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December 13th – Returning late again from Birmingham, this time to Shenstone, back to my beloved rural station. The weather was damp, but warm again and the riding was easy, which is just as well as I was exhausted.

This is the busiest pre-Christmas I’ve had in a long, long time: normally about now I’m winding down and getting stuff ready for the new year. This year I’m doing none of that yet.

I’ll be so glad when I finish work.

December 13th – On the canal near Bentley bridge, the gorse (or is it broom? I’m never sure) is coming into flower and bringing a splash of welcome colour ro a drab, damp landscape.

I love to see this flower – it carries me through winter and reminds me it won’t be long until spring flowers return. It also won’t be long now until the shortest day and once more, the opening out will commence again.

I can’t wait.

December 11th – Nipping up to Chasewater to check out the Christmas Fair there, I spotted a familiar duck in the reeds near the Chase Road bridge.

It’s Mrs. Muscovy, the Newtown One. On the run (waddle) for nearly a year now, I thought the foxes must have had her as I’d not seen her for ages.

I’m glad to see this curious, singular, solitary duck is still with us.

December 9th – Spotted as I stopped in Stonnall for a couple of items on the way home.

I’m glad they qualified that – can’t have people thinking the real Michael Jackson was coming to Stonnall. What with him being deceased, and everything.

Seriously though, if you can carry off a tribute to the odder fifth of the Jackson 5, I salute you. That must be a tough gig. Literally.

December 8th – In Telford briefly, I tried a different route to Hortonwood and the cycleway led me from a lower path up to an elevated road.

Telford is crisscrossed by cycleways and paths, many totally undocumented and unknown to casual visitors, but once discovered, they’re lovely. Note these steps have a ‘wheeling channel’ up the right hand side so you can walk up them whilst wheeling your steed.

December 5th – I had to go to Telford, and on the way I bought a ticket from the Arriva Trains Wales conductor, as I usually do.

It appears the staff have been issued new ticket machines. Instead of printing a return on two standard, credit-card sized stuff card tickets, I was awarded this scroll: a twenty inch by three inch piece of thermal paper bog roll. This is the new standard for tickets issued on trains.

So, just as Network Rail adopt automatic barriers at stations, train operators start issuing huge, impractical tickets that won’t operate them.

Well done to everyone concerned. I’m really impressed.

Not.

December 2nd – Christmas is inescapable now; everywhere there are lights, decorations, trees and the general glitz and expectation of the season.

I don’t mind it to be honest, and this year I’m looking forward to a much-needed rest, so the oncoming festivities are quite welcome.

Passing through Walsall, weary and tired, I noticed the town this year had a rather lovely tree in St Paul’s Square, between the Bus Station and Leicester Street.

It cheered me up no end on a chilly, weary end-of-week commute.

December 1st – The long-closed Shire Oak Pub at the crossroads atop Shire Oak hill reopened only a few days ago, and it’s so nice to see the building lit up again at night. The pub deserves a good future as it’s a historic and well loved inn that’s survived many years. 

As I winched myself up the hill from an errand in Stonnall I appreciated the warm, welcoming lights and hoped the new team running it have every success.