
Turns out to be carrots, with what looks like wheat growing thickly between them.
I’ve only ever seen one other field of carrots locally, and that was at the top of Lazy Hill. I’ll be interested to see how these develop and how they’re harvested.
July 1st – Has half the year gone already? Really? Wow.
I flew from Walsall with the wind behind me just after the rain passed, and with a call to make in Stonnall, I let the wind blow me on a lazy loop around Shenstone. The wet lanes glistened in the sunlight, and the sky was deep blue. With the wet June, everything is verdant ad green, except the barley, which is turning now to the gold of high summer.
As the year and seasons move inexorably on, although it’s been wet, it hasn’t felt like a bad year for the weather. Let’s hope we get a drier, sunnier July and August.
June 30th – As we approach what is a very damp midsummer, the flowers and greenery are beautiful this year, even if the weather isn’t. Although the early flush of blossom and spring colour has now passed, there are now more gentle delights if you look carefully.
The thistles are just emerging now, in several forms and the self-heal has been in bloom for a week or two now, with it’s tiny, but beautifully coloured flower heads. Also remarkable and spotted today near the cycleway at Goscote, this wonderful orchid.
Purple definitely seems to be the colour of the moment.
June 29th – I find myself running errands to Tipton a lot lately, which I don’t mind at all – it’s a decent ride from Darlaston, and there appear to be plenty of curiosities to investigate when I get there.
In Coronation Gardens, for instance, there’s a statue to a prizefighter who holds legendary status. Wiliam ‘Tipton Slasher’ Perry was one of the greatest local pugilists of all time, and held the title of English Champion from 1850-57; he was a noted character and the pub he used to hang out at – the nearby Fountain – was centre of his empire and is still a shrine to the fighter today.
William is regarded now as one of the greatest sons of the town, despite dying an alcoholic.
Today, his statue stands in classic fighting pose, his familiars pigeons. I wonder how many pass by and not know who the statue is remembering?
June 28th – Oh dear. A short train journey mid-afternoon, and I found myself sharing the bike space with this nice, well engineered Specialized hybrid commuter bike.
Nothing wrong with it, and it looks like a nice ride – decent tyres, nice wheels and gears – but oh my, those mudguards are annoying my snobby sense of order.
Clearly fitted as an aftermarket add-on, the spacing between the guards and wheels is… all over the place. Also, the carrier tilts up to the back of the bike, and I notice another of my pet hates: seat post mounted rear lights – easily obscured by closing or objects on the rack.
Sometimes when you see other people’s bikes, it’s hard not to whip out the tools and start fixing them up…
June 27th – Near Catshill Junction, I watched momma coot feeding her chicks – presumably the second set of the year. She was diving, then returning to the surface and feeding the little ones from her beak. It was fascinating.
The chicks still look as Phil Griffin so memorably put it, like ‘badly knitted moorhens’, but they are very cute all the same.
It’s also interesting to be reminded of how strange adult coot feet really are. Curious birds, coots.
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