April 8th – Coming through Jockey Meadows in Walsall Wood after a long, hard day at work, I realised that things here were just starting to green up for the new season. Often, this is the last place locally to shake of the drab shades of winter, but this year it seems a little quicker.
This unusual site of special scientific interest that stops Walsall Wood, Pelsall and Shelfield forming one huge sprawl is an odd hinterland, but I do love it so.
Wonder if the coos will be back this year?
April 7th – And daffodils again, this time on a chilly ride home; these are on the site of the former railway bridge in Shelfield that’s now a public open space, and are an absolute riot. Again mixed, it’s a fantastic show this year, and a credit to those at the council who planted and tend them.
Gorgeous.
April 7th – Passing through Telford mid morning, I passed a bank of daffodils on an embankment near the cycleway. There were were several varieties of the flower here – normal types, some lovely feathery yellow ones, white ones and others with beautiful orange centres. They were an absolute joy to the heart after a few bad commutes – as were the beautiful polyanthus in the planter at Telford station.
This is a very unusual spring, but the usually short lived spring flowers seem to have been in bloom for ages now, and i like that very much. After the darkness of winter, it’s always good to see a fine display of these gorgeous plants.
April 5th – A bad day for commuting, really; soaked with a headwind on the way to work, and shot blasted by hail and caught in a short, sharp shower on the way home. But at least by then, the wind was behind me.
The rain on my return was broken by periods of bright sunshine which although directly warm on the back, couldn’t counter the strong, bitter wind; but we did get a rainbow. Almost Imperceptible to the northeast, but stronger over the darker cloud to the southeast it was beautiful – and a good while since I saw one.
Talk about four seasons in one day…
April 6th – Heading out on an errand from work late morning after a windy, wet and decidedly unpleasant commute was like chalk and cheese. Where I’d been relentlessly battered by driving rain and a headwind, it was actually sunny and pleasant as I rode down to Great Bridge.
Near Great Bridge, in a main road hedgerow, leaves are developing well. Hawthorn, beech and birch add a welcome splash of green after the grey winter months.
April 5th – I noted from the local news reports today that these old derelict buildings on Park Lane on the Darlaston/Wednesbury border are now scheduled for demolition and replacement with new housing – not before time, either: they’ve been derelict for as long as I can remember; an eyesore, they’re of no historic value whatsoever and in times of a housing shortage, their replacement is long overdue.
What is interesting – and I’d never noticed it before until @thestymaster commented today on Twatter about it – the old garage sign here is a bit of an antique, but it has sadly seen better days.
April 5th – It was quite clear from the view over to Wednesbury from where I pulled over to answer a call in Kings Hill that Bill’s Mother now lived that way on – it was looking mighty black over there.
The sunlight that remained, though, caught the twin sisters a mile away and reminded me why I love this most urban of views.
A real Black Country vista.
April 4th – An odd day – heavy showers in the morning interspersed with bright, warm sunny periods, and a nightmare, torrential-rain soaked ride home. At lunchtime on an errand from work into Walsall, I have no idea what the pigeon was thinking, but it seemed happy. Walsall dripped, sparkled and glistened, and the swans at Bentley Bridge didn’t seem bothered.
The homeward trip was fun, but very wet. Flash floods hit the main roads and drains blew their covers. It was warm though, so not too bad.
I guess this are April showers, then…
April 3rd – Up near Wall, the old cricket pitch was ploughed up a few years ago now by the farmer who owned it, leaving the portakabin pavilion – which must have cost a few bob to install – marooned.
It’s so sad to see the cricket pitch gone; many a Sunday or Saturday afternoon as a young man I’d pass here with a game in full swing and sit and watch with maybe a beer on the go.
Remarkably, the in and out field are now supporting a healthy, blooming crop of oilseed rape, which seems a wee bit early for me – but it is beautiful.
Three years ago this weekend I found a car still abandoned in deep snow not half a mile from here. How the seasons in this country vary.
April 3rd – The curious textures and contour-following lines of a ploughed and planted potato field seen today near Shenstone. The almost Moire-like visual disturbance this causes is fascinating, and really shows the undulations in any landscape.
Particularly impressive was the single cock pheasant clearly feeling a bit superior in the centre. Not the brightest birds but certainly very beautiful.
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