Galleries

November 13th – An afternoon ride into Warwickshire through Tamworth. Hints, then down the A5 and canal to Polesworth, through Seckington and back via Clifton Campville, Harlaston and Whittington. Unlike my recent rides over Cannock Chase, the scenery was more varied. The day was quite dull and misty, however, and photography wasn’t great. A nice fifty miler, though, and a reminder that I should head out this way more often. Haven’t been to Orton on the Hill or Austrey for ages.

November 12th – A short ride round Brownhills and over the common followed a day of work and fiddling. I’m certainly getting lots of practice with night photography – hopefully I’ll be cycling in daylight again sometime soon. Brownhills ‘marina’ – a few mooring points in a weed-strewn hardstanding – does look good at night. I hope it gets some love when the Tesco reconstruction show rolls into town – but I’m not optimistic.

November 11th – Another frustrating day of bad rail travel to Leicester. The day was also largely grim and overcast, but dry. Escaping work at 2pm, I didn’t get back to Lichfield until 4:30pm, when it was getting dark. A mooch round the city provided loads of great photo opportunities, but only a couple came out well. It’s been a truly rotten week for commuting, and finding photos to take has been hard, but rewarding. It really does bring brightness to often rather miserable days….

November 9th – The start and end of the rail journey to Leicester today. When I arrived for my train at Lichfield, the information sign showed that the preceding Virgin express was running very late and was due to call just before my train. For a while, the sign showed the later train as coming in first, even though the timings on the sign meant that was impossible. 6 minutes late, after the express had hurriedly called, my train limped up. In the mean time, it had disappeared off the sign completely, with the train I was to catch completely absent from the system. I think they do it just to frighten us…

At the other end, it appeared that an all night party had been occurring in the shelter at South Wigston, chip papers were scattered throughout the platform. Sometimes I think we get the rail service we deserve. 

November 7th – a drizzly wet, frustrating day. I took lots of photos today, but only a couple of ones I took of Nuneaton Station came out anywhere near good enough to use. I was in Leicester for work, which necessitates two trains – one between Lichfield TV and Nuneaton, and one from Nuneaton to South Wigston. I don’t normally mind this journey at all – it’s relatively quick and Nuneaton isn’t a bad station to change at. The London Midland service down the Trent Valley line which is normally excellent has been lousy so far this week, and on my way home, wet, tired and irritable, my train was cancelled. Faced with waiting an hour for another train that may not turn up either, I thought hard and got a train into Birmingham instead, and from there another to Shenstone. Two hours late I arrived home. 

Life can be trying sometimes.

November 6th – A warm, pleasant day with little wind saw me yet again fail to resist the pull of Cannock Chase. We seem to be in the terminal stages of autumn, and the colours are spectacular, as we’ve yet to suffer a frost. Today, the trails were a bit muddy, but great fun again, and as I sped around the trails I saw many families out and about. I came off the Chase at Milford Common planning to go to Hoar Cross; but the sunset and scenery were so spectacular that I decided to head back to Seven Springs along the canal after cutting through Shugborough, and came back over the Abraham’s Valley in the dark. A visceral, wonderful experience.

November 5th – it seemed quite cold today, although for the time of year, I think it was probably quite mild. The clarity of the day and it’s air made for a gorgeous sunset. It started developing when I was near Stonnall, and just got better and better until darkness fell. I headed at top speed for Wall, where I knew I could get a good aspect. It really was this vivid; I never retouch photos other than the odd bit of cropping or straightening. Theses are straight off the camera.

November 3rd – Another early start, and a deserted Shenstone station at 6:15am. I was lucky today; the forecast was for heavy rain, but it had passed when I hit the road. It was also unseasonably warm. Approaching the station from Lynn Lane, I surveyed the platforms from the over bridge, as I often do. I love this station. It’s like a little period piece. Even at 6:15am on a dark, wet November morning.

November 2nd – I know I keep banging on about the autumn and Arrow Valley park in Redditch. It’s just that the season, and the place, are very beautiful right now. The past few days have been a tad miserable, but when the sky has lightened, it’s really highlighted the colours of autumn. Here, near Ipsley bank, the sycamore and willow leaf fall, whilst treacherous, are rather lovely to cycle through, and a joy in the early morning.