a brilliant day

yes this bus stop has not yet been repaired

after weighing myself at BOOTS
(I have lost 3 kg in 7 days)

I walked across this bridge for the first time to explore

then downhill towards Merton House

(third from left of the three distant blocks)

I turned left


looking back at Bosworth Drive bridge
Chelmsley Wood

and I walked along the path by this stream




click to see the grey dot on the path
I intruded on two grey squirrels and this is their privacy distance.-
This wood was first recorded in 1082 and pigs were feeding here within living memory - a wood without pigs is like a ballroom without women.

ENGLISH NATURE - Special Sites: "Alcott Wood Local Nature Reserve is one of only a few ancient woodland sites in Solihull. It is a natural example of oak woodland with ground flora containing several species of ancient woodland indicator species including Wood Anemone, Remote Sedge, Wood Sorrel with very few non-native trees and scrubs (i.e. no Sycamore).

There are three schools within 1 km of the site. The variety of habitats and ease of movement through the wood would allow for a range of activities."



click to see my home - Merton house is the third tower from the left

Solihull College
North Campus

there are several of these bridges not shown on my maps intended for car drivers





the clean and healthy stream below



in England we are metal bashers

for eample this climbing frame and slide,
today welded and no longer cast ion



Solihull park bench all welded
strong but cold

I have not needed to sit down so often and I forget to blog the street furniture

electric-henge

and then there was mud







under the main line railway first London and Birmingham Railway opened in 1838, then LNWR, in 1846 LMS from 1923 , and BR (M) in 1948

under the arch
childproof?













mud wallow made by repeated security checks of Elmdon Nature Park in a 4 x 4


I need to sit down but don't want wet feet







I clicked too soon.








missed
have to lead more and allow for the slow shutter on the cellphone camera



these two spotters told me of an unscheduled landing by a Virgin Jumbo jet

Birmingham Airport spotter site. The official airport web site can be found at www.bhx.co.uk




out of Kidlington a training flight from Oxford

GOTCHA


and I walked to my last viewpoint

the ramp at Marston Green station
to get the green train into Brum

I like to pair snaps - the Lowry like snap of and by the hot dog stand in a previous blog is looking at where I am now

My earliest memory of this corner is in about 1943 and that it was bombed flat by the germans in world war two.
We walked to the left up New Street stepping over the firehoses as they damped down the remains of next building. We were on the way to catch a bus to Dudley Zoo

on the way to the markets at the Bull Ring
more street furniture


and I got home at sunset








all that lot cost £4.10 or 44 danish kroner or $7.25 at the Birmingham market

the Sony camera in the cell phone has the same performance as an older Sony Handycam -. the big trick is breathing out and relaxing before clicking the shutter.