Galleries

December 12th – Sadly, only these two photos today of the River Arrow in Redditch. It was my first day there in nearly a month, and the Arrow Valley now has its winter coat well and truly on. Gone are the greens of summer and golds of autumn, now the trees are black silhouettes and new views have opened up. I noticed as I crossed the river bridge near Ipsley that the river was flowing healthily again. Not yet back up to full strength – I can’t hear it yet – the small river seems to be taking an absolute age to recover from the dry summer.

I had more pictures planned for this evening, but I came home late in a rain storm, and just couldn’t bring myself to stop. Those who the cycling gods wish to destroy, they first bestow driving rain, and uphill commute and a headwind. Horrid journey.

December 11th – Shenstone is a great little village at any time, but at night it is particularly remarkable, and at this time of year, somehow festive. I love the lights of the village, and how they highlight it’s mixed bag of architecture. These are two starkly different pubs – The Fox and Hounds, with it’s cosy, snug bar, and the more expansive Railway, with it’s high ceilings and airy atmosphere. The railway is particularly interesting, as during it’s life parts of it have been a chapel and a butchers. An interesting place.

December 10th – A cold, windy day. I headed out at sunset to explore an autumnal, wet Clayhanger Marsh. Gorgeous as ever, the sunset was quite good over Ryders Mere. Wildfowl were calling and I disturbed the marsh’s old dog fox in the process of bagging a little something for supper. I see that old fella almost every time I come here – we’re familiars, and respect each other from a distance. We often share contemplative moments together. If only he could talk…

December 6th – The seasonal frosts came with a vengeance today, the roads and pavements covered in a layer of frozen rainfall. As soon as that happens, on go my winter tyres. The ones I use are Schwalbe Marathon Winter, in 700cx35, which have a pronounced, rubbery anti-slip deep tread and carry four rows of tungsten carbide studs, which bite into ice and stop you sliding away. Very effective in snow, this is the second winter for this pair, and they’re still like new. They’re noisy to ride, and don’t roll all that smoothly, but I’d rather that than land on my arse. They work surprisingly well, and cut spills to an absolute minimum. Highly recommended.

December 6th – Another lost pub appears to be going down the dust pipe. Since proving itself just as readily combustible as other closed pubs locally, the Miners Arms at Rushall has sat forlorn, with scaffolding half erected around it. This once lively, popular boozer used to have great live music and a decent pint, but like so many, couldn’t make enough to survive. Closed for a good while, then subject to the inevitable arson attack, it now appears that the demolition crew has moved in. I’m sure another block of highly individual apartments awaits. 

Decmber 3rd – Brownhills no longer gets a Christmas tree. All that happens in these straitened times is that workmen hang lights of the trees next to Morris, the metal miner on the central island. Morris is lit up in blue at night, which I’ve always thought to be horrid. The tree-lights are also blue and make the whole ensemble look like a cheap decoration. At lest things look a bit more festive up on the High Street.

December 2nd – Coming up from Caldmore (‘Karma’ to locals), passing over Church Hill in Walsall at 6pm, I couldn’t resist a few night shots around the church. The view of Paddock, is one I’ve found fascinating for years, particularly at night. Just about the last large concentration of tower blocks in Walsall, oddly they survived whilst others were demolished. The church and grounds are wonderfully atmospheric at night and offer great views of the marketplace and beyond to the north, and the Ditch area and Ablewell Street to the east. A century ago I’d have been overlooking a heaving, densely packed slum. How times change.

November 28th – A day in Leicester again, so I shot down to Lichfield Trent Valley before dawn. Dawn itself came just before Nuneaton, where I change trains. From the platform, the railway and it’s peculiarly universal vanishing points made for in interesting view in the golden morning sunlight. Sometimes, the oddest things can be precious.

November 27th – today, I have a cold and didn’t feel too much like exerting myself. I finally forced myself out as the daylight was dying, and after a surprisingly energetic thrash over the common, I headed north over Chasewater. The moon – not quite new, I think, but quite slender – and clear air made for a decent sunset. It’s been a long time since I went round Chasewater in the dark, and I forgot how exhilarating and beautiful it could be.

November 26th – The unseasonably warm weather is providing some unexpected surprises, one of the most visible of which is the profusion of fungi still appearing on a daily basis. The fly agaric by the canal at Newtown, in Brownhills, are still in fine fettle and throwing up new caps daily, while the blumells near Shenstone Park look fresh and tasty. Alonside these are a whole host of others – polypores, brackets, puffballs, ceps and caps. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a good year for the mycology.