#365daysofbiking JournalRecent tracks
Vinyl FeverJapancakes16 hours ago
The Sleepy StrangeJapancakes16 hours ago
Soft N EzJapancakes16 hours ago
Vanishing PointJapancakes16 hours ago
This Year's BeatJapancakes16 hours ago
Disconnect the CablesJapancakes16 hours ago
The WaitingJapancakes16 hours ago
Beachy HeadGilroy Mere16 hours ago
Furlongs 2Gilroy Mere16 hours ago
Hope GapGilroy Mere16 hours agoRecent Comments
Steve on A Coppice, lots of timber and… Georgia Rafiq on Whatever the weather, Malcolm… jennifer Blake on Spurrells: was this a local co… jennifer Blake on The Thacker family, around 193… Paul Bullen on Watling Street School –…
Category Archives: Panoramio updates
All that remains
I see that some twelve months after their neighbouring edifices were carried to dust, the last two blocks of 1960’s maisonettes in Brownhills, on the corner of High Street and Ogley Road, are being razed. I could be wrong (and please do … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Local History, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, planning, Shared media, Walsall Council
Tagged Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Deaking Avenue, Derelict, Local History, Local politics, New Photos, Panoramio, planning, Redevelopment, Silver Court Gardens, Walsall Council, Walsall Housing Group, Walsall politics, Wessex Close, Wimpey system build
3 Comments
Spot the difference
Whilst out and about, I’ve noticed the remarkable proliferation of new monuments to former mines and their workers. I’ve commented on the subject in several posts to this blog, in particular to what I see as the wastage on the … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Just plain daft, Local History, Local politics, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, Shared media, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Brownhills, Brownhills local history, CAM Engineering, coal, Hednesford, Hednesford mining memorial, Local History, mining, Mining memorial, New Photos, Panoramio, Piccadilly, Piccadilly mining memorial, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood, Walsall Wood mining memorial
4 Comments
Free sheets to the wind
Whilst out for a lazy spin on a murky, chilly Saturday afternoon, I spotted a bundle of unread, clearly undelivered copies of the Walsall Chronicle free paper, dumped under bushes at the canal side. Now, I can’t be sure if … Continue reading
Winter colour
I’ve been thinking for a while that it’s about time we had a photo update. As this particularly cold winter draws on, I have come to reflect on some of the photos I took over the Christmas period. As is … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, cycling, Environment, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, Shared media
Tagged Blthbury, Brownhills, Chasewater, cold, Coton-in-the-Clay, Cycle rides, Handsacre, Hilliards Cross, Hints, New moon, New Photos, Night photos, Panoramio, Reservoir, Shire Oak, Snow, Staffordshire, Sunset, Telephone box
6 Comments
People just don’t understand
Sorry for the brief hiatus in posts, I’ll post some more stuff this week. In the meantime, I’ve been enjoying the unexpected wintry blast perhaps just a little more than I ought to. Like Yehuda Moon, I get used to … Continue reading
Posted in cycling, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Panoramio updates, Shared media
Tagged bad weather, Brownhills, cold, ice, Snow, Winter, winter commute, Winter cycling, Yehuda Moon
Leave a comment
Sometimes the darkness is your friend
At this time of year, as Autumn slides intractably into winter and the nights draw in, the nature of my cycling changes. Rather than the longer dayrides of the summer, I embark on shorter rides around more local haunts. The … Continue reading
Posted in Churches, Environment, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, Shared media
Tagged Armitage, Cycle rides, Dunstall Church, Dustall, Handsacre, High Bridge, New Photos, Night photography, Panoramio, pig farm, pigs, River Trent, Rugeley Power Station, Staffordshire, Starlings, Sunset, Trent Valley, Winter
2 Comments
Rainy Thursday commute…
Non-cyclists find it hard to understand that cycling in the rain can be an enjoyable experience. With some waterproof clothing, and a little extra care, bad weather isn’t necessarily a problem. The rain this afternoon gave rise to some wonderfully … Continue reading
Scum
Next time you give something to one of the jolly tat-men who seem to proliferate the streets these days, or hire that handy bloke with a van (but no MOT) from that card in the newsagent’s window, think on this. … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, It makes me mad!, Just plain daft, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates
Tagged Brownhills, Cycle rides, dumping, environmental crime, flytipping, illegal tipping, New Photos, Panoramio, rubbish, Sandhills, scrap men, Stonnall, tat men, unliscensed waste, Vandalism, Whitacre Lane
13 Comments
Autumn at my heels
Lovely weather lately. Chilly evenings, great sunsets. Work calls, but some great commutes; it’s a bumper season for fruits of all kinds; the trees are laden with conkers, sweet chestnuts and hawthorn berries. Hedgerows glisten with ripe fruit of all … Continue reading
Odd things at Chasewater…
I noticed last weekend that some odd, low fencing had sprung up around the dam at Chasewater. At first, I thought it was a rabbit-proof fence (the material is actually buried at he base) and when I enquired at the … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Environment, Followups, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, planning, Wildlife
Tagged Brownhills, Chasewater, Chasewater Dam, Chasewater Innovation Centre, Chasewater Wildlife Group, local blogs, New Photos, Newt, Newt trap, Panoramio, planning, Reservoir, Wildlife
1 Comment
Heron now!
