Generically known as the ‘Norfolk Broads’ are the man-made rivers and lakes (Broads) of Norfolk.

The area is now a National Park, though historically these inland waterways were established to help reclaim water-logged land for agricultural use (if I’ve remembered correctly what it said in the guide book!)

There are still a few traditional ‘Wherries’ (sail boats used along the rivers and Broads) to be seen sailing along and other combined sail/engine powered craft cruising about, but big GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) boats predominate. Many are holiday hire boats, though those fortunate enough to be able to afford to live in the area often own their own.

Being from the canal-cruising fraternity, where towpath trekking, locks and camaraderie amongst boaters is commonplace, I’ll admit being aboard on the ‘Norfolk Broads’ didn’t exactly ‘float my boat’.

The area is flat and ‘stopping points’ limited – wild camp mooring opportunities are few and far between. This mostly takes place in the Broads, where mud-weights (anchors) are used.

If hiring a boat and planning to use these facilities, it’s important to make sure either a row boat or all that’s needed is aboard. There’s no jumping on the towpath and popping to the shop when you’re in the middle of a lake!

At the time of travel, covid restrictions were just being lifted. Accordingly hire operations weren’t working at full capacity.

Nonetheless, the area was busy – very busy – and competition for moorings was high.

Planning ahead is imperative to get to dedicated moorings before nightfall. There are areas where tide times have to be considered, too. Hit them at high water and there’s no going through….or back.

The boats are generally well-equipped, but for the most part require a degree of ‘athleticism’ to be able to get on and off. The newer (more expensive to hire) boats have easier access than the slightly more ‘mature’ one we hired, but fully accessible boats are rare (if they even exist!).

Not wishing to sound totally negative about what for many is a most enjoyable holiday activity/destination, I should say there are some very attractive places to pass.

Stopping to visit and enjoy depends on being there at the right time to secure a mooring.

For the most part, cruising the Norfolk Broads means mile, after mile…..after more miles….of not much to see, apart from a few swans, ducks, reeds and mills.

These mills were not – as one of my less enlightened companions thought – for grinding grain. They were the means by which the land was drained in days of yore!

Dogs do travel on the boats of the Norfolk Broads. I took mine. I won’t be repeating the experience.

Getting on/off when a fur baby needs to do what a dog needs to do, isn’t easy. Not forgetting that sitting watching those mile after mile of land pass by can be for them, frankly boring. They’d much prefer to be sniffing and watering the mills, even though they love being where their humans are…..

Entertainment-wise, be prepared to make or take you’re own, though watching the ways of other boaters can be amusing too. Just don’t laugh too loud!

I have just sold my lovely Hardy Pilot 20SE “Felice” and have bought Simon Kidd’s Hardy 25 “Lady Helen”, largely because age suggests that my wife Lois and I probably ought to go over to the dark-side as fair-weather sailors and confine our boating to inland waterways.

So having been brought up in Cromer, and having first learned to sail on the Norfolk Broads more than sixty years ago, we’re about to relocate our boating activities from the English Channel to the Broads and a Hardy 25 offers more comfortable accommodation for longer stays than “Felice” could.

We bought “Lady Helen”, one of only a very few Hardy 25s designed with a large outboard well, from Simon without an engine and will fit her with a brand new high-thrust 50hp engine as soon as we’ve completed some fitting-out work on her here in Weymouth before moving “Lady Helen” to Cox’s boatyard at Barton Turf next spring.  Not only are Lois and I going back to our old stamping ground but so is “Lady Helen” because her first home after leaving the Hardy works in North Walsham was on The Broads!

We had something of a challenge in terms of moving “Lady Helen” from her mooring afloat on the River Dart to a berth ashore at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) last week because the various arrangements and people involved were at the last moment confronted with the latest lock-down of course!

The exercise involved Simon navigating “Lady Helen” from her mooring on The Dart to Darthaven Marina, having her craned out before removing Simon’s outboard, loading her on to a trailer towed by a highly professional and very cost-effective boat delivery company operated by the ever-helpful William Bird.  The exercise at the marina took longer than anticipated so that William’s departure from Dartmouth enroute to Portland was delayed nearly two hours which meant that he arrived at the WPNSA about 16.00 only an hour before the yard was due to close. Fortunately, the team at the WPNSA were as helpful as usual and managed to get “Lady Helen” lifted off the trailer and on to blocks with 15 minutes to spare!

So now we are waiting once again for lock-down to end so we can start work, fit the new engine (delivery of which is delayed by Covid 19 until late January) and hopefully get “Lady Helen” up to Norfolk by early March…

Well, the Covid 19 lock-down delayed us for a further month but on 9th April Lady Helen was transported by road to Barton Turf, thanks to William Bird’s excellent road transport operation, and thanks to Eric Bishop, Cox’s Boatyard manager and our MNA Boat Club Vice Commodore Captain Chris Woods, she was launched and made ready for her Boat Safety Cert inspection the following day.

Apart from an issue regarding the gas cut-off tap behind the sink which needed some attention, Lady Helen satisfied the inspector and was duly awarded her Certificate and transferred to a permanent mooring.

