Sunday

Today, as forecast, it has been raining.  It started early this morning and hasn't stopped since.  This has meant an afternoon of listening to music which I've thoroughly enjoyed. 

Despite the rain I've still got out into the countryside side today albeit just on the edge of the city.  Originally we were off to Worcester but the friends we were going with decided it would be better to stay local and so we found a four mile walk close to Kings Norton.

Bizarrely enough the last time we were over that way was on the 7th June last year and the weather was exactly the same. Then, we sat in the car and had a picnic.  This time, with different friends, we did exactly the same but eventually decided we should get out of the car.

Walking the lanes rather than the footpath we did a circle and an hour after we set out we were back at the car. Soaking wet and quite chilly we finished the picnic and headed home to get warm and cosy.

Walking in the Rain

The weather hasn't been the best of late. The hot and sunny days of May and June have been replaced by the cloudy and sometimes very wet days of July and August.  The long hot nights are now cool and I am aware of it becoming darker earlier.  Summer is starting to come to an end and so it is time to make the most of it.

With that in mind, it was time to walk the canal again.  Knowle to Hatton.  The forecast was for showers in the morning and brightening up later.  The reality was showers that got heavier as the day went on. The canal was a lot quieter than usual, not just people but wildlife as well.  It took just over 3 hours from start to finish (including stopping under a bridge whilst quite a heavy shower passed over).

My parents, who had driven out, met us at Hatton Locks cafe and whilst we dried out (we got caught in a heavy shower during the last quarter of a mile) they tucked into a full English breakfast before heading home.

Despite the showers it was actually a really nice day out.

A Quiet Weekend

Having a lazy day today.  A bit of TV, some music, maybe a bit of reading.  Nice day.

Yesterday, was also a nice day but rather than being a lazy day it was a 10 mile walk.  Down the canal. This time from Knowle to Hatton Locks. 

The weather was perfect for walking and the scenery was great (not walked part of this stretch before).  It takes in Lapworth and Shrewley including Shrewley tunnel.  The tunnel is quite impressive. 396 metres long it goes under the village of Shrewley. The towpath has a tunnel of it's own that rises sharply and takes you up on to the road (and a small shop to grab yourself a cold drink).  You join the canal on the other side. 

A couple of miles further down you reach Hatton Locks.  21 of them in all in less than 2 miles.  It's an impressive site. but I imagine quite daunting if you have to negotiate them on a narrow boat. There is a small cafe at the locks and seems a popular place for people to drive, cycle or walk to.  It's a lovely little place and when we arrived we had a cup of coffee and a packet of crisps to celebrate our achievement!


A quarter mile walk back along the canal to the train station and then back to Solihull.  Whilst outside the train station (waiting for the bus home) 3 buses pulled up. People jumped off and started taking photos of them. 2 in the old Birmingham Corporation livery and one in Coventry livery.  Apparently it was the last journey of the Metrobus. Taken out of service a few months ago this was a chance for people to say goodbye.  I'm not really into buses but it was nice to see them one last time and, as I had my camera with me, I did take a couple of pictures

Cold Drinks, Sandwiches and Country Walks

Once again, another weekend spent walking in the countryside. The weather was perfect for the 8 mile sponsored walk that we did earlier today.  Starting (and finishing) at Packwood House, and organised by Knowle and Dorridge Lions to raise money for Diabetes UK, you could choose a 2, 4 or 8 mile walk.  We opted for the 8 mile and it was thoroughly enjoyable. 
It took us just over 3 hours, stopping off for a quick drink at The Wharf  Tavern on the way. The route took us through Lapworth and Hockley Heath and took in 2 canals, fields and country lanes.  We also stopped in Lapworth at a little shop besides the canal to get a much needed ice lolly.

There was a very good turnout.  I'd like to know how many people did the 8 mile walk.  I think a lot went for the 4 mile as after we had walked for a bit the amount of people we saw seemed to dwindle.

Following the walk we left the friends we were with to join up with other friends who had just completed the 4 mile walk. I made sure I got my Walk The Extra Mile medal before we headed off. We decided to get something to eat and found a small farm with retail outlets and a small cafe. Yew Tree Farm at Wootton Wawen. A cold drink, sandwich and a stroll around the shops was a gentle way to spend the afternoon.

Yesterday we went to Cardingmill Valley. It is a lovely place in Shropshire just above Church Stretton. It cuts into the side of the Long Mynd and offers walks to the top of the escarpment and a stunning view. On a sunny day it is a lovely place to go for a walk and a picnic. 

We chose to walk up onto the Mynd. The walk up can get a little steep towards the top but once you are at the top it's worth it.   The scenery is stunning.  Although warm it was a little overcast on the way up. This probably made it a little easier.  The sun came out on the walk down and in the sunshine the valley looked beautiful. 

