Images

April 8th – It’s that time of year again. Following the big freeze, potholes and fissures open up in the roads. This is a normal process caused by wear, and the hydraulic shearing action of water under vehicle tyres. I notice many main roads have suffered this year – maybe worse than the side routes. Here at Lichfield Road, Sandhills, ice seems to have lifted and crazes the tarmac, which has broken down to grit – itself dangerous to the incautious cyclist.

Report anything like this directly to the appropriate council using http://www.fixmystreet.com – it’s free and surprisingly effective.

April 6th – From Pipehill, on a reasonable day, the view of south Lichfield is wonderful. Modern, new build housing and a bypass have converted what was once a mostly rural view into urban sprawl reminiscent of Yate or Stoke Gifford in Bristol. In the middle, like some fallen baroness in a closing-time bar, sits the once noble Sandfields Pumping Station. This remarkable building once supplied water to the Black Country, but now languishes idle in a sea of buildings whose architectural and structural benchmark are set considerably lower. A pedigree hound surrounded by mongrels.

The campaign to save the pumping station and the remarkable engine it contains is gearing up. Visit Dave Moore’s blog to find out more.

April 4th – Time for my usual post-snow warning. The roads are murder at the moment, especially ones where snowploughs have been used. What’s happening is that melting snow that collected grit, marbles and detritus from the road, is concentrating the horrid payload and depositing it on the surface where many cyclists ride.

Hitting the polished gravel – known as marbles to motorcyclists – that gathers over junctions, on cambers and in gutters can be like hitting black ice. Silt and mud can conceal deep potholes and steal your wheels from under you. Debris like sticks, branches and littler can jam your wheels. Until the wind, rain and local authorities have done their cleansing thing, be careful out there.

March 29th – Every easter should have a bunny. This one loped across Pool Road behind the craft units at Chasewater this evening. She seemed to be a bit fearless and I think a bit hungry – there can’t have been much nutrition in the environment this week for a hungry rabbit. 

I noticed when the dam works were on that there were a large number of rabbits around Pool Road, many living on the dam itself. I do hope someone is keeping an eye on their burrowing exploits…

March 26th – Not having the best of luck, lately. There I was, bang on time to catch my train, and this genius got his wagon wedged under Blake Street bridge, disrupting Cross City Line gains, and making me late for work. Lorries are always striking this bridge and the one in Station Road, Erdington. It’s a pain.

I do hope nobody was hurt, and that the cost of this is passed on to the person responsible.

After I tweeted this, a passing journalist asked me to mail the image to them – I suggested they could have it for a £10 donation to MacMillan or St. Giles. Oddly, they went quiet after that. It was worth a try…

March 23rd – Even the snow was odd today. I’ve never seen it like this before – at about 4pm it was a very fine flake, long and thin, like a tiny rod about 4-6mm long. So insubstantial, that the merest touch or breath melted it. I suppose it must be the way the water vapour and air currents formed it, but is was fascinating and beautiful.