Lodgemore Bridge Celebrated
Lodgemore Bridge Celebrated
by: Buffs
Readers will have seen the earlier post on the electrification of the hydraulic pump to raise the bridge at Lodgemore. The problems with the hydraulics were slowly resolved by ‘Hydraulic’ Arthur our very supportive hydraulic engineer. At last the bridge opened and closed under control all at the touch of a button. No more huffing and puffing pumping the handle to get the bridge open enough to get a boat through and then back down under control. Open and close times are just about one minute each. The as supplied new pillar housing the motor and pump proved to be a little too tall for what we perceive to be the average bridge user/operator. Reaching for the operating buttons for all but the tallest boater is likely to be a bit uncomfortable as the bridge will only move if the button is held in the pressed down position. A small step has been provided for the comfort of our users.
Once the bridge was working satisfactorily the trunking hiding hoses and cables was secured and the pipe bridge was fitted with its end caps. A new railing now protects the sharply cut away bank between the concrete plinth and the bridge abutment whilst leaving enough room to operate the barrier at the toe of the bridge.
It was decided by higher authority that there should be a small celebration to mark the practical end of the project and thank those who had helped us both directly and indirectly. A date was put on the calendar by WD manager Reg, conveniently immediately before he disappears for a month in the sun.
Came the day. There was site preparation to do. Brambles were cleared and the banks tidied. The special perfume that accompanies all formal visits was applied to the site by Clive who spent the morning applying white paint to the bridge rails and anything or one who stood still for too long.
The bridge was raised and lowered and raised again to confirm that it still functioned. And finally dropped again with a satisfying clang. “We are ready” declared Reg and promptly led off back to yard for lunch and mince pies, (we have been blessed with a surfeit of mince pie refugees which must be attended to at every opportunity).
Back on site in time for the walk through of the afternoon’s event but where was the workboat Flea which was to be the co-star of the afternoon show. A phone call to her skipper elicited that they had passed through earlier having decided to keep the less than healthy engine running. They were holding off at Strachan’s Close slip.
The site began to fill with the great and the good. Chairman Jim, photographer Mike, Aimee our fundraiser and the honoured guests. Arthur Till of ATH hydraulics without whom none of this would have been possible. Jon Hoyle, production manager at WSP who is our point of contact at WSP who we keep informed of what we are doing so that we can avoid disrupting the company’s use of the bridge. He was accompanied by the CEO of WSP Duncan Kettell. The guest of honour was Cllr Simon Pickering, Chair of Stroud District Council’s Environment Committee who duly arrived on his bicycle.
The designated time approached. The crowd closed into hear the finely chosen words. Flea hove into sight and with near perfect timing Chairman Jim turned the key, pressed the button and raised the bridge as Flea passed through the gap, crew dressed off on the bow and the brightly polished wheelbarrows sparkled in the lazy afternoon sun.
Cllr Pickering was then invited to mount the step and press the button to bring the bridge down and with a resounding clang the bridge sighed into place. Applause and sighs of relief in equal measure as Jim, with great ceremony handed over the key to Cllr Pickering.
And now for the photographs. Where to assemble the great and the good and the rest to get all the logos in the frame. And so it was done.
Aimee was despatched to the Office bearing gifts – two boxes of mince pies –for a job well done.
Thanks go to Les, Andy, Clive, Richard, Jeff and Reg for the work they put in to making this day work and for their contributions before the event. Flea’s Crew under skipper Ian are to be commended on their turnout.
