Tunnel Vision

Hello!  I'm checking in after another self imposed period of absence from the screen.  Eyes and screens are not great bedfellows and eye strain is a recurring problem for me, my phone being the biggest culprit.  Talk about 21st century problems!

We are living in dark times and there are times when I'm finding it hard to find the light.  Photography continues to push me to do so.  Here's the moon glimpsed through our roof window, criss crossed by thorns and slightly soft focus rosehips.  I'm slightly irritated by that, but quite like the overall magic of the scene.

I appreciate the escape that Blogland offers, but there are some things that just shouldn't be left unsaid.  All life is precious and every single one that is cut short by war or malevolence is a tragedy.  The world's problems are numerous, widespread and currently feel insurmountable.  Yet in this turbulent world plagued by violence, intolerance and corruption, Alexei Navalny was one soul who offered a glimmer of hope, albeit in the dim and distant future. 

Incomprehensibly, he's no longer with us....yet another light that has gone out.  If you've never seen the Oscar winning documentary "Navalny" you really should.  It's inspiring stuff and his bravery clearly knew no bounds.  After viewing what I could of his funeral yesterday on YouTube, I felt moved enough to immortalise him in this revolutionary-style poster, alongside his chosen final message.

February has been one of the wettest on record, so our walks have been few and far between.  I've realised that dampness has a huge impact on how cold I feel.  Crisp, dry air, even when the thermometer is hovering around zero, is much more comfortable than 7 or 8 degrees in damp conditions.  

That said, we continue to discover new places on our doorstep.  Regular readers will know that Kinver Edge, the National Trust managed area, is a beloved local beauty spot of ours.  In amongst the 600 acres of land, are hidden places of intrigue and last weekend, we ventured to the perimeter and beyond and stumbled across another one - a Grade II listed monument - hidden deep in dense woodland. 

It bears the following inscription: 

"This pillar commemorates 

That devoted man Richard Baxter

Minister of the Old Church.

Kidderminster about the year 1650

And whose unwearied labours

Were so greatly blessed to that

Town and neighbourhood.

Read his Saints everlasting rest

And call to the converted."

The pillar monument, erected circa 1850, stands tall, but nonetheless is somewhat dwarfed by the surrounding trees.

Now, I'd never heard of this Richard Baxter, so after a little research, I discovered that Baxter was a Nonconformist Puritan minister, theologian, poet and hymn writer (he had a lot going on!) 

His ministry in nearby Kidderminster was controversial because Baxter's strong views on justification and sanctification, with their emphasis on faithfulness and repentance, were unusual.

Baxter was elected as minster by the people of Kidderminster after being invited to deliver a sermon.  He was twenty six.  He had a long and eventful career, dogged by persecution in one form or another. 

He was ejected from the Church of England after the 1662 Act of Uniformity.  However, he became one of the most influential leaders of the Nonconformists in the 1600s, partly because of his prolific theological writings, partly because of his prosecutions and his time in prison for various faith related offences.  

You can read about his turbulent life and divisive theological views here:-

Richard Baxter - Wikipedia

Just a stone's throw away from the monument, is the Drakelow Tunnel complex, a former underground military complex covering 26,500 square metres with a total length of 5.6 km.  They were originally built as a Second World War Shadow Factory and were developed during the Cold War to be a fall back government centre.

British shadow factories were the result of the Shadow Scheme, a plan devised in 1935 and developed by the British Government in the build up to World War II to try to meet the urgent need for more aircraft using technology transfer from the motor industry to implement additional manufacturing capacity.  The term "shadow" might suggest secrecy, but in reality it was a reference to a protected environment staffed by motor industry employees of all skill levels working alongside (in the shadow of) their own similar motor industry operations.

The Drakelow Tunnels Museum is now open after spending a number of years in private ownership.  Inexplicably, we never got around to visiting before the complex (the largest underground tunnel complex in the UK) closed in the 1990s and I was unaware until recently that it had in fact reopened after a painstaking transformation into a family friendly Cold War Museum.  I've dropped them an email to plan our very first visit!

Given that the echoes of this dark chapter of our history are reverberating loudly now in 2024, I'll leave you with some positivity.

First up...a beautiful sunrise captured last week.  Our house sits on the fringes of the West Midlands conurbation.  In one direction, we have a fairly urban skyline as evidenced by this photo.  In the opposite direction, we have woodland and countryside stretching all the way to Wales.

The low lying mist and pale pink sunrise makes everything look beautiful!

In the garden, Squirrel Nutkins is up to his usual antics, robbing great chunks of fat balls from the disgruntled robins and blackbirds.

As much as I can't stand the rain, we witnessed some beautiful cloud formations over Walton Hill (another local beauty spot with incredible panoramic views over town and country).

Today, I scored these apparently unused M&S hiking boots from a charity shop for £7.00 and am choosing to ignore the teen's cruel "Ronald MacDonald shoes" comparison.  

