Life in the northern wastes of Walsall
Find out how far they’ve come at Summerhill in just two years in this informative film for the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust Tom Reid from the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust has been in touch to remind us that there will be a guided walk of the Summerhill section of the canal they’re working…
There’s a great event going on in Whittington this acoming Saturday (31st March 2018) in aid of the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust ‘Tunnel Vision’ appeal – Eric and Doreen’s All Day Easter Coffee Morning.
Tom Reid from the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust has been in touch to let us know about a rather interesting challenge the trust’s engineers had to deal with last weekend when the big freeze hit the UK.
Tom Reid from the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust has been in touch to let us know about a couple of events the local canal restoration project are holding in the coming weeks, a quiz night on Saturday 17th March 2018 and a guided walk of the Summerhill section on Saturday 21st April 2018.
Here’s one for people interested in the issues surrounding Brownhills Common – theres a meeting soon, Monday 19th March 2018 of the Freinds of Brownhills Common group at the Environmental Depot, 200 Pelsall Road, Brownhills – WS8 7EN – please meet in the reception by 7:00pm.
Tom Reid from the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust has been in touch to let us know about the progress they’re making, and to send out an appeal for volunteers to help push the restoration forward.
Right, I’m going to be busy this weekend – come on, the weather is too good to stay indoors – In the meantime, here’s a bunch of Christmas events assembled by readers on Facebook for this weekend- if you have any to add please do get in touch.
There’s a further chance to get into the Christmas spirit this Sunday (10th December 2017) – there’s the Annual Christmas Fair and Lantern Parade being held at Chasewater Innovation Centre.
Just a quick note to point out that the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust are holding a carol evening at their Fosseway Nature Reserve site, just off Falkland Road, Lichfield on Saturday 16 December 2017 from 7-9pm and all are welcome.
Here’s one for people interested in the issues surrounding Brownhills Common – theres a meeting next Monday week, 20th November 2017 of the Freinds of Brownhills Common group at the Environmental Depot, 200 Pelsall Road, Brownhills – WS8 7EN – please meet in the reception by 7:00pm.
This is just a quick note to warn people given to exploring the open spaces of the area that over the next 8-10 weeks or so the deer population will be getting amorous – it’s rutting time for our large brown friends, and that means one thing: the heaths around Brownhills, Clayhanger, Pelsall and Chasewater in particular are likely to be host to rather grumpy, aggressive stags guarding their female harems.
Yesterday (Saturday 23rd September 2017) I got chance to go to the first day of the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust’s Heritage Gathering at Huddlesford, near Whittington.
Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust are busy preparing for their Heritage Gathering call and vintage festival which is running on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend (23-24th September 2017), and takes place at their Huddlesford base, near Lichfield.
Reader Andrea Atterbury has been in touch to warn readers that items of what is believed to be meat bait have been recently found on Clayhanger Common including pig’s trotters, leading to renewed fears that poisoned bait may be being placed on the common again.
Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust are busy preparing for their Heritage Gathering call and vintage festival which is coming up over the weekend of 23-24th September 2017, and takes place at their Huddlesford base, near Lichfield.
Here’s one for people interested in the issues surrounding Brownhills Common – theres a meeting tonight (Monday 11th September 2017) of the Freinds of Brownhills Common group at the Environmental Depot, 200 Pelsall Road, Brownhills – WS8 7EN – please meet in the reception by 7:00pm.
I’ve always supported the wonderful parent and toddler walking and social group that took place weekly at Chasewater – Chasewater Strollers, which grew via the human dynamo of Esther Allen and others into the wonderful Spark movement in Burntwood – well, the original Stroller group is relaunching this Monday, 11th September 2017.
Several times over the previous eight years of this blog the question of the function and decommissioning of the steam pump that once stood at Chasewater has cropped up, and always provokes interesting debate – well, reader Ian James has been in touch with a snippet of information he’s found in a book relating to the long gone pumping plant.
Here’s one for people interested in the issues surrounding Brownhills Common – theres a meeting this Monday 11th September 2017 of the Freinds of Brownhills Common group at the Environmental Depot, 200 Pelsall Road, Brownhills – WS8 7EN – please meet in the reception by 7:00pm.
Just a quick note to point out that the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust are keen to share the news that they’re now creating a new nature reserve along the line of the soon to be restored canal between Wall and Lichfield.
Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust are busy preparing for their Heritage Gathering call and vintage festival which is coming up over the weekend of 23-24th September 2017, and takes place at their Huddlesford base, near Lichfield.
Here’s one for people interested in the issues surrounding Brownhills Common – theres a meeting this Monday 10th July 2017 of the Freinds of Brownhills Common group at the Environmental Depot, 200 Pelsall Road, Brownhills – WS8 7EN – please meet in the reception by 7:00pm.
Here’s one for people interested in the issues surrounding Brownhills Common – theres a meeting next Monday 10th July 2017 of the Freinds of Brownhills Common group at the Environmental Depot, 200 Pelsall Road, Brownhills – WS8 7EN – please meet in the reception by 7:00pm.
Reader Kevin Price has asked me to post an appeal on the blog – he’s found what appears to be a house key on Ogley Road yesterday evening (Wednesday 14th June 2017).
There’s an important warning I need to share from Chasewater Rangers about the local deer population – not just at Chasewater, but all thought our area from the heaths of North Walsall to Cannock Chase.
