BescotPlus - Non-railway photographs (Selection 2)

Photos unconnected to the railway

New photos added on Sunday 28th April 2019. Miscellanea...

Wednesbury's oldest pub, photographed on Sunday 16th October 2016.
This plate is attached to the abutment of the South Staffs railway bridge where the line crosses over the Tame Valley canal at Golds Hill (half-way between Wednesbury and Great Bridge). This spot is about a third of a mile from the western end of the canal where it meets the Walsall Canal near Ocker Hill. Apparently it was once a toll-collecting spot for narrowboats, hence the "stop" reference. Photo taken on Monday 17th July 2017.
A grey heron, looking for lunch on the River Tame at Bescot. Photographed on Wednesday 10th April 2019, you could almost set your watch by the lunchtime arrival of this bird at its favoured fishing spot on the canalised river between Lidl's distribution depot and the motorway.

New photo added on Friday 27th October 2017...

This was a bit of a surprise when out on an afternoon walk. It's a Muscovy duck, hanging around with the regular waterfowl on the pool at Hydes Road, Wednesbury, during the afternoon of Friday 27th October 2017. An odd bird at first glance, the head of a chicken grafted onto the body of a duck, and webbed feet with claws on the end. Rather like a bird assembled from a kit of mismatched parts. Apparently these are regarded as category E* in the UK, i.e. non-native birds which have bred in the wild but don't have self-sustaining populations. This one was a single individual, with no others of its type in the vicinity, so presumably an escapee from somewhere.

New photos added on Sunday 6th August 2017, after the rain...

Gazania.
Dwarf Aster.
Dwarf Aster.

New photos added on Monday 3rd July 2017...

Alstroemeria, also known as the Peruvian lily.
Malva.
Coreopsis.
Erigeron glaucus, also known as the Beach Aster amongst other names.

New photos added on Saturday 24th October 2015...

Cloudscape, Wednesbury. Mid-afternoon on Wednesday 18th July 2012.
Two firms with long-standing links to Wolverhampton are represented in this shot. A Goodyear blimp flies over the Chubb building on the morning of Saturday 9th April 2011. Goodyear announced that it would close its Wolverhampton factory in 2015.

New photo added on Tuesday 20th January 2015...

Ladybird. Saturday 1st May 2010.

New photos added on Monday 19th January 2015. More Walsall buildings taken a couple of years ago...

Watering Trough pub, in Ablewell St, Walsall. Saturday 28th August 2010.
The New Art Gallery, Walsall. Monday 8th March 2010. Distinctive, but rather ugly.

New photos added on Tuesday 6th November 2012...

Autumn tree. Friday 2nd November 2012.
Flowers. Sunday 15th July 2012.
The clock tower in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. Tuesday 14th June 2011.

New photos added on Saturday 10th December 2011. Birmingham city centre and the German market...

Birmingham Council House and the city's flag.
Carved figures on Birmingham Council House.
The German market is a regular pre-Christmas feature nowadays, mostly selling food, drink, clothes, toys and trinkets. Like these choccies and wind-up models.
Russian dolls, and confectionary stall.
Glass bowls.
Christmas decorations.
Model buildings.

New photos added on Sunday 13th November 2011...

Holly berries. Sunday 13th November 2011.
Autumn foliage and berries. Sunday 13th November 2011.
Autumn leaves. Monday 25th October 2010.
Grey horse. Sunday 13th November 2011.

Photos added on Friday 23rd September 2011...

Can't help but be impressed by this line-up at the Courtauld Gallery, seen on Friday 2nd September 2011. Having many of the most famous impressionist paintings in the world is one thing, sticking a bunch of them right next to each other on the same wall looks like showing off, and I felt the need to photograph this juxtaposition. From left-to-right in this shot: Portrait of Emma by Berthe Morisot; then Le Dejeuner sur l'Herbe; Banks of the Seine at Argenteuil; and A Bar at the Folies-Bergere, all by Edouard Manet. Sixth from the left on this same wall was Renoir's La Loge. My favourite of this selection is the riverside view, with its lovely blues.
Sunset over Wednesbury, seen at 19:44 on Thursday 8th September 2011.
Roughly the same area of sky, photographed at 19:48.

Photos added on Saturday 13th August 2011...

Reflections on Hydes Road pool, Wednesbury. Tuesday 9th August 2011.
Reflections on Hydes Road pool, Wednesbury. Tuesday 9th August 2011.

Photo added on Tuesday 31st May 2011...

Aquilegia. The stamens are half an inch long. Taken with Canon G11 plus Raynox DCR-250 macro lens.

Photo added on Tuesday 3rd May 2011...

Asymmetric electricity pylon photographed from below. Ocker Hill, Tipton.

Photos added on Wednesday 10th November 2010...

Autumn berries in Walsall town centre (Navigation St). Pyracantha I believe.
Aerial photo of an autumnal leaf.
Digbeth Police Station, Birmingham.

Photos added on Monday 18th October 2010...

Goosander. Sandwell Valley.
My favourite duck. Sandwell Valley.

Photo added on Thursday 9th September 2010...

Lighting towers, Bescot. Taken on Thursday 9th September. The garden spider first appeared around the 9th, and was resident for about ten days, re-spinning its web at least three or four times during its stay, and surviving at least one bout of very heavy rain.

More shots of Walsall's buildings, taken on Saturday 28th August 2010...

This building in Bradford Place dates from 1888, and was originally a prep school. Now used as office space for rent. Saturday 28th August 2010.
This building in Bridge St is now an electrical retail outlet. Saturday 28th August 2010.
The Market Tavern, a closed pub. Saturday 28th August 2010.

Photos added on Sunday 22nd August 2010...

Narrowboats pass on the Oxford Canal north of Brinklow. The two facing the camera are conveying solid fuel in bags, and the first one is towing a butty. This picture was taken on Monday 16th August 2010.
A hover fly goes about its business on Saturday 7th August 2010.

Walsall has many fine buildings, although you often have to look up above the shopfronts to appreciate them.

The building at the near end of this block in Bradford St is now used by a firm of solicitors. However it's more notable as the birthplace of the author Jerome K Jerome, hence the blue plaque. Nowadays the 404 bus to West Brom and Blackheath loads outside. Saturday 24th July 2010.
This is the now-closed Brown Lion pub at Pleck. It's a notable local landmark, used to identify the road junction nearby, and also as a timing point for buses on the routes to Darlaston and Wednesbury. Saturday 31st July 2010.
The tower above the Town Hall. Saturday 31st July 2010.
Just around the corner from the Town Hall is this building, used by the Cheltenham & Gloucester Building Society. Saturday 31st July 2010.
The Guild Hall, now used as a restaurant. A plaque on the nearmost corner gives a brief history of this building. Saturday 31st July 2010.