Images

July 3rd – Ragwort, or stinking willie, is currently abundant in scrubs, verges, towpaths and edge lands throughout the area. It’s a lovely yellow plant that really isn’t appreciated as much as it should be. Although quite poisonous to some creatures (including horses) it’s not a serious danger to humans, and is so beautiful sunny and yellow.

It may be a week, but like dandelions, it’s one of the most beautiful plants of the summer.

June 29th – Some tools are small, cheap and indispensable, and this little red wonder is just such an item. 

This is a Rixon & Kaul ‘Spokey’ spoke key. I’ve had a fair bit of trouble with broken spokes lately (due to damage, not bad wheels) and a good spoke key makes replacement much easier, as it did when I got home this evening.

This little tool costs about a fiver, and fits the spoke nipples positively, without damaging them, and provides a large, easy lever for gentle adjustment.

It’s also small and light enough to pop in the saddlebag toolkit for emergency adjustments on the road.

A real cycling design classic.

June 29th – On the canal near the Black Cock Bridge at Walsall Wood, work appears to have been undertaken today. 

I have no idea what. It was clearly over when I came through, which makes the graffiti-style approach to warning about it wrong; how do you know the warning is current? At least you can remove signs when the job is done.

The spelling was very non-conformist, so I decided to preserve it for posterity.

June 26th – Passing quickly through Brownhills to catch the Canalside Festival, I noted how lovely the planters were again this year for Brownhills in Bloom. The annual entry to a competition, the baskets and tubs are filled and planted by a mixture of traders, volunteers and folk from the Brownhills Town Centre Partnership.

They do cracking work and on behalf of Brownhills, I’d like to say thanks to everyone involved.

June 24th – A shellshocked day, really, and the nation was politically in turmoil following the EU Referendum result. A Prime Minister resigned. Disarray in the opposition. Uncertainty about the future.

In Tipton, dodging the rain on an errand, I spotted this. Sometimes the most British answers are the best ones.

A Cuppa Tay is always best.

June 22nd – I passed the coos of Jockey Meadows early in the morning, and they were gathered at the field gate. I’m curious as to why they do this, and sometimes, at the same time of day, can barely be seen at all. There’s nothing of note here apart from a salt-lick, and there’s plenty of water in the meadow, so I guess they get some additional feed brought by a stockman, and their internal clocks are telling them food is due.

These gentle, inquisitive animals have clearly had an impact on the meadow – it’s what I think they’re there for – the long grass is reduced and the mud well churned.

I love these summer tenants of this curious slither of greenbelt..

June 18th – After such a wet and miserable week it was lovely to have some sunshine and a relatively warm afternoon. Whilst the damp has been very good for the foliage and crops, it’s not been nourishing my humour at all, in fact, it’s been a very difficult period in which to stay positive.

Today’s ride, however, dispelled my gloom. Sights like this beautiful hay meadow in the Blackbrook Valley at Hints were enchanting, and the sun on my face was lifting.

You can be disillusioned with a British summer, and would be fully justified in being down – but there’s always something to remind you of why it’s such a beautiful season. The rarity value sometimes just serves to make the experience even more precious.