Galleries

June 26th – Interesting to see that the unusual solution to bicycle parking employed at Leicester station is now heavily oversubscribed. The station operators expanded to two more carousels, and have now had to put some in the car park, too. It seems almost as if when you create a pleasant, secure facility, people adapt their habits, and use it.

I do hope the people at Birmingham New Street have seen this.

Sadly, a minority still don’t seem to grasp the mechanics of these stands.

June 26th – It had caught my eye the morning before – a late flowering crop of oilseed rape in a field also partially spread with crimson poppies, just in the lee of Pipe Hill as one descends down into Lichfield. Today I stopped and took pictures.

I’m not altogether sure what causes this – but it is beautiful, and quite rare. It seems many of the neighbouring fields are displaying a similar effect. Beautiful in the sunlight.

June 25th – In Leicester today, and out early. This gave me chance to see my favourite patch of scrub, the embankment at South Wigston station.

I’m acutely aware that not many people have favourite patches of scrub, and this does mark me out as a little eccentric.

South Wigston is only a tiny dot of a suburban halt on a busy goods junction, and is totally unmanned. At some point, I think the green margins around the platforms and walkways were managed and planted, but haven’t been so for many years; the perennials that were planted here, plus some wild imports, run riot now all throughout the year, and reward me continually with colour, beauty and bounty.

It feels like I’m the only person ever to notice this; the only one ever to stop and watch the bees busy in the daisies, or bustling around the cotoneaster. Meanwhile, all around the sound of clanking industry, rumbling goods traffic and the joyful hubub of children from the nearby school.

It’s a wild place in the city, and I love it.

June 24th – Technically, although summer has only just started, it feels midway right now. The late spring flowers and blossom have receded, and the chicks have hatched. Now it’s the time of the water lilies on the canal, the hardier summer blooms, the goslings and young visibly growing up. This brood of eight Canada geese chicks have survived remarkably well agains predators – including the local foxes – and are beginning to develop adult plumage. They’re still button-cute, though, and mother and father still stand eagle eyed in defence of their family.

June 23rd – An evening spin out to Chasewater, and a surprisingly choppy reservoir put me in ming of childhood trips to Rhyl or Prestatyn. The wind whipped the water into spume-topped fury, and buffeted the pier, breakwater and wakeboard line.

Wakelake seem to be settling in now, but seem to be still erecting gear. They’ve made a much better job of renovating the pier than I originally thought, although it will stay out of bounds to the general public. 

It’s so good to see this facility here, and the old wooden jetty come back to life.

June 22nd – There’s dereliction of a different kind not far away from the land in the last post. Oak Park – the original one, consisting of bowling greens, ferris courts and gardens was originally for the amenity of the local mining community and held in trust. Now, it sits gently decaying like some lost garden ruin next to the 70s leisure centre that bears it’s name. 

Left to rot by a council that no longer cares for it, it’s a sad site that I find tragic and upsetting, not least the overgrown remnants of the BMX track out back, added in the 80s. This was once a grit track, and very popular.

Dereliction of land and dereliction of duty.

June 22nd – Up in Walsall Wood, near Streets Corner, there’s a sad sight. It had been positive news when plans were unveiled for the demolition of a row of derelict houses and the building of a new close.

Sadly, all that’s happened is demolition, and now the site is up for sale.

I had a feeling that was going to happen. This site has been derelict a long time – so sad to see. Looks like it’ll be that way for a while yet.

June 21st – The north end of Chasewater Dam is currently carpeted in a beautiful display of moon daisies, which not only look delightful, but smell beautiful, too. I love the fact that the rangers stopped mowing the bank and left them to bloom. 

In a day riven with toothache, chaos and general bad luck, these cheered me no end.

June 20th – Out for a beer in Walsall with some very good pals, I found myself coming home in heavy, sweet, warm rain. The bike was fast and the roads slick, and I must confess I enjoyed the ride hugely. It was a great sensory experience – the dark, the sound, the smell of wet greenery, the sweep of passing traffic, the taste of fresh, clean rain on my tongue. Green Lane in Walsall Wood remains the only place I feel uneasy after dark, but the deer and badger I startled here were worth the journey alone, but also endearing were the frogs and snails, out enjoying the downpour on the pub patio as I unlocked my bike.

I’d swear that wee frog is grinning.

Bad weather isn’t all bad at all.