After their obligatory early morning walks, the dogs were left behind as I drove into work.
Even though the dogs had woken me early (I thought that we’d cracked this behavior!) and I know that I would be tired, I thought that I might, after work, get a bus or train to somewhere near Coleshill and stroll to The Griffin.
During a break at work, I realised that it would be dark at the end of my walk and further realised that I didn’t have a head-torch. I rummaged through my desk and tool boxes and finally discovered a cheapo headtorch.
However, the hinge on the actual lamp was broken so the light couldn’t be angled down. A bit of insulation tape and an elastic band ‘fixed’ it, at least enough to make it usable !
With the end of my shift approaching, I changed into walking gear and made my to the bus stop.
I boarded the 97 bus and after a lengthy delay on Bordesley Green, finally made it to the edge of Chelmsley Wood from where the walk started.
I made my way along Coventry Road which became High Street at Maxstoke Lane.
Window shopping I looked into the book shop and noticed a whole window of books about dogs.
The first mile, along Coleshill Heath Road, was rather noisy but after crossing the A446 the noise dropped as I approached my old school on Coventry Road.
From the highest point of the town, I gentle jogged down the hill, past The Green Man, all the way down to the River.
I crossed the river a couple of weeks ago, when the River Cole was in flood and was glad to see that the level had dropped back to normal.
I left the country town and entered the industrial part of Coleshill for a mile to the railway station.
After crossing over the railway, I made way way around Hams Hall and out towards Whitacre.
At the end of the road there used to be a gate which has just totally disappeared.
Not having had the chance to explore further along the road, I ventured a little way until my progress was halted by another gate. I had to back-track to where the original gate used to be before heading off-piste across a muddy field, illuminated by the dodgy head torch.
From Whitacre (where the muddy path led to) I returned to pavement for the last couple of miles through Shustoke to The Griffin where my other half met me.
After a couple of pints, I was driven home to walk the puppies before bed.
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