For various reasons my wife Lois and I hadn’t been able to go up to Norfolk at the same time as Lady Helen was taken there, but we did manage to spend a long weekend aboard, along with our two elderly Westies later in April.

So now we are looking forward to spending several weeks staying on Lady Helen and using her to re-visit all those parts of the Broads that I knew long ago when I was still in short trousers!

With technology and engineering evolving at such an alarming rate, spare a thought for the humble bridge. How many people have crossed bridges across the globe without giving it a second thought?

With the brand new three tier interlocking glass bending bridge, the Ruyi Bridge opening in China, we started to think about how many famous bridges people could name.

Starting with the new Ruyi Bridge, which was planned back in 2017, and has finally opened after some scepticism regarding its wonky walkways, shortage of handrails and glass surrounds which seemed unrealistic.

Luckily the tourists seem to like it though, although some are not quite sure about the design, with many asking why there is a lack of handrails?

Spanning a stunning 328 feet (100 m) and a mind blowing 459 feet (140 m) above the ground, it is certainly not for the fainthearted, but has still managed to attract over 200,000 visitors since it first opened in 2020.

The bending bridge which boasts views over the Zhejiang Province has certainly got tourists speaking, some saying that they thought it was fake before actually seeing it in person, whilst others are totally amazed at the design of the structure.

The bridge design is inspired by a jade Ruyi, which is a carved object used as a symbol of good fortune in China. The creators explained that the design is intertwined into an undulating bridge body that gives an experience of walking on air when you pass over the glass floors. The rigid and soft shape design blends perfectly into the natural landscape, just like a jade Ruyi in the sky.

Footage of the bending bridge went viral on social media recently after the Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield posted an eye opening video of the bridge from space.

China seems to be at the centre of amazement when it comes to bridges, with another example being the home to the worlds longest and highest bridge in the world, measuring at an astonishing 19.9 miles. The China Sutong Jiang highway bridge has to be seen to be believed.

Connecting Nantong and Changshu, a satellite city of Suzhou, which is a province of Jiangsu, with a span of 1,088 m, it is a cabled style bridge with the largest main span in the world as of 2010.

There have been a number of significant bridges over the years that have transformed the way people travel, for either work or leisure. Some bridges have completely transformed communities, some have been a matter of life and death when the supplying of essential goods to the people on either side of various islands is taken into consideration.

We at Bearingtech can fully appreciate the dedication and engineering skills that make these magnificent structures worthwhile; the engineering capacity and knowledge is second to none, so we have decided to list a few to highlight the importance of the humble bridge.

The Golden Gate Bridge – San Francisco – USA

Opened to the public in in 1937 after only taking 4 years to complete, the bridge has quickly established itself as one of the most recognisable bridges in the world.

Before the bridge was built, beginning in 1820, the people of San Francisco had to travel to Marin Country by boat. The boat carried passengers and cars for over 100 years, before the bridge opened. One of the strangest things that the bridge incorporated was the use of a safety net, which managed to catch any unlucky worker who fell off the structure whilst working. Unfortunately this was only put in place after 11 people lost their lives, but for 19 the net proved life saving, having saved them from a watery death.

At one point the bridge had the largest span in the world, and considering the span of the China Sutong Bridge at 19.9 miles, the Golden Gate seems relatively small.

Sydney Harbour Bridge  - Sydney – Australia

The first instance of the iconic bridge history can be traced back to 1815. It was the first time that a proposal to connect the North and South shores surfaced when architect Frances Greenway proposed the plan. Fellow architect Robert Brindley put forward the idea of a floating bridge back in 1840, which was refused, but it was Peter Henderson who was the first person who put the first known drawing of the proposed bridge across the harbour.

The building of the bridge was seen as a saviour for the depression hit workers at the time. The 1400 worker`s who helped to build the structure, found the employment a huge sigh of relief, as jobs were hard to come by as the country was going through tough economic hardship.

Although climbing the bridge is illegal, they do offer guided tours to tourists, if you are lucky enough to be a celebrity you can get the opportunity to climb to the very top of the bridge, one such celebrity was Billy Connolly who had the pleasure of viewing the city from the very top during a recording of one of his tours and described the experience as incredible.

Brooklyn Bridge – New York – USA

Being one of the most iconic structures in America, you would think that any prospective buyers would need to talk to the state of New York or the Government in general, oh no, this is not the case, one of the most interesting facts about the bridge is the amount of times it has been sold by scammers who have tried to sell the bridge to unsuspecting buyers. One of the most renowned conmen was George C. Parker who sold the bridge many times over, only for the new owners to turn up and try and put toll booths in place, only to be told by the police that the bridge is not for sale and that they had been duped.

The bridge opened in May 1883, took 14 years to complete and was designated as a national monument in 1964. For the first 5 days of its life it was only used for leisure, however after a woman tripped over and caused a major panic with a rumoured stampede, which resulted in 2 deaths and 36 injuries, the bridge was soon changed to traffic only.

Apart from being just a bridge, vaults were installed for storing large quantities of stock, most notable was the storage of wine, which could be stored in a cool temperature due to the river.

At over 50 foot tall and made of solid granite, they were perfect for cooling all types of alcohol and wine to name a few.

