Galleries

April 18th – A devil of a day beset by difficulties at work. I rode off early in the morning into an unpleasant headwind with a bad stomach and the day didn’t improve much. I was distracted on the way home by a mechanical issue, and just took these photos of the new pond at Clayhanger, which is greening up beautifully at the moment, but is suffering a little for being a hanging-out place for local kids who are littering a little. 

Hopefully in a few weeks the slopes around the pool will be alive with orchids again, as they were last year. Sadly, it’s a bit too wet down there at the moment to investigate.

Repairs carried out at home, I’m hoping for a better day tomorrow – it wouldn’t be hard to achieve.

April 17th – A ride over a very muddy Cannock Chase and Shugborough on a fine, sunny but quite cold afternoon. I saw a small group of red deer on Norton Bog, several of which had been mud-bathing to aid their moult. The Chase itself was as beautiful, wide open, cinematic and deserted as usual, and Shugborough’s farm animals and new arrivals were charming and cute.

With an insistent west wind and low energy it was a battle at times, but a lovely ride. This spring has been truly wonderful, even if the weather hasn’t really played along.

April 16th – I rode into Lichfield to do some shopping and errands, and noticed how all the spring flowers were out. In Festival Gardens, the mascara or grape hyacinths were the deepest electric blue; by Minster Pool the tulips were a beautiful regiment of cream and St. Michael’s churchyard has a huge glade of wild garlic, bluebells and primroses.

Just that morning we’d had quite heavy snow showers.

This unusual but beautiful spring continues.

April 16th – Heading up the canal toward Newtown, on the bend just past the old mill, a relaxing couple on a sunny afternoon. I’ve not seen the swans do this on the canal bank here before, and this one has me a little puzzled, but they were utterly relaxed and convinced the spot was just right for them.

A lovely sight, but I know the one that was ostensibly asleep was totally aware of my presence. 

April 15th – I love the Soho Road and that part of Birmingham in general, on the Smethwick/West Brom border. I took a ride up there after developing the craving for some decent dhokla – a savoury, fragrant yellow sponge made from gram flour, rice and chickpea, with chilli and coriander. This Gujarati snack is hard to get in Walsall, which is a shame as it’s gorgeous.

My fascination with the Soho Road is enduring – I’ve been coming here for three decades, and watched it change. Back then, the predominant accents here were Pakistani and Irish, now they’re more likely to be Eastern European, African or Afro Caribbean. Similarly, there are changes in the shops; a large Polish supermarket, various delis and lots of Caribbean fast food and baked goods.

Some things never change, though; the frenetic activity, the chatter, the mad traffic, the rush to be somewhere. The colourful fruit and veg and material emporia, the lurid platters of burfi in the windows.I watched a chap frying fresh jelabi on an outdoor stand, sweet centres were in full production for the weekend wedding feasts and looming over it all, the fading, resplendent (and in the case of the Red Lion, frankly hideous) architecture.

I love this place. I adore Birmingham. Even on this grey day.

April 15th – I had a late meeting in Birmingham, and the weather was grey and wet. Unusually, though, this didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the city, which never looks good on a grey day. Finishing my task, I went for a mooch around the city centre and spotted this brutalist gem hiding in plain sight in New Street. 

Architecturally, it seems a mix of brutalism and a kind of stilted, controlled art deco. I have a feeling it’s more modern than it’s appearance belies.

Does anyone know anything about it or who the architect was? It’s quietly stunning.

April 14th – Another sign of spring is the roadsalt-loving Danish scurvy grass in bloom. This odd little plant has moved onto highway fringes normally burned and hostile due to winter gritting – but this wee plant loves the salt, and thrives.

This gives a lovely white fringe to roads, motorways and dual carriageways throughout the country at this time of year.

No matter how hostile an environment, nature always finds a way to exploit it.