Again after the walk, a cold drink and a sandwich at a cafe in Church Stretton did the trick.  We had a quick stroll around the town before heading home.

Ups and Downs

A poor performance by England on Friday night. I was dubious as to whether we'd do well but thought we could have at least managed a 1-0 win. 0-0 against Algeria is not a good result and leaves us needing a win against Slovenia to qualify. Even if we do, I don't fancy our chances in the next round!

After the football it was time to turn over for Big Brother. The first eviction! 3 up for it, Rachel, Shabby and Sunshine. Despite the crowd chanting "Get Sunshine Out" it was Rachel who was evicted. I can't say I was expecting that!

Saturday meant a trip to Shropshire with friends. The day started well with a veggie breakfast at Morrison's. We picked up some food for the picnic and headed back to meet the others. Then it was off to Haughmond Woods just outside of Shrewsbury. I'd not been there before. There are some amazing views from the top of the hill. There is also a viewing platform overlooking a working quarry. Having walked around the woods for a few hours we drove to Monkmoor Fishery for a picnic beside the River Severn. Again some great views. We found a great spot on the curve of the river.  It was a lovely way to spend a few hours on a sunny Saturday afternoon and I am sure we will do it again before the summer is over.

Driving home we saw this. I'm sure I must have seen this before but I can't remember. I still found it very impressive! I looked it up when I got in. It is called The Lord Hills Column. It is the world's largest Doric column. It is 133ft and 6inches tall (13 feet higher and 2 feet wider than Nelson's Column). It was built between the years of 1814 and 1816.

We got home early evening and watched Sunshine Cleaning. An odd little film but I enjoyed it. Apparently it came out a couple of years ago but have to admit it passed me by. It's about two sisters who start up a crime scene clean up business. It stars Amy Adams, Emily Blunt and Alan Arkin and is worth a look.

After the film I managed to catch the last 30 minutes of Cameroon vs Denmark. It was a shame to see Cameroon go out of the competition having lost 2-1. I hope I'm not writing something similar about England later in the week!

Sunday, and a meal with the family. We drove out to The Falcon in Hatton. The food wasn't cheap and even though I enjoyed mine, a couple of people were not impressed with the standard. It has, however, got the poshest smoking shelter I have been in. Made of perspex and canvas. It has a wide screen TV. Tables and chairs and corner sofas for lounging on. In the corner was a jazz musician playing a saxophone and clarinet. This is where we ate our meal. It's a great idea.

In the evening watched the football, Brazil versus Ivory Coast. Brazil won 3-1. A good game but the referee has some questions to answer. Firstly, Brazil's second goal shouldn't have been allowed due 2 hand ball. Fabiano, the goal scorer, handled it twice. The ref missed it and the goal stood but minutes later the camera focused on the ref asking Fabiano if he had used his hand. Obviously he said no. The second thing was Kaka's sending off. It was an off the ball incident that the ref did not see. Kaka raised an arm to stop Lannoy running into him. Lannoy then hit the ground clutching his face even though Kaka had not made contact with his head. Kaka was shown a second yellow card and was therefore dismissed. It's a shame as ruined a perfectly good game and Kaka will now be suspended despite his innocence

Another Suny Day

Another sunny day and another walk along the towpath.  This was the best walk yet as we got to see kingfishers!!  2 of them.

We came across them toward the end of our walk.  I had been trying to take photos of a heron who we found sitting on the path underneath a motorway bridge. Each time I got closer it would fly a bit further down water.  Having followed  for a bit, we decided to turn round and head back. 

As I turned I saw a flash of blue, low over the water. We watched it swoop twice before turning and heading away with a fish.  As we watched another appeared.  I tried to take a photograph but they were too quick.  We waited and within a few minutes they were back. Again, I tried to take a photo but again no joy.  After about 15 minutes they disappeared.  We waited for a few minutes and when they never returned we decided it was time to head home. 

Here are a couple pictures of something that wasn't as quick as a kingfisher.  In fact it just stood there.

Summer Days

I love the summer and the last few days have been fantastic.  Things seem so much better in the sunshine.  The weekend was spent in the garden watching the birds, butterflies, bees and other insects going about their business. On Saturday, Clare (my girlfriend) and I went for a picnic.  We are quite lucky to have the countryside pretty much on our doorstep.  We spent a sunny afternoon sitting in the shade of an old oak tree, drinking slightly warm gins and tonic and  watching buzzards circle in a blue, cloudless sky.  The picnic basket had sandwiches, dips and crisps and having eaten, we walked through a wooded area and enjoyed it's coolness.  We arrived home early evening just in time for the Champions League Final and spent a warm evening watching the football.  I don't think it gets better than that!