Another interesting story involved one of the new landlords of the bridges offices, the new tenant’s decided to have a clear out and threw away thousands of baseball bubble gum cards, that were not seen as valuable at the time, one of the cards sold for $500,000 dollars a few years later, how wonderful is hindsight?

It remains as one of the most iconic landmarks of New York and is a major tourist attraction alongside the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline.

Millennium Bridge – Gateshead – Newcastle

Spanning the river Tyne, the bridge is one of 7 in Newcastle upon Tyne, connecting the Gateshead arts quarter on the south bank to the quayside on the Newcastle north bank.

The unique design has become one of the most remarkable landmarks in the area because of the way it opens and closes due to the shape and method of the tilting structure, which resembles a winking eye. Unlike the Brooklyn Bridge, it is only open to pedestrians and cyclists.

Built at the turn of the Millennium, it was part of a series of planned structures to celebrate the forthcoming era, structures like the London Eye and the Millennium Dome had the same idea.

Tsing Ma Bridge  Hong Kong – China

The Tsing Ma Bridge in Hong Kong is the world`s 14^th longest span suspension bridge, and was the 2^nd longest at the time of its completion. Named after the two islands that connect it, the bridge has two decks and carries both road and rail traffic.

The span of 1377 m (4518 ft), and height of 206 m (676 ft), making it the largest of all bridges carrying rail traffic.

The bridge decks carries 3 lanes of traffic in each direction, the lower one contains two rail tracks and two sheltered carriageway`s which are used for maintenance access and traffic lanes when the weather is bad especially when severe typhoons hit the city.

Classed as one of the most beautiful bridges in the world, it was opened in 1997 by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at a cost of $1.35 billion dollars.

The Akashi –Kaikyo Bridge – Akashi – Japan

The Akashi Bridge is also referred to as the Pearl Bridge and is a suspension design that crosses the Akashi strait in Japan. Located to the south of the city of Kobe and the east of Osaka.

The waters around the strait are important fishing areas for local fishermen , and is also an important point to reach the Pacific ocean from the Seto Inland sea, making it one of the busiest straits in Japan.

The bridge pretty much killed the ferry industry in the area, which was the main passageway for travellers from island to island. The Akashi area is prone to severe storms, something which has resulted in multiple accidents over the years, one of which was the Shiun Main disaster of 1955 which cost the lives of 168 people, the incident confirmed to the Japanese Government that the bridge needed to be constructed.

Apart from the severe storms, Akashi is in an earthquake zone, which was a significant factor in the bridges construction, at the final count, 350,000 tonnes of concrete was used alongside 300,000 kilometers of cable enabling the bridge to withstand earthquakes up to 8.5 on the Richter scale and expand to 6 m a day if necessary. 

Tower Bridge – London – England

Seen as one of the most iconic landmarks in England, Tower Bridge started its life as a competition experiment which was commissioned by the Special Bridge Committee who asked the public to design a bridge to cross the Thames, after 50 designs were submitted, none were approved and it was not until architect Sir Horace Jones and engineer Sir John Wolfe Barry put forward drawings which were eventually accepted.

Unfortunately Sir Horace did not see the fruition of his work having died a year before the bridge was completed. Built in 1886 the bridge was built to look much older than it actually was, the design was to blend in with the Tower of London which was built around 1066.

It took over 1000 workers to complete the build over a period of 8 years, even though the original estimate was only 4 years. During the construction 8 people lost their lives, which seemed to be the norm when constructing a bridge, as other projects across the world suffered the same fate.

The original cost was £1 million and was funded by a committee rather than public money, which would have caused a storm back in the 1800`s.

One of the best known parts of the bridge is the raised drawbridges which are called Bascules, which is a French word for see- saw, it is considered good luck to see the bascules being raised.

The bridge is an extremely sophisticated feat of engineering, simply because its construction is complicated. When first opened, steam was used to raise the enormous pumping engines, which turned the hydraulics and raised the bascules.

The system was upgraded in 1976 to oil and electricity due to the advancement in technology and engineering and proved a lot easier.

One of the funniest and unusual stories came in 1952 when a double decker bus actually jumped the bridge after the driver Albert Gunter realized that the bridge was opening and decided to go for it, he put his foot on the accelerator and sped towards the opening and jumped the gap and landed on the other side, his employers were so impressed by his bravery that they gave him the day off and gave him a £10.00 bonus for his efforts.

Many people confuse Tower Bridge with London Bridge, the most famous tale comes from the 1960`s when London Bridge had fallen into disrepair and London council decided to auction it off before starting work on a new bridge.

Enter the Lake Havasu City founder member who`d thought that he would buy it and reconstruct it for a tourist attraction back in the USA.

He paid $2.4 million, and had the bridge dismantled and the 10,276 granite blocks shipped to America. There are lots of urban legends that suggest he thought he was buying Tower Bridge, whether this is true nobody knows, except maybe the Lake Havasu member. 

Millau Viaduct Bridge – Tarn Valley – France

Standing at a staggering 343 m (1125 ft ) the Millau Bridge sits amongst the clouds like something out of a sci-fi film, and certainly deserves the title of Europe`s tallest bridge, as would anything that is taller than the Eiffel Tower.

