Thursday

Back to my birth city for a dear friend’s. husband’s funeral. Birmingham is a massive place in my eyes and although I recognised many of the names of the separate “villages”, (which they once presumably were) when driving, it just seems to be a sprawl of houses, pubs, traffic lights, random shops and industrial areas. Fortunately for me I was able to observe a different perspective whilst jogging around first thing in the morning in the area immediately surrounding my Airbnb, together of course with my loyal friend Dippy. The Worcester and Birmingham canal where once industry relied heavily on for its transport and delivery of goods is a haven for wildlife even though it is surrounded by a huge conurbation of chaos produced by human construction and exploitation.
There are many signs of the lost skills that we had whilst the post war period experienced a growing population and the need for an infrastructure to cope. Canal, road and railway bridges intelligently designed and built by hand with tunnels connecting and carrying the transport systems to the areas of Birmingham where engineering and manufacturing industry was a world leader.
Churches of many different kinds are immaculately constructed and cared for.
After 2 hours following paths and trotting along pavements I was ready for breakfast and smartening up for the funeral.
Driving through the city centre of Birmingham and reliving the journey around spaghetti junction was nostalgic but not too daunting as the volume of traffic kept everyone at a fairly modest pace.
The funeral was a wonderful celebration and held in a tranquil setting in glorious surroundings and warm sunshine.
Lots of friends to see and talk to made the next six hours flash by, before heading back to my temporary home and a stroll around the immediate area with Dippy. (Who had given my host lots of fun whilst enjoying his company while I was away for the day).
Zzzzzzzz