What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare

In the last years of our mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s she recited those lines often, she loved outings to local parks, gardens and green spaces. They comforted and soothed her like nothing else could.

And it is surely true that being out in green spaces is good not just for our physical but our mental and emotional health. Stourbridge residents have a lot to be grateful for. We can count as its green spaces; four parks, three playing fields, one hill (Wychbury), one golf course, one wood and a canal route that traverses the urban, industrial route through Amblecote and Wordsley to the fields and hedgerows of Stourton.

Lockdown gave us time and space to explore all of these green spaces. However difficult it was to not see close friends and relatives, to not be able to travel to the places we love visiting, there was solace to be had walking out every day. We were lucky too that, strange and worrisome though that time was, the weather was glorious throughout those first weeks.

On one of our regular walks we trailed steadily up the small uneven winding path to the summit of Wychbury Hill, curling our arms and legs away from the overgrown nettles and branches as we went. Edging around Bella’s Wych Elm tree near the top. Legend has it that poor unknown Bella, was put in the Wych tree and left there. It is a very atmospheric place to be sure. Often we were the only ones up on the hill. Sitting on the grass, our backs to the monument looking out at the vista before us. From there you can see the top of the grand building that is Hagley Hall in the distance and the village and surrounding fields of Hagley itself. In the other direction you can view the ridge of Clee Hill and the Shropshire countryside.

On another of our outings we would walk down to Stourton through Wollaston village, then along Prestwood Drive and the lane beyond, past the fields where we would stop and say hello to the horses. We would trot the small slope down to the canal path and then walk along it enjoying the sight of hedgerows ripe with spring flowers, the fields behind them, the peace of being in the countryside. The odd coot and moorhen following our steps. A few miles on we would enter the more urban area of outer Stourbridge; fields giving way to old, mostly derelict, factory buildings dropping down into the canal like a less beautiful Venice. Then on past the long gardens of Amblecote houses reaching to the canal edge. Gazebos with fairy lights, benches and tables and pots of flowers all decorating the bottoms of the gardens. Ducks were always more present in that stretch. Finally we would come off the canal at the Bonded Warehouse to make our way home, tired but happy.

Sometimes we would simply walk the playing fields or the parks. Wollescote park was a favourite because it was normally quiet and peaceful and when we stood at the top of the park we would stand for ages spotting landmarks in the distance. Turners Hill with its radio mast, the tall blocks of flats of Brierley Hill ahead of us, the white block that is Ridgewood school to the left. We would then walk down the slope to the small stream that runs its way along the bottom of the park, dissecting it from the houses on Spring St and the allotments. Walking back up the slope was always a challenge! Sometimes more than others. It was a shorter walk than many that we did but enjoyable.

We felt lucky during what was an undoubtably difficult time, walking where we had sight of fields, hills  and woods or the interestingly historic industrial bits of our town. These days we still walk, maybe not always as far or as often but enough to remind us how beneficial it is to be able to be outdoors and active.