Designed by renowned British architect Norman Foster and French structural engineer Michel Virlogeux and was completed in 2004 at a cost of €394 million.

Spanning the Tarn Valley the bridge was designed to ease the heavy traffic en route from Paris to Spain in the holiday season, which caused major congestion, and after numerous complaints from the travellers and local residents the decision to commission the bridge was made in 1991.

Due to the design of the bridge, constructing it was an enormous challenge. Starting with the deep foundations, which had to support the massive structure on 7 pillars, each weighing 700 tonnes, which had to be specially built.

Because of the height and weight of the bridge, satellite pinpoint accuracy was used to place each piece in exactly the right position. After the pillars were placed, two decks were slid on top from each end. Despite the two ends of the bridge being at different heights and with a slight curve, the two decks were aligned within 1 centimeter of each other, which is a remarkable feat of engineering. Due to the bridge being a toll road at €6.00, it has to be the best value for money especially when you consider the view.

Vasco da Gama Bridge – Lisbon – Portugal

The wonderfully curved bridge spans the Tagus River in Parque das Nacoes in Lisbon and was designed by the engineers to sit with the Earths natural curvature, making it an engineering masterpiece that can withstand winds of up to 155 mph and has a life expectancy of 120 years.

It is considered to be the longest bridge in the European Union and the second longest in Europe after the Crimean Bridge.

Construction began in 1995 by engineers from Portugal, France and Britain and was open for traffic in 1998, just in time for the Euro 98 World Trade Fair, which celebrated the discovery of the sea route from Europe to India by the explorer Vasco da Gama.

The $ 1.1 billion project was split into four parts, each being built separately by a different company and supervised by an independent consortium. The financing for the build was via a build operate & transfer system by Lusopante, who are a private financial company who will receive the toll payments for the first 40 years.

The bridge is a matter of national pride, not only due to the technical feats, but carried out the promise that was made to local residents by the Government to ease the congestion in the local area by linking the Sugunda Circular to the national trunk road and the future A12 motorway.

Khaju Bridge – Isfahan – Iran

 Known as one of the oldest bridges from Iran`s historic past, the Khaju Bridge was built around 1650 under the reign of Abbas II, the seventh shah of Iran.

The bridge has 23 arches and is 133 metres long and was originally covered with paintings and tile-work and was used as a teahouse. It is often described as the city`s finest bridge.

There is also an interesting feature at the centre of its structure, still to this day you can see the remains of a stone throne which Abbas himself would have sat on admiring the view.

The bridge has several sluice gates under the archways, which allows the water flow needed to hydrate the Zayenderud area, when the gates are closed, the water level behind the bridge is raised to facilitate the irrigation of the many gardens along the river.

The upper levels of the bridge were utilised by horses and carts, which ran alongside vaulted pathways for pedestrians.

Arthur Pope who was an American expert on Persian art described the bridge as the culminating monument of Persian bridge architecture that combines consistency, utility, beauty and recreation. So much so was his love for the structure, after his death he was laid to rest nearby.

Forth Bridge - South and North Queensferry –Scotland

Designed by John Fowler and Benjamin Baker in 1882 the Forth Bridge was officially opened in 1890 and was considered an exceptional piece of Victorian engineering and was a pioneering build at the time of its construction. Now recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the bridge has appeared on bank notes and coins and is considered a significant symbol of Scottish culture.

At the height of its construction more than 4000 men were employed over the duration, during this time 57 lost their lives by accidents.

With a span of 2467 m ( 8093 feet )  and a height of 137 m (449 feet) the construction resulted in an unbroken route from London to Aberdeen.

The design consisted of 53,000 tonnes of steel held in place buy 6.5 million rivets, alongside piers, that were built using 120,000 cubic yards of concrete and masonry.

Unfortunately due to the steel design the bridge has to be painted to upkeep its appearance and uses an estimated 240,000 litres` of paint.

The bridge is in constant use with 200 trains travelling across it a day and carrying 3 million passengers a year.

The Bridge of Sighs – Venice – Italy

The Bridge of Sighs crosses the Rio del Palazzo and is one of 400 bridges that cross many of the 100 canals that run through Venice.

Located in the south of the city and just east of St Marks Square and the St Marks Basilica, which is one of the most famous parts of the city.

The bridge connects the famous Doges Palace to the new prison, Prigoni Nuove, and leads the interrogation room direct to the Palace.

Construction of the structure started in 1600 and was completed 3 years later, making it one of the oldest bridges in Venice.

It is believed that by the time of the inquisition and subsequent executions had long passed by the time the bridge was built, and it was only small time criminals who actually walked across it.

One of the most famous people to suffer the walk of shame was no other than historical Romeo Giacomo Casanova who once arrested for an affront of religion and common decency, and was sentenced to 5 years on the top floor of the prison, he eventually escaped after 18 months with the help of a monk, which is ironic as the charge involved religion.

Szechenyi Chain Bridge – Budapest – Hungary

Opened in 1849, the Chain Bridge became the first permanent bridge in Hungary.

Designed by English engineer William Tierney Clark and built by Scottish engineer Adam Clarke, the bridge was designed to cross the river Danube between Buda and Pest.

