May 1st – meanwhile, on the other side of the recreation centre playing fields, this sight to gladden the heart. New leaf growth, heralding another summer of green trees and warm days.
Bring it on. It’s been a long winter.
Images
April 29th – In contrast, old British Rail. Where else would one find a springtime shadow like this? Tyseley may be down at heel, but it has a real, old-school charm.
April 27th – It’s true what they say, the grass really is greener on the other side of the fence. This young lamb – one of the small flock at the Big Tasties smallholding between the canal and the A5 at Newtown, Brownhills, expertly squeezed his head through the wire mesh to reach the greenest shoots.
April 25th – Scooting home along the canal, I stopped to look at a well-worn, narrow path running down from Clayhanger Bridge, down on to the driveway of the big house. I think it’s a deer run.
A few times I’ve seen deer on Clayhanger Common around the overflow, whereupon they’ve escaped either under the bridge, or over the road and run down the embankment here. Looking at the marshy land behind the house and new pool, the vegetation there looks closely cropped. I think some of the deer are loafing there, safe from humans.
April 21st – This is momentous – the canal feeder sluice from Chasewater to Anglesey Basin has been opened again. This has caused a drop in lake water level of about an inch. It’s been a few years since that valve was properly opened. It was good to see.
April 17th – Someone asked me on twitter this week why Lynn Lane between Shenstone and Stonnall was closed. I had no idea it was, so tonight, I took a detour and checked it out. The lane is, indeed, barriered off at both ends, but roadworks that seem to have been taking place between Thornyhurst Lane and Raikes Lane seem to have finished now. There was certainly nothing to justify the closure when I passed this evening.
They may well be going to dig another hole, but one can’t help wondering why a road with no hazards remains shut.
April 13th – Spinning around Brownhills in the rain, it was nice to see a group at the Canoe and Outdoor Centre braving the grim weather. I love to see folk out enjoying the canal and the outdoors, and after recent uncertainty, it’s also reassuring to see the facility in use.
Next Sunday – the 21st April – the centre team are holding a family introduction day, when there will be free taster sessions and fun activities. Why not pop along and check it out?
April 10th – The old derelict terraces at Streets Corner in Walsall Wood have been demolished now, except for the one at the southern end. This odd little house, under renovation for as long as I can remember, remains steadfastly in private ownership, and will, apparently, be built into the new development of houses to come here.
The new build scheme here seems to have taken ages to get off the ground. I hope it progresses well – the dereliction here until the demolition has been a blot on the landscape for many years, and that little end terrace, covered in creepers, looks very lonely on its own.
April 9th – When I left for work this morning, there was no frost, although the now familiar hatchet-edged wind chilled my bones as it has for a couple of weeks. However, on my return this evening, something had changed. It felt warm. I took off my gloves. It was grey, and the air felt moist, but as I winched myself up Shire Oak Hill, a pale ochre sun etched it’s way through the clouds.
Little by little, there’s a change under way. Las weekend, I changed back to normal tyres. Let’s hope that’s the last outing of the ice spikes until next winter…
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