Galleries

December 18th – Heading off to Birmingham early again, I shot through Mill Green late, but I couldn’t resist photographing that gorgeous sunrise. The past couple of days have shown the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets – and arriving at the station too late for the train, it gave me chance for a better go at the view of Hill Hook I took from the train yesterday.

The weather of late has been awful, but sights like this make the misery of cycling in such wet weather totally worth it.

December 16th – Shhh! Whisper, you’ll scare it away. It’s shy, timid and rarely seen around here these days.

That’s a very rare blue sky, and I’m shocked and surprised to see such a lovely example today.

It’s been so long since I saw one, I had to check a reference guide to find out what it was…

December 16th – New Street, mid morning. These are not photos of the station pre-upgrade, but afterwards. Some of it may be improved later, but nothing shows the  shallowness of the turd-polish this project really was than this view; just a little away from a main route through the station, bare 60s concrete, dirty 80s cladding and ugly, dark structures. 

New Street looks stunning in press photos from the concourse, and from the streets nearby; but use it and you soon realise that the Emperor has no clothes and the station is still failing, still unpleasant and still unfit for purpose.

You can’t polish a turd, as the saying goes, but they have rolled this one in glitter.

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 14th – I went back to Kings Hill, to have another shot at that night view of Wednesbury, this time with the FZ72. It’s still not quite what I’d like, so will try on a clear, crisp night with the Nikon (tonight was quite murky and damp, so wasn’t ideal). Still, the camera made a decent fist of it considering the operator hasn’t a clue what he’s actually doing.

I know what I want here, and I’m not sure if it’s even possible with the kit I have. I think the Nikon may be the job though, it can do the harsh light thing I like.

Closer than yesterday. It still looks gorgeous.

December 13th – I briefly caught the lantern parade at Chasewater, which was OK but didn’t seem to have the atmosphere or hubbub of the year before – perhaps it was the weather. Perhaps it was me.

On the way back though, the riding was fast and muddy, and Anglesey Wharf in the darkness was oddly ethereal.

Here’s to a better week, eh?

December 13th – Chasewater was grey, foggy and very, very wet when I rode through near dusk. In a curious nether-world at the moment, there isn’t the optimism here of the new year, and with the wakeboard guys all packed up, there’s an out-of-season, end of the pier feel to the place, which I rather like.

Of course, not much was visible today, it was all just shades of grey fading into the lake.

December 12th – Heading out late, I wanted to catch the festival of music and light at the Canoe and Outdoor Centre in Brownhills – but was too late. It looked like they’d had fun though, despite the unpleasant weather.

It has been an utterly foul few weeks, this run-up to Christmas. Wind and rain, and relentless overcast days, and it’s really hit local events like Christmas markets, light switch-ons and fayres.

Let’s hope it all blows itself out for the holiday.

December 11th – As the grey, damp days and dark nights wind on, it’s hard finding colour in the world, and it can be hard to keep this thing positive – but it’s not hard at all when you spot things as lovely as these polyanthus, recently planted at Telford station, which seem to be blooming just in time for Christmas.

I was making a flying visit at lunchtime, and the journey was long and fraught – but these cheered me on no end.