At the time of its construction it was regarded as one of the modern wonders of the world, and seen as an advancement linking between the East and West.

Once built it was significant in growing the economy, improving social and cultural lives.

Confederation Bridge – Prince Edward Island & New Brunswick – Canada

Built at a cost of $ 1.3 billion dollars in 1997, the Confederation Bridge was designed to connect islands of Prince Edward and New Brunswick.

The construction was built with 62 massive piers, which elevate the road structure above. Once you get onto the bridge you will need to pay a toll fee if you are using a motor vehicle. Pedestrians and cyclists are not allowed to walk on the bridge and need to use the shuttle service which also has a fee, like most ventures they normally start off with free access but over time develop a payment method that is passed onto the communities.

Once opened, one of the first events to be held was a massive walk attended by 75,000 walkers.

Rialto Bridge – Venice – Italy

Constructed between 1588 –1591, the bridge is one of the main four bridges to cross the Grand Canal, and one of the oldest in Venice.

Originally called the Ponte Delta Moneta connected the Rialto market, which became one of the most popular markets in Venice in the 13^th century.

The floating bridge that was in place at the time saw a massive influx of traffic, which it could not sustain and was subsequently replaced by a wooden structure, which was much wider and stronger.

The wooden version of the Rialto Bridge was a medieval design similar to Tower Bridge, allowing ships to pass underneath.

Due to the increased amount of traffic that crossed the bridge, merchants seized the opportunity of making more money by installing rows of shops to attract customers. In order to benefit from this unique location, the merchants had to pay the State Treasury rent for the privilege.

Unfortunately as with most structures, there are always occasions and events that are not happy, the Rialto Bridge is no exception, with multiple accidents and mishaps, and apart from collapsing many times, it was completely burnt out in a revolt in 1310.

Having had the benefit of the merchant`s shops across the bridge, proved to be an economic lifeline, with the rent paying for the reconstruction and maintenance of the new bridge.

The wooden bridge was eventually replaced by the stone version in 1588 after original requests had been submitted to the authorities back in 1503.

Once the stone bridge was commissioned, there were plenty of architects and designers who put forward plans and drawings, one being from Michelangelo, which was rejected. The final approval was given to a Venetian architect called Antonio da Ponte who was also responsible for one of the other famous Venice landmarks, the Doges Palace, he managed to beat off several well known players to claim the commission.

There was some opposition to the design, many saying that the bridge would end up in ruins due to the pressure on its foundations, however they did not collapse and is still standing proud hundreds of years later.

Siosepol Bridge – Isfahan – Iran

Siosepol Bridge is a double deck arch bridge based in Isfahan in Iran. The name means 33 bridges or bridge of arches and is considered to be Iran`s largest construction on water.

The bridge has a large plane at the beginning of the construction where the Zayandeh river flows at its fastest.

There are two levels of arches, the lower level has 33 whilst the top level has two, alongside a road which has bounded high walls to protect travellers from high winds and also to stop pedestrians from falling off.

Stari Most  Bridge – Bosnia

There is a local legend that Stari Most Bridge was held together with metal pins and egg whites, and to this day remains an unusual yet impressive design.

The bridge was commissioned by one of the most famous Ottoman Sultans, Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16^th century.

Before the commission the old bridge was a swaying wooden bridge that pedestrians would use at their peril and fear for their lives as they crossed the rickety wooden planks.

It is said that on the day of the unveiling of the new bridge to the sultan, the architect Mimar Hayruddin was preparing his funeral shroud as he was convinced the structure would collapse once the scaffolding was removed, which would leave him out of favour with the Sultan.

On a happier note, one of the world`s oldest diving competitions takes place every year from this iconic UNESCO World Heritage site.

Young men jump from the apex in a ritual that signals their transition into manhood, but not everyone can take part, according to competition rules, all competitors must have the proper training for the event which dates back hundreds of years.

Great Belt Bridge – Zealand & Funen – Denmark

 

Before the bridge was built in 1991-1998, some 8,000 cars had to use a ferry service to cross the Great Belt River. After the construction, 30,000 vehicles used the bridge every day, saving an enormous amount of time. By the time you waited in line for the ferry and the actual time of the crossing, you were looking at around 90 minutes compared to the 15 minute journey to cross the bridge by car.

The bridge connects Zealand and Funen and is the world`s 5^th largest spanning bridge outside Asia.

The bridge was finally agreed after 50 years of debate by the Danish Government in 1986 and on time of completion cost 21.4 billion Danish Krona resulting in Denmark`s largest construction project in Danish history.

Ponte Vecchio – Florence – Italy

Listed as one of the most iconic bridges in the world, the Ponte Vecchio is a wonderful landmark in Florence Italy.

Its name translates to Old Bridge and like the Ponte Rialto Bridge in Venice , it has shops built on it, which was seen as normal in medieval times, but not so much in the modern era. Spanning the 2^nd most famous river in Italy after the Tiber, the Arno flows through Arezzo, Florence, Empoli and Pisa.

The Ponte Vecchio is one of the oldest bridges in Italy, as it was first mentioned in documents dating back to 996, this makes sense as the Romans were already building piers made out of stone at this time in history.

