June 7th – After seeing the rhizomes floating in the canal earlier in the season, it’s gratifying to note that the development of this season’s water lilies has been sift – and a matter of a couple of week the characteristic large, leathery leaves have formed, and now the first tentative flowers were out as I rode to work along the canal at Bentley Bridge.
Two listing species are common on local canals – yellow and white, and both are gorgeous. A lovely sight.
June 6th – A truly awful morning commute with 30mph headwinds and driving rain made for a squally, wolfish day; but in the afternoon the constant rain broke to showers, and I went about getting some stuff done in the Black Country. Returning home from Tipton, I headed for Wednesbury from Ocker Hill and caught my favourite twin sisters – the churches that crown Church Hill in Wednesbury – is sunlight but with threatening skies.
I love this place. Even in bad weather. It’s where my heart is.
June 4th – Nice to see the waterfowl families doing so well. At Silver Street, I noted the Watered family were growing fast, and were still six in number, while the Canada geese had combine broods to give a mammoth grouping of 15…
At the moment, everything is growing and it’s wonderful.
June 4th – A spin through Brownhills on a dull, rain-spotted afternoon reminded me that it was the flowering time of summer. Everywhere I went, copious flowers either wild of in gardens, beautiful colours just waiting to be seen.
Near Newtown on the canal, a white foxglove was keeping the bees busy and near the old railway line on Brownhills Common wildflowers were decorating and hiding the remains of the rail line here with admirable efficiency.
And then, in front of the Parkview Centre, what was once Brownhills Council House, a remarkable flowerbed that I believe is tended by volunteers. It’s a lovely thing and looks absolutely superb.
On behalf of Brownhills, I’d like to congratulate and thank whoever the gardeners are for their hard and skilful work. Thank you.
June 3rd – Every summer one crop will seem particularly common, as prices are high or subsidies increase for that product, and this year the golden grain seems to be barley.
I’ve never seen so much of the suff. All across the plains of East Staffordshire, acres of land shimmer gently as this strangest or seed-grasses bobs in the breeze.
All this grain will make plenty of malt, or beer or breakfast cereal; and for the price to be high, there must be demand, but it’s a very odd sight, I must say.
June 3rd – I rode out on an annual pilgrimage – to the Klondyke Mill steam fair at Draycott in the Clay near Sudbury, and had a great afternoon of very English entertainment. From there, the afternoon was pleasant enough so I headed for Scropton, Tutbury, Rolleston, Horninglow, SInai Park, Tatenhill, Barton and then home via Walton upon Trent, Croxall and Whittington. A nice 68 miler in decent warm and sunny weather, topped off by a beautiful sunset over Brownhills as I returned home.
The day was great, the little villages sublime and the golden hour – haunted by the blackest, most threatening cloud was superb.
June 2nd – The orchids are really prolific and pretty this year, I’m very glad to say. In many shades of blue and purple these small, dense blooms are springing up all along the canals, heaths and wetlands.
These were at the canal by the new pond in Clayhanger. Look at the markings on the petals – absolutely gorgeous.
They’re not with us for long, so get and see them while you can.
June 2nd – I just beat the rain on my way home, and speeding along the canal near Clayhanger, I stopped briefly to chat to this lone bandit, for no other reason than he came to say hello.
The lone swans without partners and clutches are often overlooked at this time of year, in favour of the antics of the many families that have sprung up along the canals – but the lone swans are still as wonderfully curious and nosey as ever.
Such truculent, difficult birds – but I do love them so.
June 1st – I’d been into Birmingham on the way home, and came back on the train to Blake Street with a headache riding shotgun. Although it was a pleasant, temperate afternoon, it wasn’t terribly bright, but as I passed Grove Hill near Stonnall, the sky lightened.
That tree, that hill, are local icons and subject of much legend. But for all that, they’re beautiful, especially in the summer, and make me feel I’m nearly home when I see them.
May 31st – Also a lovely sight and a regular here, honeysuckle or woodbine, and my favourite display grows up the embankment on the northwestern flank of the Black Cock Bridge; tumbling and cascading over the railings a fences, a huge bush flowers here every year and always looks and smells divine.
For a flower so entrenched in British culture, it’s got that alien look of tropical blooms, like the Passion flower: our wildflowers aren’t normally this brassy!
It would be very hard not to love honeysuckle.
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