Images

October 28th – Out early evening, a quick spin around the local area. I found myself at a darkened Chasewater, and taking a quick look round for a decent photo, could find nothing better than the Innovation Centre. No one was around at 6:30pm, just a few workmen in the dam compound and the sounds of activity from the brewery… I sat on a bench, listening to the geese chattering softly tin the dark. And then I heard an owl call.

This is Brownhills. I heard an owl hoot in the darkness. I still find that incredible – unthinkable when I was a kid.

October 27th – It was still throwing it down at 8pm when I reached Brownhills. Been meaning to take this shot for a while – Knave’s Court, the new sheltered housing development at Anchor Bridge is architecturally interesting, and beautifully lit at night. It didn’t scrub up too bad, considering the awful weather.

October 26th – Shenstone Station, 6:15am. Dark. Cold. Empty. Beautiful. I love this little, semi-rural station. It has few facilities; the ticket office is rarely open, and the wind whistles through here in the winter. There is, however, a gorgeously old-railway feel to the station, traditional benches and canopy. I’ve been starting journeys here for the past thirty five years, and I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather do so.

October 24th -At the other end of the day, the evening was chilly and clear. It was dark by 6:10, and as I crossed the Anchor Bridge into Brownhills, I couldn’t resist this shot of the canal near Lindon Road. I love the contrast between the vehicle lights, water and trees. This is a classic Brownhills view, and one all Brownhillians will know and love.

October 24th – The start of the leaf-fall timetable on the Cross City line means that for a few weeks in Autumn, I can catch a train from Shentone directly to Redditch. It doesn’t save time, as the service is a lot slower, but it does mean a break from cycling into Four Oaks. As I was piling it in down Lynn Lane this morning, I noticed the sky; the tail-end of the sunrise was as gorgeous as recent sunsets., and was setting off the skyline of Shenstone beautifully. Taking the picture made me late, and I only just caught my train. Worth it for an image like this, though.

October 23rd -This is a remarkably dry season, yet not many people – least of all the media – seem to be mentioning the fact, which is causing me some concern. Blithfield Reservoir, north of Rugeley, is only 50% full, and ponds, lakes and streams are drying to a trickle. As a cyclist is pains me, but we really do need a good spell of rain, otherwise we’re in for serious trouble.

October 22nd – I’ve noticed this tower and chapel lots of times as I’ve sped downhill through Rugeley, but only ever stopped to investigate today. I was always vaguely intrigued by the fact that it sat opposite the parish church, on the other side of the road, yet appeared to be the remnants of a church itself. The structure is sat in Rugeley Cemetery, which I’d not noticed before, and I assume it’s a chapel of rest. The tower itself has gothic touches and gargoyles redolent of that other Victorian Gothic tour de force, Shenstone Church. I must look into the history further…

October 22nd – You’d not know really, unless you were told, but this lovely spot in the Hednesford Hills, on the southern edge of Cannock Chase used to be an RAF base – RAF Hednesford. I think it was largely a training camp, and closed soon after the war. Little remains except the odd suspiciously military looking hut, a pleasant monument and a heritage walk, which is well worth doing. Victory’s beneficiaries are we all; but the history is all around, often in quiet, unassuming places like this.