The fact that the bridge is seen as “Old”, the bridge today is not the original design, having been destroyed multiple times, it was finally reconstructed and built in stone in 1345 by the Italian historian Taddeo Gadd.

During World War II, all the bridges were destroyed by the German army, on the orders of Adolf Hitler, to try and stop the advancement of the British 8^th army who were making their way into Florence in 1944.

The story goes that he visited the Ponte Vecchio on a previous visit as a guest of Mussolini, and was so taken by the view from the bridge that he ordered the structure to be left intact.

Shame he didn’t visit all the other cities and architecture he destroyed as well.

Alcantara – Extremadera – Spain

The Alcantara Bridge is a stone arch bridge spanning the river Tagus and was built between 104-106 CE on the order of the Roman Emperor Trajan from 98 CE.

During its time the bridge has been destroyed more times by the effects of war than weather. In 1214, the Moors destroyed the smallest arch, which was rebuilt in 1543 using materials from the quarries that were sourced for the original design.

The Spanish destroyed the second arch on the right twice, first in 1760 to prevent the Portuguese from invading, and secondly in 1809, during the war between Spain and France the bridge was blown to cut off French troops.

In 1890 Queen Isabel II used mortared masonry instead of the temporary repairs and fixed the bridge, allowing the structure to still be intact today.

Summary

Bridges have grown steadily over the years, spanning vast amounts of water, connecting towns, cities and even countries.

From its humble beginnings of a footbridge to the amazing Millau Bridge high amongst the clouds, bridges are getting higher, larger, wider and more elaborate.

A structure that started out as a simple means of support for people going about their normal day- to - day duties, turned out to be a life saver, a deterrent and means of prosperity.

One thing for is for sure, if there is a body of water or hills and mountains to cross, humans will try and brace it with a bridge for whatever reason.

As far as bridges go, they are never too far!

We are delighted to be welcoming back old and new faces to the marina and we can’t wait to see what this boating season will have in store for us.

January 2021 was certainly gloomier than the average January, not only was the weather poor but we were back in full Lockdown. This meant that boat owners were unable to visit their boats or the marina for the foreseeable.

On Valentine's Day we had to hold our annual 'moorers and storers' wine and canapés event as a Facebook live virtual event. As much as we missed having our usual sociable afternoon, we had a tremendous level of viewings and we were extremely grateful for the support.

Thankfully, a week after out event, Boris Johnson unveiled his roadmap. The first key date was 29^th March when owners could re-visit, though were not allowed to stay overnight. This did create more footfall on the marina, but there was no great tidal wave of customers returning, probably as a result of the miserable weather. We also quietly reopened the café for takeaways only on this date.

Before we knew it, the big day arrived. The key date that everyone had been looking forward to, April 12^th – holidays could restart and cruising could begin. The waterways were officially open!

As if by magic, the sunny spring weather arrived (though frosty in the mornings) and our customers returned. Now we are a few weeks on and Aqueduct Marina feels much more normal, with people sat on tables and benches outside of the café and making the most of the blue skies. There is definitely a buzz about the place!

Our fully stocked Chandlery is back accepting customers as normal and there seems to be lots of movement as boats head back out on to the water. Some however, have been taking the opportunity for work to be conducted on their narrowboat. Our boat yard has also been busy – with DIY blackings taking place or the Aqueduct team carrying out the highly-skilled work.

Brokerage viewings were also able to commence on the 12^th April – although we are sticking to viewings by appointment only to help maintain COVID protocols and to uphold the improved service we have been able to provide to buyers and sellers through this policy.

We were able to sell a few boats virtually over the lockdown which is great and the demand for boats still remains very strong. This combined with our free collection service has resulted in a few boats arriving on the brokerage and quickly going under offer – some even before they have hit the market!

The rest of the season and the year is definitely looking promising and the Aqueduct team are in the midst of putting together plans to make up for our missed anniversary event; all to be revealed soon! In the meantime, if there is anything we can do to help or answer any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team.

To talk about a fly boat instantly conjures up images of sleek narrowboats relentlessly gliding through the water night and day.

Shropshire Union Canal Company boat “Saturn” is now the only one of this kind left, a beautiful survivor from a bygone age who spends her retirement travelling in state to teach children and adults alike about the Old Days.

The problem with the Old Days is that there are of course Good Old Days and Bad Old Days, and not many people want to talk about the latter because they tend to be brutish and nasty.

I am of course going to look at the Bad Old Days.

By the 1820’s, the industrial revolution was heating up and speed was becoming an overriding factor of life. Boats, especially narrowboats, were what we would recognise today and the only card that the jostling competitors really had to wave at prospective clients was time and security. In these early days, vessels were broadly split down 2 types; the slow boats (carrying heavy goods such as stone or coal) and the fast ones (carrying alcohol, food, valuables or people). The fast ones were fly boats, (a name coming from the “flying wagons” they were replacing) working all the hours they could muster and often having right-of-way to overtake the slow boats.

Passengers could legitimately book a space in the hold of one of these boats with the company or they could ask around the wharves and find a boat willing to smuggle them on board for a brown envelope to the boat’s captain.

