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February 20th – Spring is encroaching. This evening, coming through Walsall at a close to normal homecoming hour, I started in the last vestiges of daylight and finished in the last vestiges of a gorgeous urban sunset.

I first spotted it as I came down the ring road, but couldn’t stop; by the time I got to North Street it was still strong, but although the photos are nice, I don’t think they quite did it justice. 

At Walsall Wood, onto the canal, and my long-time muse of Clayhanager Bridge at night. The dozing swans at Catshill Junction were also rather lovely.

This dusk interregnum as the days lengthen when winter draws to a close can certainly be very beautiful.

February 19th – Travelling to work on a grey, horrible morning I dived onto the canal at Walsall to see if there would be anything interesting to share. There was nothing, not even the rats at Scarborough Road bridge were performing today, and as I approached Bentley Bridge it felt very grey and oppressive.

I was, hoever, concerned about one thing: The whole way between where I got on the canal at Birchills Locks and where I left at Darlaston Green there was a skin of non-organic, white scum on the water. 

I recognise most seasonal scums and this wasn’t one of those. I hope it’s not serious.

February 18th – One of the stranger legacies of the M6 Toll motorway coming through the area has been the drainage and pollution control lagoons that dot the countryside at intervals along it’s route. 

I think the idea is that surface drainage from the road is taken into these pools which can be isolated during instances of pollution, like diesel spills. The lagoons themselves seem to overtop into local drainage, so they also provide a sediment settling function.

The one on Bullmoor Lane has matured well, and is, in summer, alive with wildlife. Secluded and rarely visited, it’s a little enclave of peace and tranquility. Only the sign by the roadside gives you any hint of what’s there.

February 18th – In what turned out to be an abortive, doomed ride due to technical and other issues, I was further dismayed to come upon this asbestos water tank, dumped in a lay-by on the bend of Bullmoor Lane near Chesterfield. 

As structural asbestos this is a health hazard and will require specialist removal and handling, unlike the monkeys who dumped it here.

If you’ve recently had a water tank like this removed, the people who did it may be flytippers with no respect for others. I hope their plumbing is of a higher standard than their waste practices.

I did report this online immediately.

February 18th – A call in to Ogley Junction to see how the renovation of the footbridge is going, and it’s looking really good.

The shot blasting has finished, and the metalwork is being painted in black and white, and it looks splendid, I must say. Nice to see the approaches either side have been concreted too – the voids on either approach have been quite a challenge on a bike for some time.

The only thing bothering me is the missing bolt from the one repair plate brace – I do hope they fix that, but otherwise looking very good. It’s nice to see this historically listed bridge getting some love.

February 17th – Back in Brownhills, and another azure blue nightfall, which the Canon camera – to which I’m now really attached – really lapped up. I loved the way it picked up the warmth of the lighting on the Watermead estate over the canal from Silver Street and how that contrasted with the cool white of the LED street lighting up at Chandler’s Keep.

I’m sure there’s far more to find out and learn with this camera yet, I’m really loving it.

February 17th – Out just as the sun went down on an errand in Burntwood, hoping to catch a decent sunset as I returned via Chasewater, and thankfully I wasn’t disappointed. The day hadn’t been great and a number of things had gone wrong for me, but this was a really uplifting thing and I was glad to witness it.

With sunsets this good, can spring be far away?

February 16th – At last, a long ride and a day that felt like spring! This is what my heart has been hoping for.

I sneaked out of work at lunchtime on a sunny, reasonably warm day with not too much wind, called home, then left on a mission: To visit the cake stop at Abbots Bromley for the first time in 2018. And boy, was that pistachio and honey sponge worth the effort!

I delivberately pushed myself as hard as I could – I rode up through Hammerwich, Chorley, Longdon, Handsacre and Blithbury, managing a healthy average of 13.1mph over 16 miles. Not too shabby considering my recent illness. Following cake, I rote up through Abbots Bromley to Hoar Cross, and back through Hadley End, Kings Bromley, Lichfield and Wall. 48 miles in total at 12.5mph.

The day finished quite overcast, but Hoar Cross in the grey evening light with it’s huge clump of snowdrops was still a joy to the heart, as was the endless Trent at Kings Bromley.

A great, restorative ride.

February 15th – A brighter day, but windy. As long as the sun is out though, this’ll do me. Nipping across town in Darlaston on an errand, what better day to nip into Victoria Park and do a bit of snowdrop spotting?

This winter is strange. Just as I think it’s beaten me, we have a nice day, and I’m saved for a while.

I’ll never tire of this place.

February 12th – The miniature daffodils in Kings Hill Park are always early, and after the frost and snow of the previous night had meted away in the afternoon warmth, I popped to take a look.

The park’s spring flowers are really gearing up for a great display now and I was so pleased to see them.

Welcome back, my little yellow flashes of spring. Welcome back.