Images

April 7th – A day at home doing bits and pieces, and then an errand to Shenstone on a lovely sunny afternoon. On the way, I came over the old bridge at Footherley, and was reminded it was very nearly the anniversary of a piece of graffiti that fascinates me.

I remember the boldly carved script ‘Billy + Tracee 30-4-83′ from when it was new and surprising. Now, nearly 34 years later, I wonder, as I do often who Billy and Tracee were, where they are now, and wonder if they’re still a couple?

I do hope they’re still local, still together, and pass this, often as a reminder.

April 3rd – Another job I thought would be well and truly over by now that wasn’t is the demolition of the former Boat pun in Darlaston Green. Derelict, burnt out and plagued by antisocial behaviour, it was measure for it’s coffin years ago, and last week when I saw demolition crew here I thought it would be only hours to go before the landmark was lost – but this is clearly a thoughtful, reclamation demolition where the material removed are salvaged for resale, and for a while at least, this sad husk of a building remains.

A sad but fascinating sight.

March 31st – Also seeming to prosper at the moment is the Shire Oak, a pub that up until the last change of stewardship last year was experiencing difficult times. After a period of closure, the lights are back on and welcoming in the dark of the night.

The place always seems busy and I’ve not heard anyone with anything bad to say about the place.

Must take a trip up the hill sometime and try it out.

March 31st – It was a fairly decent day, but an appointment in Birmingham meant riding my bike was impractical, so the only bike action I saw was an errand into Stonnall just after nightfall.

Stonnall, amazingly, still manages to support two pubs within very close proximity – the Old Swan and the Royal Oak. Both are decent houses and popular, and it’s remarkable they get the business they do in what is, effectively, a small village.

Long may they continue.

March 30th – The wolfish, windy days continue, but at least it was warm and sunny. After battling the wind from work into Tipton, I returned with it thankfully behind me. Crossing the Black Country Route near Moxley, I noticed the hint of spring in this favourite view of the church.

Just a hint of green. Soft sunlight, A blue sky. This’ll do.

March 28th – And not far away, another sight to gladden the heart: nascent cherry blossom, just waiting for a sunny day to encourage the buds to expand into beautiful pink flowers.

It may not have been very springlike today, but signs of the season were all around.

The daylight is back, the trees are coming into leaf and yes, I’ve survived the darkness once more.

March 22nd – A terrible photo snatched in the dark: but spring is here – THIS IS NOT A TEST.

The first spot of my favourite flowers, cowslips on the side of the canal towpath at Clayhanger.

I adore these charming little yellow flowers. Their appearance for me confirms the end of winter and the brightness of a new spring. After the rain and misery of the day’s riding, areal pick-me-up in a dark, wet ride home.

March 22nd – A rainy, horrid day: I found myself at New Street waiting for a delayed train mid-morning, in a frankly foul mood. Nothing was moving and I felt stuck. As I looked out from the end of the platform, I spotted this train driver, heading to his post in the rain, and felt an instant sympathy.

Rainy day commutes are horrid.

March 13th – This is a terrible photo, and sorry about that, but the mood I was in precluded concentrating on image quality; but the subject did very much cheer me up. On the way home, I rode up Shire Oak Hill from Stonnall in the dark. Since I was tired and not 100%, I rode up the pavement, as I feared my speed would not keep with the traffic. It was then I noticed them.

Loads of clumps of beautiful, white spring snowflakes – leucojum vernum- which are very like snowdrops, but the blooms are more bell shaped, the plants taller, with more foliage. Each flower has tiny green tips to the petals which the harshness of the flash sadly stripped away in the photo.

These gorgeous flowers grow in increasing numbers in this spot every year and they always surprise me. Today, on this dark and weary night, they were a real tonic.