In 1823, Thomas Shaw, his sister and her 5 young children arrived into Liverpool on the ferry and took a barge over the river to Preston Brook Wharf, where they went into the cosy office of Messrs Snell and Robins and booked a space in the next flyboat bound for London.

She had, as all flyboats did at that time, a crew of 4 (2 working and 2 resting on a shift rotation) sharing a small back cabin, and her passengers were given a generous bed of straw towards the front of the hold.

The boat had been going for 3 days when they arrived at Cowley Lock (on the Grand Union Canal), Shaw was in the hold and witnessed another Irish woman being led from one boat cabin to theirs and money disappeared into the back pocket of the 20 year old captain, Samuel Hodkinson.

What truly happened next is unclear, but on arriving close to London, Hodkinson turfed the new passenger out and pointed her in the wrong direction for the city. A watchman corrected him and, as soon as Hodkinson was out of sight, Eliza Clayton burst into tears and said she had been raped repeatedly on the journey.

Although the crew of the boat were ultimately found innocent, it is hard to believe that they truly were. Eliza did not benefit from lying, and during the court case it became clear that at one point she had tried to travel in the hold with Shaw and his sister, but they had been too frightened of the response of the crew to intervene.

16 years later Christina Collins would board a Pickfords flyboat at Preston Brook and suffer a similarly distressing journey with a more tragic end, and although it can be truthfully said that the evidence against the boatmen as her murderers was somewhat thin, they were certainly frightening enough that no one dared intervene against them. Christina clearly needed assistance.

It has been theorised before that, that the development of the family boat around the 1850s was when the boatman started to become a creature of quiet dignity raising his family as best he could; before that, the boatmen were small packs of feral young men “fearing neither God nor man.”

The famous Pickfords took it as read that their crews were going to go about the country in coats with poachers pockets and shrugged it off, only getting involved if the crew had the audacity to try and steal bulk cargo off the boats. In 1811, they had no sympathy when a crate of china was found to have been cracked open and the missing goods discovered in the cabin.

For every new safety measure to seal the cargo, the boatmen came up with an answer; wax seals were melted off so they could be replaced, sacks would be carefully unpicked, barrels of alcohol would have a hoop knocked off and a hole drilled through the timbers, contents poured out, canal water poured back in and the hoop replaced.

By 1832, there was a distinct lack of confidence about the safety of a cargo and long fore cabins were appearing on some boats to allow expensive cargoes to be physically locked away from the crew, an idea that never gained particular traction due to the crew simply picking the locks.

Of course, for every flyboat that gained notoriety through some misdemeanour, another 6 or 7 just quietly and efficiently did their job. The fly boaters were a particularly tough specimen of an already hardy breed of people, and the companies recognised it. A Pickfords captain in the early 1800’s could be paid 5 guineas for a trip from Manchester to London, out of which he had to pay his crew, but as the horses were supplied by the company, a captain stood to make a good profit in just a few days' work. Not that he had much of a chance to spend it, as many flyboats worked one trip after another without break, forcing the crews to live cheek by jowl for weeks and even months on end.

It’s unsurprising then that captains quite regularly found their belongings had disappeared into the night along with a member of the crew when they arrived at the wharfs; watches and neckerchiefs were regularly pocketed but coats and other clothing also went. Trousers were a favoured target  with one apocryphal case telling how a captain woke up to find all his meagre clothes, including his only pair of trousers, had been taken in the night, leaving him forced to come out of the boat with a threadbare blanket covering his dignity in search of help. The blanket being so threadbare that a constable was summoned by security because of a pervert nudist walking round the wharf!

 

Becoming a new Waterways Chaplain on the Kennet and Avon canal began badly for me! For one thing, it was 2020 with Covid and lockdown; for another, I have no car. And finally, my bus driver is not allowed to transport my old fashioned ‘sit up and beg’ bicycle.

I began enthusiastically bussing and then walking. But it all took me an age. I got cold feet literally, and the dark came down before I got back to my bus stop. Scary!

So we bought me a small folding bike. Also, I began knitting with some thick wool I had so I should have some very thick socks to wear inside my cold (and split!) wellies. Oh, why did the charity shops have to be shut?

The socks turned out too thick to fit inside my wellies; and my new-to-me folding bike’s saddle decided to slip down as my weight, and the towpath bumps, aggravated it.

So, on my first official venture along my assigned stretch of the Kennet and Avon canal (now wearing my new gilet emblazoned with the Waterways Chaplaincy logo) and with leaflets, Bibles, etc. stuffed in the cavernous pockets, I once more became both benighted and cold; and, moreover, on foot again. Also, I found I had NO signal on my mobile phone to let my husband know why I was so late.

Happily, a boater miraculously emerged into the half light with a mallet: just the thing to hammer my saddle back up into a rideable position, perhaps?

She asked me what I was doing… so I prattled on about why I was there in the descending darkness along this particularly gloomy canal ‘cut’. And I produced a leaflet…

Then two things happened. One, she told me the way to a train station nearby; two, she took the leaflet.

So I got home safely and thought no more about it, except that I must get myself proper equipment!

Then, subsequently, I received a phone call. It was from my mentor: could I please visit a particular boating lady who was lonesome and in some sort of need.

