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May 8th – Bloody typical. A miserable bank holiday Monday, followed by a crestfallen return to work on a gorgeous, bright sunny spring day. I was heading to Telford, which means catching a train from New Street’s platform 4c, which I always think of as being Birmingham’s equivalent of platform nine and three quarters. There was something about the light today, the sun, the music I listened to on the way… it did feel very good to be out, even if I was going to work. Most peole seem to hate this station, and aspects of it are truly horrendous; but I also have a genuine affection for the old place. It feels like home, I guess.

MAy 7th – I spotted this bright yellow flower at the new pond in Clayhanger. It was growing in very wet, very sandy soil right on the waterline. It was a single, lone example, and I could see none similar. The colour really shouted out in an otherwise dull environment.

Anyone any ideas? It’s rather beautiful, particularly on such a dull, loveless day.

May 5th – one of the flattest, smoothest stretches of tarmac in the UK. Gorgeous, and lovely to ride, too (I rode the length of it the M6 Toll the night before it opened), mainly because few use this white-elephant toll motorway. Crossing it on Chase Road last night, I counted 4 cars in a ten minute period. At 8pm on a Saturday.

An utterly misguided project, making money hand over fist for it’s operators, who don’t want the cost of maintaining it, so have consequently priced it beyond use. Bizarre.

May 4th – Now, here’s a thing. I’ve cycled past this remaining fragment of wall lots lately, mainly to go and see if the swans had had hatched their eggs yet. It stands at the canal side between Catshill Junction and Anchor Bridge, and I think it’s the last evidence of the Iron Foundry that was here at the turn of the century. The foundry didn’t exist in my lifetime – there were industrial units here in the old buildings. I think one may have been a  non-ferrous casting shop. There was also a plant hire company and an accident repairs firm. These were all razed in the 1990’s and Chandlers Keep built – a close of new build housing, named after one of the last businesses here, a boat company. Oddly, this 3 meter section of engineering brick wall, with ancient graffiti declaring approval for Aston Villa, remains.

May 3rd – Curiosity got the better of me, so on the way home from work I cycled over to Chasewater to see how the water levels were going. There’s been a quite marked rise since Sunday, as runoff and the streams and creeks that supply the reservoir catch up with the recent weather. I feel the most interesting stage of the gradual refilling will come inn about a metre’s time, when the pool at the foot of the pier rejoins the main lake. However, that will require far more water, and far more bad weather. I’m currently getting webbed feet as it is…

April 28th – I see Mrs. Swan is still sitting on her nest at the canal bank at the back of Saddler Road, Brownhills. She must have eggs there, this has gone on too long for a dry run. One or other of the couple has been on that fantastic reed construction continuously for weeks now. I’m getting quite gripped by the suspense, now. Formerly, swans here have had very large clutches – one year, there was a mum with nine cygnets. I’m interested to see what happens now, and have started taking diversions down the canal just to check up. ho needs reality TV when you’ve got reality nature on your doorstep?

April 23rd – Whilst cycling home from Lichfield, I noticed that with the recent rain, everything looked that bit greener, that bit cleaner, that bit healthier. Slightly more alive. The Friary Gardens are often overlooked – poor relation to the Festival Gardens on the other side of the A51, sometimes I think I’m the only person to notice they exist. Today, they looked beautiful with a shock of purple lobelia flowering wonderfully at the edge of the steps. Soon, very soon, the greenery will be punctuated with vibrant splashes of colour. Bring. It. On.

April 23rd – In Leicester again, whilst cycling to work through the surprisingly sunny, summery suburbia, I spotted this gorgeous 80’s ladies road bike. Looks like 6 or 7 gears with down tube shifter, beautiful, pristine condition Raleigh Mixte frame, steel wheels. This is a gorgeous bike, and somebody loves it. A real gem, I just love that style of frame. My only beef would be with the untaped bars – bet they’re agony on a cold day…

April 22nd – When I got to Chasewater, it was raining heavily. I didn’t care, but it made photography difficult, even with the Gorillapod. I took a few halfhearted shots – the lake looked brilliant, but any attempt to point the camera in that direction resulted in a wet lens. Water level seemed up a bit, too. I cycled back via the parade. At the M6 Toll bridge, I passed two paramedics, parked up awaiting their next call. They looked at me as though I was mad. Perhaps I am, lads, perhaps I am…

April 20th – Mashing up Shire Oak hill at Sandhills, my gaze was snagged by this interesting sight just through the copse at the side of Lane’s Farm fields: a fair quantity of beehives. I’ve never noticed these before. I do hope they’ll see some use this year. There aren’t nearly enough bees kept in this country, and with the twin perils of Veroa and Colony Collapse Disorder ravaging the bee population, they need all the help they can get. Without the bees, we’re stuffed. And I love honey…