December 20th - It was still peeing it down when I arrived at Lichfield - soggy, muddy but exhilarated. The rain was a fun challenge to cycle in, but the traffic was murder. I haven’t been here for a while, and noted, as ever, the excellent Christmas lights. The quiet city gave me chance to get shopping done, and admire the new, Debenhams-sponsored Christmas tree, which, I have to say, is probably one of the best public trees I think I’ve ever seen.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. But wetter…

December 7th - I keep seeing complaints on social media about the state of Walsall’s Christmas tree this year. Since the tree has faced a bit of an uncertain future in recent years, I’m surprised we’ve got one at all; and so I thought I’d take the opportunity to check it out. I don’t think it’s too shabby at all, to be honest. Sat in front of The Crossing at St Pauls - the church cum shopping centre by the bus station - it seems to fit well in what is possibly the only public square in Walsall that works architecturally. Seems decent enough to me…

November 27th - I see Christmas is rolling in, then. I’ve noticed Christmas lights up in Brownhills, a rather pathetic effort in Shelfield and tonight, Walsall Wood’s Christmas Tree was lit up in St. John’s churchyard. This is an interesting thing - Walsall Council long ago stopped buying trees for the lesser, satellite towns like Brownhills and Aldridge, and encouraged places to dig their own hole. Walsall Wood, for the last few years, has had a tree paid for out of the pockets of Councillors Anthony Harris and Mike Flower, a rare and welcome act of personal largesse. I don’t know for sure, but I expect they’ve done the same again.

We may not agree politically, but this is an act of true public spiritedness for which I thank them. Cheers, chaps.

October 25th - Walsall’s first Night Market. I adored these wee rag dolls. They’re absolutely gorgeous. Sold (and I think made) by Jane Sutherland at Banyan Tree Rustics, I think any little girl would treasure one. Beautiful.

December 21st - Recklessly running an errand into Pelsall without my passport, I took a scout round for the village Christmas tree, which was certain to make an excellent photo. There was just one snag: I couldn’t find it. After a surreptitious scout around the obvious locations, I gave up and took some night shots of the principality looking a bit festive. The only thing that came close was a tree near station road, interestingly lit to make it look conical. I decided to quickly move on - some tyke had clearly made off with the Pelsall pine and without my visa, I’d be prime suspect….

November 24th - Tonight, as I came from Walsall Station (always go home with the wind behind you if possible), I noticed the Christmas lights had been switched on. This is a long way from last year, when council leader Mike ‘Blofeld’ Bird was making a big show that there was no budget for Christmas, before u-turning and passing around the upturned flat cap of councillor Anthony Harris and begging enough from business to pay for a tree. It seems our leader has realised austerity is not a vote winner, as this year there’s a full timetable of events planned. The switch on this year seemed to involve a crowd of happy young kids singing round the tree, which does look rather decent in front of the Crossing at St. Pauls. So much better than the lamp-post based wigwam Amey took the piss out of the town with for a few years…

November 22nd - At least is was dry on the way home. Dry and getting colder, but as I shot through Walsall Wood the lights of St. John’s church looked warm in the gloom. I guess there was some event going on there, but I liked the contrast with the dark exterior. I noticed also that Walsall Wood again had a fine Christmas Tree - not yet lit up. This is probably the work of Councillor Mike Flower, who’s personally stepped in as an act of unusual generosity and felicity to get the Wood a decent tree since he’s been elected - a huge difference from Brownhills where they throw a string of pound shop lights over the trees by Morris Miner. Mike’s a nice lad, really. Shame he fell in with the Tories…

May 23rd - I don’t know how long the railings have been alongside this walkway through the centre of Darlaston, but certainly long enough to be subsumed by the adjacent tree. I only noticed this today - it doesn’t matter where and how, nature will always find a way to remind us it’s in charge.