Shoreham foot/cycle bridge opens today!

[fire&skill]

Yeah. It was great to have fireworks again. Missed not having them every night for the past fortnight. As have the dogs.

 

[theboybilly]

Same here
Buckley the dog can't wait either - Tis a very nice walk with a couple of pit stops en route

I get my new puppy Staffie next week from Dogs Trust, so I can introduce her to the delights of the walk me and my old 'un (God bless her) enjoyed up until just a few months ago. Red Lion, Con Club or Lazy Toad, Suter's Yard then the Legion. And now the Waterside is in the mix......she'll be guiding me home

 

[CheeseRolls]

I get my new puppy Staffie next week from Dogs Trust, so I can introduce her to the delights of the walk me and my old 'un (God bless her) enjoyed up until just a few months ago. Red Lion, Con Club or Lazy Toad, Suter's Yard then the Legion. And now the Waterside is in the mix......she'll be guiding me home

Well you need to take a check on the Lazy Toad. This has been renamed Piston Broke, I am not entirely sure how well this in joke has gone down with the locals mind. Good luck with the new puppy.

 

[theboybilly]

Well you need to take a check on the Lazy Toad. This has been renamed Piston Broke, I am not entirely sure how well this in joke has gone down with the locals mind. Good luck with the new puppy.

Yes I know CR. 'Piston Broke'....how awful. I've heard business is not exactly booming. To be honest the beer quality in there was unreliable at best so I tended to bypass the 'Toad' in the last few months, but it was a very dog-friendly pub and my Ellie always got a great welcome (and a treat). That's the great thing about Shoreham, most of the pubs are 'doggy pubs' and there really isn't a duff pub in the area. I just hope the 'Piston Broke' doesn't spoil things.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

It seems to have been finished for some time except that we had to wait on the convenience of a minor royal to be able to use it. If they wanted to have a politicians "bun fight" to christen it why not let it be used as soon as it was ready and have the official opening when the "celebrity" was available? I believe the bridge was supposed to be finished in September but was delayed as most projects are. If it had been finished on time would it have been idle for two months? Not to mention the cost of the shuttle bus which I note was still running late this afternoon.

It was delayed because some of the window panels were broken by one of the construction cranes. As every pane of glass is different, the new ones had to be made specially. That seemed like a poor decision on the design, to me, when panes gets broken in future and council have no money the bridge will either be closed or boarded, I guess.

 

[attila]

Certainly seemed ready for weeks to me and great news that it's finally open, will be flying across on my bike regularly when I'm back from Germany

 

[T soprano]

Well you need to take a check on the Lazy Toad. This has been renamed Piston Broke, I am not entirely sure how well this in joke has gone down with the locals mind. Good luck with the new puppy.

Piston Broke - awful name for a pub and crap inside as well,very drab and lacking any character, won't be going in there from now on ( miss the lazy toad now)

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Piston Broke - awful name for a pub and crap inside as well,very drab and lacking any character, won't be going in there from now on ( miss the lazy toad now)

Agree, awful name, not funny. Used to go in the Toad occasionally, but not for a while, there's plenty of other to go to, Welly, The Sov, The Bridge all good options.

 

[CheeseRolls]

It was delayed because some of the window panels were broken by one of the construction cranes. As every pane of glass is different, the new ones had to be made specially. That seemed like a poor decision on the design, to me, when panes gets broken in future and council have no money the bridge will either be closed or boarded, I guess.

Categorically denied by Osborne. Apparently the broken pane, was on the angle where the bridge changes direction and the pane broke due to stress from the attachment to the support. The delay was mainly due to the glass supplier going bust. They found an alternative source, but there were problems with lead times.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Categorically denied by Osborne. Apparently the broken pane, was on the angle where the bridge changes direction and the pane broke due to stress from the attachment to the support. The delay was mainly due to the glass supplier going bust. They found an alternative source, but there were problems with lead times.