Whilst it might not feel like Spring right now (snow fell on high ground last night), nature definitely received the memo.

But the big news in these parts, is that last week, Staffordshire County Council served a notice on the owners of The Crooked House (Britain's Wonkiest Pub), to rebuild it within 3 years, exactly as it was before the arson attack and unlawful destruction.  Regular readers will recall that we were outraged last August when yet another piece of local heritage was laid to waste, allegedly by individuals motivated by financial gain.

You can read my post written in the aftermath here:- Winter Peach Photography: A Very Crooked Tale

The campaign group have plans for an event on the anniversary of its demolition, which include inviting along the band originally booked to play on the eve of its destruction - Gasoline and Matches.  Yes, really!

There's a way to go yet, but it's definitely seen as a little victory and a big step towards the pub making a return!

See you soon!

Wet January

No, I'm not suggesting that you all over-indulge this January as my title might suggest, although we sure as hell won't be doing Veganuary, Dry January or any other marketing concept the man decides to throw at us by tapping into our insecurities in order to shift shed loads of units.  This wet January in fact, started in late December and has "spilled over" into the New Year.

Once again our rivers are flooded.  Almost a year ago to the day, we were in the same position.  Tired of surrendering to the elements, we headed out on New Year's Eve to see Mother Nature's latest show of strength.

The ducks seemed unperturbed, enjoying a feeding frenzy courtesy of visitors walking off their Christmas pudding.

But the mighty Severn had once again breached its banks.

The little bridge to the far right of this photo was awash, but had yet to reach last year's levels (although by the time you read this, I'm sure it has).  During our visit, the tweenies were getting their kicks, riding at speed through the water.  

You really can't visit Arley without walking up the hill to the heritage railway station, passing the hamlet's solitary pub glimpsed here.  Stopping is optional, but recommended. :-D

The station appeared to be deserted, save for a couple of volunteers, who were busy taking down the decorations left over from the Christmas Enchanted Express timetable.  The Porter's Room was however, still clinging on to the last days of Christmas.

Just as we were about to leave, we heard the distant noise of a locomotive and decided to hang around.  Within minutes, a diesel rolled into the station.

True to the old adage, you wait for one and then two come along at once.  The diesel was quickly joined by a steam locomotive travelling in the opposite direction.  We quickly ran up onto the bridge to reach the other platform before it departed.

It's hard not to feel like you've strayed onto a film set whenever one of these majestic beauties arrives.  I hope these passengers were enjoying their trip!  I'm not sure, judging by this man's expression.

I managed to capture the handing over of the token and after sharing the image on Instagram, was chuffed that BBC Midlands made it their photo of the day.  I was even more thrilled when one of the volunteers subsequently purchased a high res digital download from me.  Initially he wanted it as a laptop screen saver, but has plans to get a print framed to adorn the walls of his new home.  Thanks Dougie! (There he is in the cap).

On New Year's Eve, despite an invitation to join friends in the pub, we ended the year on a lazy note.  Neither of us could muster the courage to battle against the wind and rain and so enjoyed our own very loud kitchen disco before tuning in to Jools Holland's Hootenanny (a UK TV New Year's staple).  I cried (again) at the tribute to Shane MacGowan (hormones?) and we stood in the street outside to watch the fireworks.  Next year's "Not Going Out Cry-Fest" will be a ticketed event.  Don't all rush at once!

As we entered the New Year (ahem, somewhat late in the day), Storm Henk ensured that the river levels were topped up.  Once again, we find our region transformed into one of disappearing land and a transport network riddled with road closures due to flood water and rotten fallen trees.

At nearby Bewdley yesterday, we parked at the station (also on the Severn Valley railway line)...

...and navigated the muddy back alleyways to reach the centre of the town. 

For safety reasons, the main route through town over the bridge was closed.

The barriers were up and whilst the river level was dangerously high, it's expected to peak tomorrow. 

This side of the metal barriers is usually a bend in the road with the pavement beyond.  

Sandbags were everywhere.

These sacks (evidence of the new barrier construction - not finished in time) had been claimed by the river.

It's hard to fathom how the residents must feel.  The all-too-frequent disruption to homes and livelihoods might attract people like me, wishing to record the unfolding events, but it's so hard for those directly affected.

This year (a general election is timetabled for the second half of 2024), I'm going to give particularly serious consideration to who gets my vote.  They will need to be taking climate change seriously and not just making and immediately breaking pledge after pledge after pledge.

I took a short iphone video of the river.  Incidentally, it's brown because of the local sandstone.  It's always this colour.  As a child, I would always colour my rivers brown.  Take a look at the fast flowing Severn here:

Bewdley, River Severn Flooding after January storm. #nature #floods #riversevern (youtube.com)

Can you believe, looking at this cold and flooded landscape, that we're in for the hottest year on record?!

Now is the perfect time to share with you this year's calendar choice. Here's the page for January (cropped so you don't see all of my secrets).  It's a Crooked House calendar, featuring locals' photos of the pub in its heyday and site in the aftermath of its destruction.  You can see Gareth's art installation centred around the fireplace he pulled from the rubble.  

