ednesday walk, on what turned out to be a perfect day for enjoying the countryside. Still, by then my back was slowly recovering and at least I was able to shuffle around the house a bit. I wasn't the only one shuffling about, as Mike was recovering after having a large cyst on his leg dealt with by the doc. Feeling a bit fed up I suggested we venture into Lichfield for a bit of lunch at The King's Head, where my shuffling and Mike's hobbling fitted in well with the other oldies there. The women on the neighbouring table talked about other peoples' ailments. Not a very uplifting experience. Still, I returned home feeling quite pleased about my bargain purchases from the garden centre, where I'd picked up quite a few half price bulbs and plants, and also used my money-off vouchers, returning home with a bag full of goodies that cost me less than £3. By yesterday I was feeling a lot more mobile, unlike Mike, who had been down to the docs for more treatment, this time very painful indeed. I was up and running, managing to do most of my household jobs, apart from too much bending and lifting, but keen to get out for a walk. By the time I did get out, the sun had gone in and it had clouded over, but dressed for the bitter cold I set off to walk the perimeter of the field opposite our house. I have to ad
mit that, under the grey sky and in an almost sepia landscape, I didn't feel too cheerful as I plodded around in my wellies. As usual, I scanned the earth, already sprouting with another crop, for anything interesting, but nothing caught my eye. Originally, as Sherralls Field, this was once part of the open field system of Hill, and I would have expected to find, at least, bits of broken pots or the stems of clay pipes. A couple of years ago the field was full of metal detectorists from Brownhills, but I never found out if any of them were successful in finding anything. My short walk then brought me to the length of waste land known as The Slang, runnning down the hill, alongside the allotments. To quote Roger Lea, our local historian, the 'Langlands' are "five original strips, now two long thin fields with an internal boundary hedge, the larger one being converted into allotment gardens when the Gibbons Road estate was developed. The surviving 'fossil' strips can be seen, much overgrown with brambles and young trees." (The Story of Sutton Coldfield by Roger Lea). These strips can be seen clearly on the Corn Rent Map of 1824. From our windows we can see both the Slang and the neighbouring allotments, curving down the hill. The Slang is overgrown, as mentioned, with brambles, coppiced hazels and some fairly large trees, including oaks. I like to think, when I'm busy working on my plot, that I'm continuing with the history of land cultivation on what was, and still is, a part of our local history. Occasionally I find a few pieces of clay pipe stem as I dig - a little reminder of the past.
mit that, under the grey sky and in an almost sepia landscape, I didn't feel too cheerful as I plodded around in my wellies. As usual, I scanned the earth, already sprouting with another crop, for anything interesting, but nothing caught my eye. Originally, as Sherralls Field, this was once part of the open field system of Hill, and I would have expected to find, at least, bits of broken pots or the stems of clay pipes. A couple of years ago the field was full of metal detectorists from Brownhills, but I never found out if any of them were successful in finding anything. My short walk then brought me to the length of waste land known as The Slang, runnning down the hill, alongside the allotments. To quote Roger Lea, our local historian, the 'Langlands' are "five original strips, now two long thin fields with an internal boundary hedge, the larger one being converted into allotment gardens when the Gibbons Road estate was developed. The surviving 'fossil' strips can be seen, much overgrown with brambles and young trees." (The Story of Sutton Coldfield by Roger Lea). These strips can be seen clearly on the Corn Rent Map of 1824. From our windows we can see both the Slang and the neighbouring allotments, curving down the hill. The Slang is overgrown, as mentioned, with brambles, coppiced hazels and some fairly large trees, including oaks. I like to think, when I'm busy working on my plot, that I'm continuing with the history of land cultivation on what was, and still is, a part of our local history. Occasionally I find a few pieces of clay pipe stem as I dig - a little reminder of the past.It was too much of a temptation. Through the unde
rgrowth I could see the backs of sheds, and someone walking up and down a path. I just had to make a short visit to my plot to check up on things. The front of the plot was frozen solid, and there were ice lids on the water buts. Pushing up from the icy earth there were the little green shoots of my onion sets, and neighbour Eric's doing well too, despite the earlier set-back, when some low-life drove onto his plot and churned up all his newly planted sets. Earlier this year I had Eric to thank for the wallflowers along the front of my plot and, just to finish on a bright and cheery note, here is a photo of one of the plants, in flower, despite the icy conditions. It brought a smile to my face.
rgrowth I could see the backs of sheds, and someone walking up and down a path. I just had to make a short visit to my plot to check up on things. The front of the plot was frozen solid, and there were ice lids on the water buts. Pushing up from the icy earth there were the little green shoots of my onion sets, and neighbour Eric's doing well too, despite the earlier set-back, when some low-life drove onto his plot and churned up all his newly planted sets. Earlier this year I had Eric to thank for the wallflowers along the front of my plot and, just to finish on a bright and cheery note, here is a photo of one of the plants, in flower, despite the icy conditions. It brought a smile to my face.Back home, where Mike was reclining on the sofa, feeling a bit worse for wear, we settled down to watch the DVD of 'Julie and Julia', a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing film (involving a lot of Blogging!). Fortunately, my very large Greek cookbook has already been translated into English or I could have been tempted myself! (You'll know what I mean, if you've seen the film).
I spoke to my sister yesterday afternoon - the snow was falling thick and fast in County Durham.
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