Worcester - Birmingham Canal - Day 7 - The End

My 60 mile round trip hike is now over and the last few images posted below with the full set on my website - linked here. It's been an exercise in hiking with a light weight digital camera (a 7D) rather than my heavy weight large format 5x4 camera, lenses, film holders etc. And an exercise in getting familiar with taking images mostly for colour rather than my usual B&W. Most enjoyable, and I've now extended my understanding of colour image composition and adjustment in Lightroom and Photoshop.

Just one downside that I've encountered. I'm a cropper when it comes to adjusting aspect ratios of my images. I don't subscribe to the practice of presenting images only in the format of the camera used; I crop my images to any aspect ratio I choose. But several times I've almost come a cropper in a different sense. Canal towpaths are popular not only with walkers but with cyclists too, many of whom are travelling at full speed. Unfortunately, only a small proportion of cyclists give due consideration to walkers when approaching. They often approach at speed from behind without ringing a cycle bell and without slowing down to a safe passing speed. As their approach is almost always silent the shock as they hurtle past millimetres from colliding is disconcerting to say the least, and often very dangerous on the usually narrow towpaths for both walkers and for themselves. So, a plea to cyclists on towpaths - please slow down when passing walkers, get a bell and use it to warn of your approach. And thank you to those of you who are already considerate to your fellow towpath users.

Edgbaston Tunnel

Jogger

New Birmingham Library

Worcester - Birmingham Canal - Day 6

Yesterday was my penultimate day hiking the canal. I'd arrived at the outskirts of Birmingham so, no surprise, there was much more industry and urbanisation. There are many long sections of wall and fence beside the canal that were clearly made for Birmingham's wall artists. The canvas they provide has been well used and provided me with lots of opportunities to advance my colour work! When planning this section I realised that the canal in Selly Oak took me very close to my old flat where I lived whilst at Birmingham University almost 40 years ago - and past the Country Girl pub where I spent many a happy evening. I went in the pub for lunch - it's always worth remembering that a memory often exceeds the reality! Below are three from yesterday - they, and the others are on my website page - linked here.

Exit From - Or Entrance To - Wast Tunnel

Ivy Reclaims Its Wall

Toadflax Foothold