ON THE ROAD

It's an inauspicious start
On the way to King's Norton Station
A passing driver hurls abuse at me for daring to share his road
But my spirits quickly lift as I pedal up Primrose Hill
And the traffic disperses and the narrow confines of the city give way
Bright sunshine, birdsong and open space are my new companions
I am armed with Philip's 'Cycle Tours around Birmingham'
Which has mapped out an enticing 55-mile circular route
South from the city's southern suburbs to the Vale of Evesham
Picking up momentum and ignoring the beckoning beer garden of The Peacock
My bicycle and I plunge down the head of a serene valley
Then navigate the quiet country lanes around Hopwood and Alvechurch at a more sedate pace
We spot yellowhammers and greenfinches
The miles notch up swiftly helped by the ingenious route
Designed to always take the bike down the steeper hills
Weaving in and out of the railway embankment near Bromsgrove Station
I reach the longest flight of canal locks in the country at Tardebigge
As I walk the bike along the towpath
The little lambs in the opposite field are bleating for England
The owner of a canal boat basks contentedly in the sun as her wood stove burns
The canalside Queen's Head at Stoke Pound is just too inviting
And I stop for a refreshing pint of ale courtesy of the Malvern Hills Brewery
Which lies just twenty miles south-west of here
After my exertions in the beer garden the shadows are beginning to lengthen
And I decide to head for home
At the summit of Cobley Hill swallows skim joyfully
The steep climb offers a rewarding panorama
To the south: Broadway and the hazy Cotswolds
To the south west: the misty Malverns
To the west: the brooding Clee Hills
As I fly down the Roman Road of Icknield Street with weariness in my bones
The orange disc of the sun finally slips below the horizon
I startle a fox and pursue a bemused bat
I will sleep well tonight

Dave Watton is Joint Project Coordinator at Northfield Ecocentre in South West Birmingham. The centre works with the community to find practical ways to live better and protect the environment.