December 21st – I was spinning up to Walsall Wood to make a quick delivery, and I realised there was a carol concert happening at St. John’s church, and it was lit up.
It looked and sounded very Christmassy.
Sadly, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get a decent night shot of this humble but handsome church without that bloody streetlight spoiling it. Just can’t get a good angle.
Deember 21st – I’m interested in road safety technology and lighting as many readers will have gathered, and I’m intrigued by the recent upgrade to the zebra crossing on the Lindon Road by the Clayhanger Road junction.
The conventional Belisha Beacons have been replace for two LED streetlights, shining down on the crossing and adjacent footpaths, bathing the whole area in white light. This gives a stunning effect in an area of orange sodium lights; further, the beacons themselves are bracketed off the lighting columns, which have LED lights in them and shine out the white bands on the post that would normally just be paint or reflectives.
The overall effect is remarkable, but very hard to photograph. I’m impressed.
December 20th – I came back up through Longdon and Farewell as I always do. It was a chilly day with a crisp wind but the sun was lovely, and the views over the village of Upper Longdon were gorgeous. Good to see the renovation of the old Windmill coming on now, too.
Nearby at Red Hill, the houses clinging to the hill are still beautiful, but stopping to photograph them I noticed I had an audience – one large, disapproving cat and a pair of prize pigs.
A great ride. Really enjoyable.
December 20th – Today, today was great. I had a Christmas errand to run near Rugeley, and heard there was a farmer’s market on. I’ve never really had a good look around the town, and I have to say I was impressed. This former mining community serves a very wide area, and so maintains a good selection of shops, a couple of indoor markets, and the produce market itself was brilliant.
I’d not realised how good the architecture was in the town centre, either; I must go back when it’s quieter and have a good mooch around.
The huge inflatable Father Christmas by the sports club is brilliant, too, and can be seen from a long distance.
I returned with all manner of Christmas treats.
That wee dog in the indoor market stole my heart – such big, sad eyes!
December 19th – I don’t know why I think this, but I always consider cotoneasters a Christmas plant. The bright red-orange berries are a favourite with blackbirds who will strip a bush in days, all the time protecting it from the hungry beaks of other birds.
Something odd is going on though. Last year, there were huge bounties of such berries still on the bushes well into spring, seemingly barely touched. This year, these I pass on the way to work are already nearly stripped. This seems to be the same everywhere.
Why? Was preferential food available in abundance last year? Perhaps not so many blackbirds? Did something about that previous summer make the orange fruit less nutritious or maybe unpleasant?
Really puzzled by it.
December 18th – the weather got progressively worse, and on my return I crossed the Alan Woollatt memorial bridge over the A38 at Thickbroom. I had to be back for an appointment, and it was raining steadily but I couldn’t resist long exposure photos of the rush hour.
Before this bridge was built – again, a side effect of the M6 Toll – I used to negotiate that road between here and the turning for Little Hay. It was murder.
Alan Woollatt was a great cyclist and a fine man who fought for this crossing. I think of him every time I use it, and gaze from safety at the traffic speeding beneath me.
December 17th – At Kings Hill, passing through on an errand, I noticed the former Kings Hill Methodist Church seems to finally be in the process of conversion to flats. Permission has been outstanding for a while, and the grounds around have been cleared and I’ve noticed workers coming and going for a couple of weeks.
In the morning sun, it looked handsome, and I’m glad it’s being repurposed, rather than lost.
December 16th – This huge house in Mill Green has been empty for years, and had piqued my interest ever since I first noticed it on the corner of Mill and Forge Lanes. It’s huge, and must, when in good condition, have been worth a lot of money.
I’ve always wondered how such a property – in quite an exclusive area – comes to be derelict. There’s a story there, but I’m not even sure I want to know it, and attempts to find out have never been successful.
The gardens and hedges – long since overgrown – have now been cleared, I noticed as I cycled past. There has been outstanding planning permission to demolish the place and build another house for a while. I suppose work will soon start.
A mystery.
December 15th – A spin around the canal up to Pelsall on the way home, just to try and get a good angle on the sunset that was developing, and while pinning it down, it rained.
An odd, cold evening that felt oddly airless and dank. But it was so beautiful, just the light, and water. I was glad to catch it, even if I did get wet.
December 14th – This evening, there was the annual Burntwood lantern parade and Christmas Fayre at Chasewater. This was the first time the parade had been held here, and last year, the Christmas Fayre was awful, so I was a bit unsure what to expect when I attended.
What I actually found was wonderful.
The lantern parade – in the darkness of Chasewater – was beautiful and buzzing. The Christmas Fayre, much bigger than the year before, was packed and popular. This was a success at every level, and a joy to attend. Please excuse the awful photographs – conditions were very challenging for a rank amateur like me.
I hope this is the first of many such events.
I loved the way Santa turned up in a van lit for the occasion. The kids really seemed to enjoy it, and it was very Christmassy.
My thanks and compliments to the organisers – a brilliant job.
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