Took a short ride along the old railway line across Ryders Hayes today, and off to Walsall, returning along the Daw End Branch through Aldridge – mostly following the excellent, traffic-free National Cycle Route 5. Don’t let anybody tell you … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Fun stuff to see and do, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, Shared media, Wildlife
Tagged Bloxidge Tallygraph, Brownhills, Clayhanger Marsh, Cycle rides, Ford Brook, Goscote Valley, Heron, New Photos, Panoramio, Ryders Hayes, Ryders Mere, Wildlife
2 Comments
Positively Silver Street
It was a lovely day yesterday, and I took the opportunity to pay a second visit to the relaunched Brownhills Market on my way out for a ride in the early autumn warmth. I was pleased to see that the … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Local media, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, Shared media, Walsall Council
Tagged Brownhills, Brownhills Market, Canoe Centre.Brownhills canoe centre, duck race, fun day, New Photos, Panoramio, Redevelopment, Walsall Council
3 Comments
A pub we’ve gained: The Swan reopens!
I find through my Panoramio gallery that a pub I feared was lost for good – The Swan, up on the Pelsall Road – has since reopened. After initially restarting with an interim management a few weeks ago, this comfy, … Continue reading
Brownhills market: Back from the dead
Today, along with a considerable number of my fellow Brownhillians, I visited the relaunched Brownhills Market. Due to family stuff, I didn’t get there until 12pm, but it looked like it had been fairly busy – and the gridlock happening … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Express & Star, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Local media, Local politics, Panoramio photo discussions, Panoramio updates, Shared media, Walsall Council
Tagged Brownhills, Brownhills Market, Brownhills Market Relaunch, Express & Star, Local politics, New Photos, Panoramio, Redevelopment, Walsall, Walsall Council
4 Comments
Slip sliding away
Further to my post ‘The pubs we’ve lost‘, I noticed a couple of weekends ago that the Old Corner House Hotel, formerly The Muckley Corner Inn, had closed and was boarded up. Last weekend, I got chance to photograph it, … Continue reading
Blue Monday
The poor weather continues. Today was a traditional bank holiday, featuring traditional bank holiday weather – overcast with sharp sqaully showers and windy. I still got out around Cannock Chase, and even on a dull day, Staffordshire is full of … Continue reading
This year, summer occurs in fits and starts
Posted in Environment, Panoramio updates, Shared media, Wildlife
Tagged Hints, Honey Hill, New Photos, No Man's Heath, Panoramio, Walsall canal, Wildlife
3 Comments
Photos from the 6th Annual Brownhills Canal Festival
I toddled along to the canal festival in Brownhills today, as did a sizeable number of my fellow Brownhillians – a great day seems to have been had by all. Lots to see and do for kids and plenty of … Continue reading
A ride into the Staffordshire Moorlands… and trips closer to home.
Saturday, 13th June 2009 was a blistering, glorious summer day. I’d decided a couple of days before that I was going to get another long ride in – the weather looked like it was going to be terrific, and not … Continue reading
Catching up – what’s new on BrownhillsBob’s Panoramio gallery
I’ve not been as diligent at uploading Panoramio stuff recently as I should have been – sorry about that. Yesterday I added 34 new pictures, and there have been some orphaned uploads since I started blogging, so this seems an … Continue reading
The Secret Garden – Living with the past.
First of all, credit for this post must go to Dan Slee, Walsall Council’s Press and Publicity Officer, without whose noble efforts this article would not have been written. Twatter does have some uses, after all. Dan, you’re a star. … Continue reading
Pictures from Hints Open Gardens yesterday
Another fleeting update before heading out for a ride – as I blogged yesterday, Hints Open Gardens and Flower Festival is a cracking day out for anyone who loves the English countryside and beautiful gardens. I’ve just uploaded these photos … Continue reading
Posted in Panoramio updates
2 Comments
Shire Oak’s buried secret…
More precisely, everything I can find out about Shire Oak Reservoir. When I was a teenager, I used to pass the unassuming green embankment by the lights at Shire Oak without much thought. Everybody knew that there was a reservoir … Continue reading
A smile on a wet afternoon…
5:00pm, Staurday. Wet, knackered and muddy after a desperate walk. Coming back over the Pier Street bridge, the rain and sun collided, spawning a weak, shallow but wonderfully cheering rainbow. Sometimes, even showery, blustery Saturdays have their own reward.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Panoramio updates
Leave a comment
Some weekend shots added to Panoramio
Didn’t get out much this weekend – due to a maintenance disaster during the week, the trusty steed was out of action Saturday while I fettled a repair and got up to various jobs about the house – still, the … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Chasewater, Panoramio updates, Wildlife
Tagged Chasewater, Hopwas, Shire Oak Park, Shire Oak Reservoir, Whitemoor Haye, Wildlife
Leave a comment
The Pubs We’ve Lost
I thought it was about time I recorded some of the remaining closed pubs of Brownhills, and here they are: I guess the whole BrownhillsBob thing started as a result of my frustration at the fate of the former Warreners … Continue reading
New Brownhills stuff added to Panoramio
Due to the customary bank holiday Monday weather, today I decided to venture on a trip round Brownhills with the camera; as summer comes locally concentrated trips get rarer and I tend to photograph further afield. I hadn’t really been … Continue reading
A ride into the Peak District…
Just added 18 new photos to Panoramio, from a ride out into the Peak District on Saturday. .. I notice this year seems to be an excellent year for dandelions – many of the yellow fields are not oilseed rape … Continue reading
RSS - Posts
