Telford Aborted

One of my more unfortunate traditions here at WME is the occasional tendency for outings to be aborted due to bad weather or technical difficulties. I can well recall getting drenched at the old Corbett Hospital in Stourbridge a few years ago, and then there was the time I made it across to Walsall en route to Lichfield only to find I hadn't charged up my camera batteries. Well, today's trip qualifies on both counts - a long awaited Telford outing that was cut short due to persistent drizzle and camera problems...

The plan was to do a Telford local, starting with Stirchley before visiting Horsehay and finishing with Ketley. After what seems like a week long heatwave I was hopeful of further fine weather to provide the backdrop to my photos, and was very disappointed to be greeted by prolonged drizzle this morning. Undeterred, I caught the 891 across to Telford and began with a look at the ornamental gardens at Town Park. The camera was already proving troublesome before the rain set in, with many attempted photos appearing out of focus due to a combination of flash and zoom issues.

The gardens themselves were as delightful as ever, with bright colourful planting augmenting familiar features like the pond and the pergola. I particularly liked one flowerbed that included a big fish as its centrepiece, and hope my photo of it will be amongst the few successful shots I did manage to take. Next up, its off for a look at Wonderland and the park amphitheatre - both would make great photo targets in future, but try as I might it just wasn't going to happen today.

I didn't want to give up just yet, so I proceeded with my planned walk to Stirchley. It was a great stroll despite the rain, with the Silkin Way providing a tranquil route into the old village. It was my first proper look at the area, and it certainly appealed as a place I'd like to include on WME Telford. The Rose and Crown pub is worth a shot or two, and I also had a mooch around Stirchley Centre where I discovered the Lord Silkin School, Stirchley Library, the local shopping precinct and a Somerfield supermarket. The drizzle and general murk put me off even attempting any shots here, and I resigned myself to catching the 33 bus up through Randlay and back into Telford.

Alighting at the bus station, its decision time - keep going with the outing, or call it quits. The weather still looked ominous despite the promise of a brighter afternoon forecast, and with the camera suffering its annoying gremlins I felt it was best to return home. Thus it was that the aborted trip tradition gained its most recent scalp, although the limited exploring I did complete will certainly come in handy. Telford therefore has its stay of execution, but I have a feeling that it won't be too long before I'm back to have another go...