Particularly amusing, is the fact that the calendar is written in the Black Country dialect.  So a brief lesson for non natives.  It's not "Jan-u-ary" it's "Jan-u-erry" and I'm signing off today, "Therzdi."

See you soon!

Atypical Tuesday

Sometimes life can get a little too comfortably routine and pedestrian.  That is where teenagers come in very handy.  In fact, there's no doubt they were invented to kick routine firmly in the pants and challenge the status quo.

And so it was that last Tuesday evening, we found ourselves pootling down the motorway with two teens occupying the back seats, destined for Bristol.  The purpose of their visit was to see underground American art-rock music artist Yves Tumor.  Ours was principally to operate as a taxi service (the train was just too pricey and unreliable), but we love an excuse to visit Bristol.

Using the fantastic parking app Just Park, we parked in a quiet residential street not far from Temple Meads train station - which would have cost us £19.50 - for just over £7.00.  

Relying on Google Maps, we took the most direct route to find the music venue, The Marble Factory.  The most direct route it may have been, but it was patchily lit and at times felt as though we had strayed onto a film set created for a "gritty, urban" brief.

City at night...

The temperature was hovering around zero and the moon was bright.  After photographing this crane, I noticed that a lens flare had created a second moon.  Surreal huh?  A happy mistake.

We had the briefest of encounters with the impressive Victorian Temple Meads train station where we grabbed an on-the-go snack and drink before parting company with the gig-goers.

As is par for the course for us, we soon got lost.  It turns out that not all city centre sign posts do in fact lead into the city centre.  I stopped to do up my laces and was asked by a couple of drunks if I was OK.  I think they assumed I was feeling nauseous.  At this point we had probably walked the best part of three miles and hunger was getting the better of me.  We asked a friendly looking passer by for directions.  She suggested the King Street and as she was heading that way for a Clairvoyant evening, we joined her for the last part of her walk, taking a short cut through a dimly lit car park.  Finally, we reached King Street and realised that we had taken an elaborate detour to reach this now familiar destination.

King Street is a vibrant, pedestrianised street lined with a choice of eclectic bars and restaurants with al fresco wooden bench seating.  Even in the late November chill, many students opted to sit outside.

We parted company from our good samaritan tour guide and headed inside an inviting looking Pizzeria not far from the Old Vic Theatre.

Inside, the walls were decorated with decades of Old Vic theatre posters.  There was pizza by the slice and a good selection of beers by the local Left Handed Giant Brewery.  I opted for the vegan pizzas and honestly thought there had been a mix up with the ingredients; the cheese was that good.

As it was a week night, we were joined by only four other Tuesday night revellers during our visit.  The staff were laid back and friendly and the ambience was relaxed.

I loved what they had done with the place!

Hunger sated, we  reluctantly left the warmth of our cosy corner and decided to head back towards Temple Bar.  The temperature was now plummeting and we wanted to be as close to the Marble Factory as possible when Mr Tumor had finished his set.

By now, some of the eateries close the King Street were closing for business.

On any other given week, we may have been busy doing nothing, watching some trash TV, surfing the internet or answering emails.  Bristol's around a 90 minute drive from us, so it's not the obvious destination for a night out, but it made a refreshing change and I wish we'd had longer.

Check out this handsome pub!

In no time at all, we found ourselves back in the Temple Quay area and I took the opportunity to capture some of the lights and sights that caught my eye...

...like the impressive Valentine Bridge which snakes across Bristol's floating harbour in a newly developed mix use area behind Temple Meads station.  The bridge caused some controversy when barriers were erected to encourage cyclists to dismount before the authorities relented after complaints were lodged.

Cyclists are everywhere in Bristol.

A rear window moment.

Feeling the chill again, we headed into the promising sounding but totally soulless Wetherspoons pub The Knights Templar for a caffeine pick-me-up and carpet shot.

My friend, Vix recently enlightened me through her blog (Vintage Vixen: Black Country Tales - Viva Bilstonia! (vintagevixon.blogspot.com) that each of the carpets of Wetherspoons pubs are bespoke - unique to the building or locality and handmade, valued at around £30,000 apiece! This one's for you Vix!  I think it was probably the best part of this pub. 

I also found this interesting reading material courtesy of the Wetherspoons Magazine.  This article, penned by Nik Antona, the Chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), referenced the illegal demolition of our local landmark The Crooked House.  Investigations continue, arrests have been made and the campaign continues, in case you're wondering.  

At around 10.30, we took a short stroll to the Marble Factory, a move we timed perfectly to coincide with the end of the gig and there ended a tremendous and atypical Tuesday evening.  Thanks Bristol!

On the return journey, the teens took over the music and I have to say, Yves Tumor's not at all bad!

I'll leave you with a taste.

Yves Tumor - Fear Evil Like Fire (Official Audio) - YouTube