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December 24th – The weather was bad, I had much to do, so I didn’t go far. I’ll be perfectly honest, I’m nursing a shoulder injury at the moment which is making life uncomfortable – sustained falling over my own feet on the stairs, I ended up with bruises and some kind of muscle strain that’s making long rides very uncomfortable right now.

I was pleased to see however that at Clayhanger Common, in the usual spot, earthstar fungus had returned this year. The fungus here doesn’t usually show until December when the leaves are finally off the brambles that cover their spot, and this time, they’d been difficult to reach on a bike due to the snow. 

I finally noted one badly damaged by frost and the spore pods of several others, so at least we had a crop this year, even if it went mostly unrecorded.

They are an most unusual fungus.

December 23rd – I was aiming for a great ride; I needed to go to Whittington to get some Christmas food in from a trader I know there. I rode out as dusk fell, but this last Saturday before Christmas the roads were full of drivers – mainly taxis and private hire, it has to be said – who weren’t concentrating, or at least not focussed. I got cut up. I got close passed. The roads didn’t feel safe, and neither did I.

Rolling into Lichfield, my nerves were shot.

The city was equally odd. This was to be the last real shopping day before Christmas, as it falls on a Monday this year, and Sunday restrictions would apply. But the place was full of high spirited drinkers and stragglers, and the atmosphere was quite hostile. I took some hurried shots, and rode home.

Not as festive as I’d hoped, to be honest…

December 22nd – Often if I’ve had a long day away, I come to see Morris, the Brownhills Colossus, as his creator John McKenna called him. I have mixed feelings that are well known about the origins and personal politics surrounding Morris, the Brownhills Miner but I do love him to bits. Seeing this 30 foot demonstration of finite element modelling always makes me feel at home now.

Just wish they’d fix the spotlights.

I love how, at Christmas, the lights on the trees give the sculpture a little bit of a ‘Last performance at Vegas feel.

We’ve all got a bit of Vegas in us. Especially Morris. 

Rock on my metal mate. Rock on.

December 18th – I did return however in mist which was pretty eerie – coming back from Shenstone I was wary of ice but the biggest issues were remarkably daft driving (overtaking on a bend in reduced visibility?) and a huge pothole I narrowly missed in Cranebrrok Lane.

My muse, Shensone Station, looks excellent in mist with it’s metal halide lights, and rolling into an ethereal Brownhills from Shire Oak in the orange glow of sodium streetlights was pretty beautiful too, despite the traffic.

December 17th – Riding up over Anchor Bridge towards Shire Oak I spotted the boat that had broken the ice back by Silver Street: a contractor’s work boat, which appears to have been cutting back overgrown trees from the canalside.

That must be hard work at anytime, but more so in the cold. I was also interested that the boat appeared to be tethered on a side of the canal not reachable by pedestrians, so the work crew must have a dinghy or something.

If anyone knows how they moored that and got out dry, I’d love to know…

December 17th – Sunday was a much better day, but whilst the ice didn’t melt as much as I’d hoped, it was well on the way. I love ice and snow. But when it’s fresh; I can’t bear it hanging around. I like a good heavy snowfall, a few days of fun, then a fast thaw. 

Not so with this one.

I looped around Brownhills on errands, delivering Christmas cards as night fell: The High Street was grey and damp in the drizzle, but the canal at Silver Street fascinating with the ice, broken up by a passing boat.

Not feeling terribly Christmassy yet. Hope that changes soon.

December 15th – I was in Leeds on a trip, but not on the bike, but this sad sight was worth noting and sharing. Think about your locking strategies.

Someone’s steed – a good quality one, judging by the wheel that remains – was attached to that wheel, left by thieves d-locked too the Sheffield stand. The D Lock had a cable loop around the frame. The thieves cut the cabe – easy to do – and left the wheel.

In all probability they stole a wheel from another bike parked nearby, and rode off.

If you’re looking your bike, use the cable to secure the front wheel, and the D-lock on the frame. Thieves will rarely come tooled up for both locks. Get a set of quick releases that require a tool or key. Look for unusual locks that may not be any more secure, but may require unusual tools to defeat, like disc brake locks. Make your bike a pain to steal.

As to the missing bike, ah to the sadness of things…

December 12th – Telford was stunning too; from the station which looked like a winter wonderland, to the old bridge now with one of the ramps to the Staples store removed to the cycleways which were packed ice and easily navigated on the studded tyres. 

Only problem was many of the laurel trees that line the paths were weighted down to breaking point with snow and were hard to get past.

December 12th – Off to Telford in the early morning in temperatures pushing minus 6 with a fresh fall of snow the night before. Blake Street Station looked oddly eerie in the dawn light and pure white, and as the electric 323 train rolled in past a familiar view of the Sutton Mast going in the opposite direction, the pantograph pickup arced continuously and noisily due to the ice on the catenary wires.

A mesmerising sight,  I couldn’t help wondering if ithe 25,000 volt arc degraded the pickup carbons or just burnt of the ice. 

Something you don’t witness too often, that.