Images

August 13th – Spotted parked in the lay-by in Engine Lane, this venerable old Reliant three-wheeler caught my eye. I’ve never been a fan of these quirky, unstable vehicles, but there was something wonderfully nostalgic about seeing this one. It must be a labour of love keeping it on the road, and require a very thick skin to drive it…

Edited shortly after posting:

Thanks to keen reader and local history whizz Julian Ward-Davies who points out that this isn’t actually a Reliant at all, but a Bond Minicar – a vehicle I’d never before been aware of. So there you go, you learn something new every day. Cheers, Julian!

August 12th – Walsall has many surprising corners and features that surprise the unwary. Like Wednesbury, it’s central focus is a considerable hill, in Walsall’s case topped by a single, handsome church with a dramatic, imposing approach from the street below. St. Matthews itself is a gorgeous building, to which I will return, but it’s a dramatic symbol of Walsall. Soon, it’s view from the town below will be restored following the demolition of the despised Overstrand Restaurant.

August 11th – Walsall Wood church of St. John is an imposing, typically industrial red-brick church, sadly vandalised by a thoroughly unsympathetic extension, an affliction meted out surprisingly frequently to local churches by the Lichfield Diocese, who seem to have about as much understanding of ecclesiastical aesthetics as I do of brain survey. Both Pelsall and Brownhills churches were similarly debased; it’s particularly sad in this case as the church itself has a beautiful, devotional interior and didn’t deserve this treatment.

August 11th – Thanks to The Stymaster of Pigblog fame who spotted this and tweeted it for the attention of Walsall Council. Until he posted, I was unaware that the bottom end of Queen Street by Binary Wharf had been renamed. Dictionary for town planning, I feel. Wonder how much that’ll cost to correct?

If the Express & Star are reading this, hope you get lost trying to find it…

August 10th – The old Beehive Pub in Hall Lane, Walsall Wood closed years ago, and has since been a foundry and is now the offices of a construction company. I’m sure I remember an old, painted sign on the side, but it now seems to have gone. It’s an interesting building architecturally, made as it is of very red terracotta bricks, once produced locally. Not so much a beautiful building as very striking.

August 9th – one of the really encouraging things about the environmental enhancements that saw the reclamation of the Clayhanger refuse tip and slag heap in the early eighties is the way that trees and other flora are becoming well established where once was poisoned, polluted land. On the slopes of the canal bank between the new pool and Clayhanger Bridge there must be 20 or so young, healthy oak trees. Whether they were planted, or grew as a result of the annual guerrilla acorn scattering undertaken by myself and good mate [Howmuch?] over the years is uncertain, but now they’re growing acorns themselves. When ripe they will be collected, stored in coat pockets and cast into hedgerows and field margins as I pass by. Everyone should do this. 

August 9th – Down by Goblin Woods, just off Green Lane, Walsall Wood, there’s a field of barley gently ripening in the late afternoon sun. It’s an interesting strain as it’s very short, and I think it must be being organically grown due the high quantity of weeds in the crop. Nevertheless, it looks gorgeous against the trees, and is in superb condition. Wonder if it’s being grown for brewing?

August 8th – It was a showery, unsettled afternoon as I returned through Lower Stonnall. Here at Mill Lane, the summer is advancing, and Autumn, sadly, didn’t seem too far away. There are already leaves littering the verges, and the harvest, here slightly behind, has paused while the wheat dries out again. Please come back summer – we haven’t got to know each other properly yet…

August 6th – Heading into Brownhills past Oak Park the temptation to take another photo overcame me. It seemed odd taking pictures at this time of the morning, and I felt nervous and expected to be challenged. I wasn’t, but I don’t think I’ll ever feel comfortable taking pictures in public. At 1am that translates into abject fear.