Have You Just Walked Past My House ?

A bit of a jaunt, today, starting in the bottom, left-hand corner, on the Birmingham / Worcestershire boundary.

I caught the 47 bus from Birmingham City Centre getting off at Cofton Park.

Trying to walk as close to the border as possible, I diverted from the main Groveley Road to the more suburban Nuthurst Road along with it's, mainly, uphill cul-de-sacs.

At the end of Nuthurst, I turned right onto Longbridge Lane and headed away from Longbridge itself.

As I was sauntering up and down one of the cul-de-sacs, I felt a buzzing in my pocket. "Let me just whip this out!" I said to myself, with a nod to Blazing Saddles.

I answered the phone and was greeted with, "Have you just walked past my House?"

"It depends on where you live?" I replied.
I was told.
"I think so" I answered.
"Cuppa?" - well it'd be rude not to !

After a short backtrack, I was sat on the sofa of a work colleague (let's call him - Ashley) enjoying a cup of coffee.

Eventually, I had to tear myself away and resume my patrol of the border.

Redhill Road had to be walked until the border where I turned around and headed back. Unfortunately, the last half a mile of this road is devoid of footpaths.

It amazes me that motorists think it fun to drive as close to pedestrians as possible when there are, usually, three car widths to choose from. I wonder how many of these drivers would like to have a ton of steel moving at 40+ mph pass within inches of them? Knobs !


Back on the pavement and feeling a little less vulnerable, I retraced my steps passing the Birmingham City Football Club's training ground.

Deep below the all weather pitches, runs the Birmingham & Worcester canal, through the 2,726 yard long Wast Hills Tunnel.

After a short stretch on the Redditch Road, I turned right onto Longdales Road - with the emphasis on the long.

Longdales Road, encompasses the Hawkesley Estate becoming Icknield Street and finally Walkers Heath Road (from where I set off yesterday).

Instead of heading back into Birmingham, I continued along the border along Druids Lane, skirting around, the appropriately named, Druids Heath before arriving at The Maypole.

From here, it was straight (apart from a couple of cul-de-sacs) up the Alcester Road to Moseley where I had arranged to meet the other half after work.

A good ol' walk , covering 25.2 km (about 16 miles in the old money).