Fair enough, still seems short sighted in the design, though, and the opening was not held up due to Royal inconvenience as stted earlier. I've not been on it yet, too sick to get down there. Heard the fireworks last night and wondered what they were for.

 

[tinycowboy]

As a three year old living in The Marlinspike, I was terrified of the old bridge - especially the bit in the middle that you could see through. I'm sure I'll have a go on the new one one day.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

As a three year old living in The Marlinspike, I was terrified of the old bridge - especially the bit in the middle that you could see through. I'm sure I'll have a go on the new one one day.

I blame the old Norfolk Bridge for my fear of heights. When my mother used to walk me across the North footpath in my pram into town, you used to be able to see straight down through holes to the water, and it seemed sooooo far away.

 

[whitelion]

Just slightly off-topic....the Shoreham Tollbridge that is now a pedestrian/cyclist route deserves a mention...hard to believe that this used to carry the main A27 east-west....in the late 50's early 60's my dad was driving a lorry for a local engineering company. As a kid of 5-6 it was a bit scary as the road was unable to allow two large vehicles to pass. There were several passing points which we had to use and as the passenger I was virtually suspended over the river.

 

[T soprano]

Just slightly off-topic....the Shoreham Tollbridge that is now a pedestrian/cyclist route deserves a mention...hard to believe that this used to carry the main A27 east-west....in the late 50's early 60's my dad was driving a lorry for a local engineering company. As a kid of 5-6 it was a bit scary as the road was unable to allow two large vehicles to pass. There were several passing points which we had to use and as the passenger I was virtually suspended over the river.

a lovely part of Shoreham, so glad it's still there today

 

[whitelion]

View attachment 48704 a lovely part of Shoreham, so glad it's still there today

Thanks for posting the photos TS. ..hard to imagine anything larger than a horse-drawn seed drill being carried over that safely.

I was recently crossing it during the Shoreham air show and it seems in good condition. ..

 

[tinycowboy]

I blame the old Norfolk Bridge for my fear of heights. When my mother used to walk me across the North footpath in my pram into town, you used to be able to see straight down through holes to the water, and it seemed sooooo far away.

My grandfather (a Suter, of Suter's Yard fame) lived at the cottage at the Shoreham end of the bridge. Long gone, like the old bridge and my grandad as well. Nice to see the Yard lives on in name though. Those scary childhood views live with you a long time. Glad that the new footbridge is now open. No Willoughby though...

 

[Boys 9d]

Just slightly off-topic....the Shoreham Tollbridge that is now a pedestrian/cyclist route deserves a mention...hard to believe that this used to carry the main A27 east-west....in the late 50's early 60's my dad was driving a lorry for a local engineering company. As a kid of 5-6 it was a bit scary as the road was unable to allow two large vehicles to pass. There were several passing points which we had to use and as the passenger I was virtually suspended over the river.

Round about New Year in 1950 or 51 a double decker bus was blown off the bridge on a very windy night. Luckily it was low tide and the bus landed on a mud bank.

 

[T soprano]

Thanks for posting the photos TS. ..hard to imagine anything larger than a horse-drawn seed drill being carried over that safely.

I was recently crossing it during the Shoreham air show and it seems in good condition. ..

The renovation work was carried out in 2008 and was completed 2010 so should last for another 100 years

 

[LamieRobertson]

My Dad used to work at Ricardos..just the other side of the bridge and didn't have to pay the toll if he was on his way to work...many a time i had to hide on the back floor as we crossed it to get to Worthing and avoid paying the toll

 

[whitelion]

My Dad used to work at Ricardos..just the other side of the bridge and didn't have to pay the toll if he was on his way to work...may a time i had to hide on the back floor as we crossed it to get to Worthing and avoid paying the toll

That brings back memories......my dad would pay the toll....(I believe it was on the Shoreham side)...from the cab of his lorry window...would not have a clue what it cost and it's modern day value...we would be driving to a factory at Littlehampton.