The Alternative Way

At some point in the day,

but often towards evening,

the KHT and I set off on a voyage of discovery. 

As the crisis has deepened

so the area covered by our explorations has reduced.

Although I have lived in this part of town 

for much of my life, 

I must admit there are still paths 

we have walked along since lockdown, 

where I do not think I have ever have trod before.

This particular path was probably a reroute
of a public footpath I would have taken in the past

Moved, I suspect,  to accomodate the construction 

of warehousing/industrial units 

on the site of the sportsfield
of the Aluminium factory where my father worked.

Forty years ago he was convinced that this land was earmarked for development, 

and eventually it was.

We live in a town of over 80,000 people.
However, as Redditch was designate as a 'new town' in the early 60's,
a good proportion of the town was planned by a Development Corporation,
rather than just evolving.
Many of the town's older residents resent the loss of some of the older parts of the town centre.
Narrow streets with dripping canopies were replaced by an indoor shopping complex
in the name of progress.
Surrounding farmland was also sacrificed for large housing estates
the first of which were built to accommodate those needing to be rehomed
following a programme of demolition of substandard housing in the Birmingham conurbation
These estates bear the names of the farms whose fields are consigned to memory - Winyates and Woodrow being two such examples.
Here and there traces of ancent hedgerow remain along with remnants of the roman road that ran to the east of the Victorian part of town.
Sixty years later and part of the legacy of the Development Corporation
is that we have communities with inbuilt green-ness
which we all take for granted.

Photos can appear to reveal a rural idyll,
Those who know this pool will know that it is surrounded by
a housing estate, carefully screened by some of the many trees and hedgerows planted as part of the transformation of the town,

Another view from 'deep in the heart of a forest'
is actually part of a hedgerow bordering a main road. 

The KHT doesn't care - she is an experienced explorer, battling through the wilderness,
relishing the aroma of wild garlic.

 Owards we travel
allowing her to conquering peaks, 
as yet unnamed.

Tracking the path of a mighty river to its source 
- in this case a culvet. 
Some may find this to be a great disappointment
but not the KHT!

On the bank of the mighty Arrow

This photo from the end of March, 

was taken on the banks of the mighty Arrow, 

which flows into the Alne, 

Avon 

and Severn 

before reaching the sea in the Bristol Channel.  

Imagine if we could build a boat, 

and sail away from the current crisis.

But the boat would need to be large enough to transport us

and have to have space 

for  the required amount of provisions to tide us through...

Such a vessel would run aground 

in the shallows of the Arrow, 

or get wedged under a bridge.

If we made it as far as Coughton

the ford would undoubtably be our undoing

as the flow across the roadway would not be sufficient for us to float across.

Maybe we could offload the cargo and carry it across the ford,

reloading on the far side.

We could carry the boat across as well if it would help...

Engines and fuel would be required to navigate the lower reaches of the Severn

and navigational equipment once we reached the wild sea...

Wifi and rechargeable batteries would help us to keep in touch with the rest of the world.

I think we had better go home,

and appreciate all the comforts that await us there,

and continue to be grateful for those

who are sacrificing so much

for others.

Stay safe.