So off I set. This time, I travelled by train and during a morning. I put on two pairs of socks inside my leaky boots and I took a map and money.

I had a wonderful day! I met three lovely boaters, who welcomed me with cups of tea, sat me in the drizzle under an enormous umbrella on the towpath (because of social distancing) and we laughed and chatted. This is what they told me:

That leaflet I gave away because of my useless bike had eventually been passed to a lady along the canal. She, in turn, had rung my mentor to ask for help for her friend (the lonesome one).

I made an immediate connection with them both and also with another boater who turned up (on a “spiritual hunch”).  He had "sensed" that Gillian - name changed - needed urgent help. This was true. Some welding had come adrift and her water tank had flooded. I couldn’t help with this but both the leaflet story and this man’s arrival to assist led to an amazing conversation about God’s guidance and help. Especially amazing as Gillian herself does not (or did not) have much faith.

So, what of my redundant socks? Well, her floor was flooded and would take some time to dry out so her socks (she never wears her boots inside the boat) would get wet, too, as she padded about. The shops were closed; I couldn’t get her some slippers quickly. So I took her the socks (only ever tried on once by me). She was thrilled and sent me a picture of her feet inside them, feeling cosy, she said.

Gillian and I have become firm friends and I have even had a lovely ride with her on (not in) her boat and we have enjoyed more spiritually-based conversations, too.

And all because my bike broke down and my homemade socks were too thick for me!

I received new wellies and two pairs of thick boot socks for Christmas and I’ve been lent an electric fold-up bike! So I’m sorted, too.

Nor do I go out now without a torch and an alarm. And, of course, with the bike battery well charged!

River Canal Rescue managing director, Stephanie Horton, says the inland waterways this summer will, predictably, be busy with owners keen to blow the lockdown cobwebs from themselves and their boats.

This, coupled with a focus on ‘staycations’ this year, means business is booming for hire companies and marinas/brokerages who report increased interest from hirers and first-time buyers keen to spend some cash.

With so many new and existing boaters on the waterways, RCR says there’s likely to be a 25% increase in call-outs over the peak season and in response, the firm has employed additional engineers to meet demand.

Stephanie comments: “While we’re always on hand to support the waterway community, many call-outs can be prevented by undertaking some simple maintenance checks prior to your journey, having some toolbox essentials onboard and knowing what to do if an issue arises."

Maintenance tips 

• Check you have enough fuel to complete your journey and inspect all fuel lines and shut-off valves for leaks.
• Where possible obtain a sample of your fuel, check it smells like diesel and is clear and not cloudy – if it’s cloudy or smells of ‘paint thinners’ this indicates contamination which needs to be dealt with before you go anywhere.
• Drain off any water from pre-filter housings or the agglomerator.
• Check batteries are charging correctly and that the charge rate from the alternator to the batteries is as it should be.
• Check the morse control is working correctly and the throttle and gears are selecting smoothly. Stiffness indicates the cable may be due for renewal or has rusted due to disuse.
• Switch isolators from one position to another to clean contacts.
• Check the condition of the stern gland, ensure there’s plenty of grease supplied to it and that the prop shaft is turning freely.
• Check the engine oil and gearbox oil levels and top up if needs be.
• Check the condition of the fan belt. If it’s worn get it replaced.
• Check all coolant hoses for leaks and wear and tear. Replace if required. For raw water-cooling engines, check the seacock, impeller and filter and all pipe work for leaks.
• Check the condition of the engine mounts, and look at the engine mount bracket for signs of cracks or breaks. If they are worn replace them or if the bolts seem loose, tighten before cruising again (but only adjust the top bolt).
• Check all coupling bolts and connections are tight.
• Check the air filter and if dirty, replace or clean as needed.
• Check the weed hatch seals are intact and that the weed hatch is secured

Tool Box Essentials 

• A multi-meter (battery tester)
• PTFE tape (for dealing with unexpected domestic leaks)
• Adjustable spanners
• A flat head and multi-faceted Phillips screwdriver
• Pliers
• A hammer
• Spare lengths of electrical wire/ insulation tape
• A socket set

And don’t forget the spares, such as; morse cables for steering, throttle and gear selection, fan belt, impeller, spark plugs, fuel filter, bulbs, bolts and fuses, plus a supply of oil and ‘stop leak’ or putty for those unexpected hull breaches.

Before you make that emergency call 

Below are some common scenarios which may resolve the problem:

• If you’re losing propulsion and the propeller is slow-moving, put the engine in reverse.   The prop may be covered in weed or leaves and this can help release it.
• If the engine cuts out when in gear, check the propeller for obstruction.
• If the engine cuts out when revved, check the air filter - it may be blocked with dust (you can remove and run without it in an emergency).   Alternatively check for blocked fuel filters (Vetus has a small fuel pump filter that is usually overlooked).
• Is the engine overheating?   It could be an air lock in the cooling system.   Resolve it by unscrewing the bolt sitting on top of the water tank - this will release the air.
• If the boat won’t go into gear, check the cable is moving the selector arm on the gearbox, if it is then the cable is fine.   Check the oil in the gearbox.
• Engine won’t turn off?   Know where the manual stop button or lever is situated, usually on the right hand side of the engine.