Back to the Midlands

In her post for Sept 25 1908, Edith says:

"Goodbye to Scotland and back to the Midlands".

Birmingham International Airport - 23rd September 2015.

On the 22nd and 23rd of September 2015 I stayed at the Birmingham Airport Holiday Inn. This time I was lucky and got a room in the "Executive" area, with a good view over the runway.  There would have been plenty of people coming back to the Midlands from all over the world including Scotland and I saw some of their aircraft touch down.

Birmingham Airport - 22nd September 2015.

In this night shot a row of conifers - just right of centre. is picked out by the lights - in daytime they were often visited by Goldfinches.

Control Tower.

One sure sign that autumn is well on its way is the start of the football season. On my way to the lift, a manager swept by with a tray of breakfasts. On the way down I met a group of young footballers, who play for West Bromwich Albion. They were looking rather lost - but fortunately I was able to send them after their food and went on my way. While waiting for the bus in the hotel car park, I noticed a number of very pretty sports cars and wondered if they belonged to the footballers.

Great-Crested Grebes - 2015

I'm not so sporty but I did enjoy taking part in the company's "Walk round the world", in which groups from each office took a walk at lunchtime. From the Birmingham office, we visited Pendigo Lake at the NEC. While we were there, I spotted a Great-Crested Grebe feeding a youngster.

In her next post, for September the 30th, Edith mentioned signs of Autumn ...

"Some of the Beech Trees are quite bare ... Weather still continues perfect. Hot sun during the day, cold and clear at night, mist in the mornings".

My photos from the same time last year show that Birmingham was basking in sunshine. This year, after a late heatwave, there were thunderstorms.

Bolete fungi - 15 September 2015

109 years later, I started spotting some hints of Autumn at about the same date. Under some confers, at Trinity Park I found some Bolete fungi.

Hedges were festooned with wreathes of black bryony and honeysuckle

In her entry for June the 26th, Edith described a long country walk in which ...

We picnicked under the hedge with pink and white Clover bloom and tall grasses nodding round our heads, while a pair of excited Robins chattered and fluttered in the bushes round us.

My break with others was a little less bucolic, on Wednesday the 29th we spent some time at the Arden hotel playing board games and pool, followed by a meal. I stepped out for a moment and checked the House Martin nests. I saw an adult bird coming away from one nest and heard the young within. 

June 29 - Family of Coots near Crowne Plaza.

The next morning, I saw a little family of coots just outside the Crowne Plaza hotel and saw House Martins swooping over Pendigo lake. I also saw both types of clover.

June 29 - Red Clover.

June 29 - White Clover.

In her entry for July the 7th, Edith says:

In many places the hedges were festooned with wreathes of black bryony and honeysuckle.

29 June - White Bryony near the Crowne Plaza

It took some doing but I managed to find both White Bryony and Honeysuckle in the wooded areas on the edge of Pendigo lake.  Edith goes on to say:

The pale pink Blackberry blossom and the large white masses of white Elderflower blossom are everywhere conspicuous. Climbing up the banks to meet them are tall purple foxgloves and nodding heads of grass heavy with pollen, mingled with yellow and purple vetch and clover blossom.

June 29 - Birds-Foot Trefoil.

June 29 - Ox-eye daisies.

June 29 - Elderflower.

June 29 - Foxgloves and Resort World.

I found several of these flowers around the edge of Pendigo lake. While I was photographing the foxgloves, I saw two Common Terns flying over the water.

Later in her July 7th entry, Edith says:

In a corn field of growing wheat, I saw a number of blossoms of the Opium Poppy; their large red blossoms made fine patches of colour among the green blades. 

June 29 - Opium Poppy.

Near Pendigo lake, I found Opium Poppies and other garden flowers.

In her July 11th entry, Edith tells us that she "Went by train to Knowle and walked across the fields to Packwood." and goes on to describe the flowers that she sees.

My journey from Birmingham International to Euston wasn't so picturesque but, on my way to the station, I saw some flowers on shingle heaped up beside a car park and in nearby grass.

June 30 - Common Cudweed.

June 30 - Sea Mayweed

June 30 - Self Heal.

June 30 - Scarlet pimpernel.

Oaks showing their first signs of golden bronze

In her entry for the first of May 1906, Edith wrote about her journey home from a holiday.

The country is looking much more beautiful than when I came through it three weeks ago. The primroses are still thick on the banks, the hedge are all green, many of the apple orchards in blossom; and the Oaks showing the first signs of golden, bronze foliage.

Fields between Coventry and Birmingham.

On my way from Sussex to Birmingham I saw many primroses tumbling down shaded banks and, between Coventry and Birmingham saw a countryside that was, in many ways, not so different to the one that Edith saw - with fields separated by hedges, farm houses etc. However, Edith would not have seen so many yellow rapeseed fields on her journey. The crop has increased massively from the 1970s when scientists bred varieties suitable for human consumption. Increased mechanisation means that there are fewer people and no horses working the land.

This week I was lucky with my hotel room. I've been staying in the Crowne Plaza and had a room looking over the NEC's Pendigo lake. In search of oak trees, I headed to the North East part of the lake, near the Hilton Metropole hotel, where there is a bluebell wood.

First sight of the woodland from the lakeside - Oak with fresh leaves.

Skirting round the edge of the lake, a quick glance reveals that the Oaks here are already green with new leaves.

Bluebells and Yellow Archangel.

 

A path leads me through a patch of bluebells mixed with Yellow Archangel, which Edith referred to as Yellow Weasel's Snout. Two Carder bees are visiting the flowers.

Looking up at a big oak, just coming into leaf.

The oak that I saw from across the water is a lovely big tree that makes a fine silhouette against the sky. As I look up, a group of ducks fly over.  A red-tailed bumble bee is bumbling around the flowers and foliage at its feet.

Fresh Oak leaves and tassels of Oak flowers

As I follow the trail, a younger tree has branches low enough for me to take a good look at the tassel flowers. 

A view of Resorts World from the woodland.

There is a tremendous amount of bird song in this wood.  A sudden rustle attracts my attention and I see a squirrel running up a tree.

oak apples.

Further along, a large tree has oak apples, which are the homes of a tiny gall wasp.  Although the wood is heavily used by hotel guests, there are many wild plants and the promise of flowers to come. Wild Arum is sending up spears, and there are large clumps of foxglove and honeysuckle leaves.

Bluebells near the Hilton Metropole.

If I pick my view carefully, I can see just a lovely sweep of bluebells and trees.

Looking towards NEC halls.

Finally the big NEC halls come back into view and I continue my walk.

Huge Oak - 3 hugs!

The bluebells gradually thin out. Just before the end of the green area, just beyond the hotel, there is a huge, ancient oak. It would take three people to get their arms round it.  I wonder just how many years it has been there and am thankful that the NEC developers had the sense to work round this irreplaceable giant.  When Edith walked and cycled round the countryside, it is quite likely that she passed this already mature tree.