Just a quick note to point out that the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust are holding their Annual General Meeting next Friday nevening (Friday, 9th June 2017) in Brownhills, at the Parkview Centre (the old Council House on the Miner Island), and all are welcome to attend.
It looks like we’ve got a missing mustelid – Linzi Woodhouse has been in touch to ask if anyone has seen her pet ferret which has gone missing from home in the Ogley Road area of Brownhills.
Here’s one for people interested in the issues surrounding Brownhills Common – theres a meeting next Monday 15th May 2017 of the Freinds of Brownhills Common group at the Environmental Depot, 200 Pelsall Road, Brownhills – WS8 7EN – please meet in the reception by 7:00pm.
I know it’s late on but there’s a great even going on in Whittington this afternoon (Saturday, 15th April 2017) in aid of the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust ‘Tunnel Vision’ appeal – Eric and Doreen’s All Day Easter Coffee Morning.
I was elsewhere yesterday afternoon as it’s good cycling weather – but I noticed from social media feeds and enquiries that there was a grass fire on Gentleshaw Common towards the evening.
I’m sad to say that the local area is still plagued by flytipping – the above load was dumped on Friday 7th April 2017 at Barracks Lane, just over the border in Staffordshire, and reported on Facebook by the crew from the Lichfield Mercury.
Here’s an odd but important request I had in yesterday from Walsall Countryside Ranger Helen Sanger – she needs loads of clean, empty 2 litre drinks bottles!
Tom Reid from the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust has been in touch to let us know about their annual Spring show, taking place at Whittington Village Hall on Friday, April 7th 2017.
An interesting history walk is taking place this Sunday, 26th March 2017 at Chasewater, entitled ‘Where does the water go?’ which takes a look at how the dam infrastructure functions, and some of the industrial history of Anglesey Basin and surrounds.
Here’s one for people interested in the issues surrounding Brownhills Common – theres a meeting tonight, Monday 13th March 2017 of the Freinds of Brownhills Common group at the Environmental Depot, 200 Pelsall Road, Brownhills – WS8 7EN – please meet in the reception by 7:00pm.
I had duff information, the deer talk took place 4th February 2017 and doesn’t take place tomorrow. My apologies.
Tom Reid from the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust has been in touch to let us know about the launch of their Tunnel Vision appeal, which has been established to raise funds in order to construct a canal tunnel under the railway near Lichfield.
For those of you into conservation and the local environment, there’s this event going on at Norton Bog (that’s north Chasewater) this Sunday, 26th February 2017 – the Friends of Norton Bog are a great group and you can find out more about them at the event.
Today (Monday, 30th January 2017) I was contacted by Irene ‘The Swan Lady’ Hodges who was in a state of some enthusiasm, as amongst her usual daily cohort of swans and waterfowl at Chasewater, there was a single black swan, which she fed and caught on video.
Here’s one for people interested in the issues surrounding Brownhills Common – theres a meeting tonight, Monday 16th January 2017 of the Freinds of Brownhills Common group at the Environmental Depot, 200 Pelsall Road, Brownhills – WS8 7EN – please meet in the reception by 7:00pm.
Here’s one for people interested in the issues surrounding Brownhills Common – theres a meeting on Monday 16th January 2017 of the Freinds of Brownhills Common group at the Environmental Depot, 200 Pelsall Road, Brownhills – WS8 7EN – please meet in the reception by 7:00pm.
Hey you lot – Brownhills Blog readers, browsers, information seekers, contributors, friends: have a great Christmas, and I wish you a happy, prosperous and peaceful 2017.
I have to congratulate the people who worked so hard on Brownhills Christmas Market Magic 2016 – Diane and the team at the Brownhills Town Centre Partnership worked really hard and raised money towards future event in the town.
There’s a further chance to get into the Christmas spirit this Sunday (11th December 2016) – there’s the Annual Christmas Fair and Lantern Parade being held at Chasewater Innovation Centre.
Tom Reid from the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust has been in touch to let us know about the organised walk of the SUmmerhill section that’s taking place this Saturday, 3rd December 2016.
Here’s one for people interested in the issues surrounding Brownhills Common – theres a meeting on Monday week (Monday 14th November 2016) of the Freinds of Brownhills Common group at the Environmental Depot, 200 Pelsall Road, Brownhills – WS8 7EN – please meet in the reception by 7:00pm.
Tom Reid from the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust has been in touch to let us know about the progress they’re making in opening up the former canal towpath as a walking route between Barracks Lane and Summerhill, aided by corporate volunteers.
You may recall a couple of years ago that the operator of the former Shire Oak Quarry site, JPE, was mooting the proposal to extend the site they’re currently landfilling at Shire Oak, to extract virgin material pusihing back restoration of the site for some years.
You’ll remember a few days ago I cautioned local folk – especially dog walkers – to beware of the deer at the moment as the rut was getting underway, and they’d be a whole lot less tolerant as the hormones did their thing – well, I wasn’t wrong – as the video here shows, deer romance is well underway at Chasewater, with remarkable footage captured today by deer expert Jochen Langbein.
This is just a quick note to warn people given to exploring the open spaces of the area that over the next 8-10 weeks or so the deer population will be getting amorous – it’s rutting time for our large brown friends, and that means one thing: the heaths around Brownhills, Clayhanger, Pelsall and Chasewater in particular are likely to be host to rather grumpy, aggressive stags guarding their female harems.
