August 26th – Cycling down through Stoneywell, near Farewell, I stopped to look at an unharvested field of wheat. The grain was ripe, and the ears starting to blacken. I wondered if the crop had been abandoned, then heard the noise of a combine harvester in the next field. I guess it all grinds to flour the same…
August 25th – Small tortoiseshell butterfly, caught out of the corner of my eye, resting on the trail at Cannock Chase. Such a beautiful little thing.
August 22nd – Off into the Peak District for the day on a long ride. It’s sometimes said that the best bits of Derbyshire are in Staffordhire, and Ilam is no exception. The border between the two counties runs down the river at Dovedale, and everything to the west is in Staffordshire, including this picturesque little village at the foot of the Manifold Valley. Superb architecturally, the village monument has just been refurbished.
August 21st – To my surprise, the cereal harvest – thanks to largely dry weather – is almost over around Stonnall and Lichfield. Most of the oilseed rape seems to have been cut, too, and fields are now turning back, first to stubble and bales, then bare earth ready for replanting. I don’t think I’ve known a recent year when the process has been done and dusted so quickly. Last year in this field at Springhill, rapeseed was grown, this year, wheat. Wonder what the next crop will be?
August 20th – pleasing to see that the new bike racks that sprang up throughout Birmingham city centre in advance of the tunnel closures are being well used. Wandering down to New Street after doing a little evening shopping, I noticed this new facility was almost at capacity, even at 5pm. Interesting variety of bikes, too. That fixie with no brakes looks like a fun ride…
August 17th – A spin through a damp Brownhills wasn’t feeling terribly picturesque, but as I sped down the cycle route that follows the old railway line from the canal to Engine Lane, I noticed how green and lush the vegetation was, how perfect the track, the light.
Even dull days can be beautiful in their own way.
August 17th – In the way that sometimes things just happen in Brownhills without notice, rhyme or reason, a bench has appeared at the top of Pier Street in Brownhills. There is no logic to the positioning, and indeed, it’s quite awkward. Nobody would want to sit here, facing the side of a shop.
The bench is tatty and has clearly been transplanted from elsewhere. But where? And why? By whom? What on earth were they thinking?
August 14th – Spotted at Little Aston – the first ripe blackberries of the year. Note the tighter structure. These are a little hairy, and I suspect they’re a hybrid, but the fruit was firm and smelt divine.
There’s an absolute feast out there at the moment. Never seen fruiting like it.
August 14th – Once a crop is harvested – in this case, wheat – there’s no time to hang around. The straw has been baled, and the ground is prepared for the next cycle of planting.
As I passed this field at Stonnall, I noted that it’s been subject to some process – many harrowing or scarifying – that has broken the stubble, but without ploughing. I’ve not seen this before, and am intrigued. Sadly, I was running short of time and couldn’t hang around to see the machinery performing the operation come back over the hill.
Anyone any ideas?
August 9th – Cycling around the common around the location of the now long-gone Brownhills West railway station, for the first time in weeks.
What can I say, but ‘Challenge accepted!’
I held it, but only just.
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