Saturday, September 27, 2008
27th Sept. Last Saturday Menai Bridge; today at the sales.
Last Saturday we walked from Church Island to walk underneath the Menai Bridge, which is the old road bridge which joins the mainland of Wales with Anglesey.
I read that the building of the bridge cut the journey time from London to Holyhead from 36 hours to 27 - that would be actual travelling time for there would have needed to be overnight stops on the way. We can do it now in 6 hours.
Information below is taken from Wikipedia. I doubt that the links work - but then anybody can read Wikipedia or other sites without my help.
Oh yes they do!
The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind, opened in January 1826, and adjacent to this is Robert Stephenson's 1850 Britannia Tubular Bridge. Originally this carried rail traffic in two wrought-iron rectangular box spans, but after a disastrous fire in 1970, which left only the limestone pillars remaining, it was rebuilt as a steel box girder bridge.
First we have 2 pictures of Britannia Bridge, taken from Church island.
Then we got closer to the Menai Bridge.
I read that the building of the bridge cut the journey time from London to Holyhead from 36 hours to 27 - that would be actual travelling time for there would have needed to be overnight stops on the way. We can do it now in 6 hours.
Information below is taken from Wikipedia. I doubt that the links work - but then anybody can read Wikipedia or other sites without my help.
Oh yes they do!
The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind, opened in January 1826, and adjacent to this is Robert Stephenson's 1850 Britannia Tubular Bridge. Originally this carried rail traffic in two wrought-iron rectangular box spans, but after a disastrous fire in 1970, which left only the limestone pillars remaining, it was rebuilt as a steel box girder bridge.
First we have 2 pictures of Britannia Bridge, taken from Church island.
Then we got closer to the Menai Bridge.
The water flows fast as the tide rushes through the Strait from the Irish Sea.
This Saturday started with dense fog and a damp feeling. We went to Faygate, where I got into conflict with Terence Stamp! Well, no - it was not really the British film star; but Barry has always reminded me a bit of the moody, brooding, handsome Terence Stamp.
I bent down and picked up some football year books from the 1930s and before I could pick up the rest - "Terence" had scooped them up into his arms. This put the seller in a quandary because he had intended to sell them all together.
I waited.
Then my rival decided he wouldn't fork out money on the lot he had - for these were all post war books. He wanted the ones I had!
But I didn't really want the later ones either actually. But in fairness to the stall holder I had them.
Now all I have to do is make a profit - and having looked at eBay, I am not sure if I will.
By mid morning the sun had come out and we had a bright autumn day.
We drove over to Edenbridge. But my mind was on my gut! Silly me! I have been told that I don't have coeliac disease (caused by the gluten in wheat), though the endocrinologist agreed that I could have an intolerance which can't be measured.
Anyway I decided that my insistence on a wheat free diet was perhaps silly and unnecessary.
I can get away with small amounts - but in the last 10 days I have eaten wheat products most days (though no bread).
The pain has been getting worse and worse and today has been close to intolerable.
So - back to the strict anti wheat regime, whether it is a measurable problem or not.
I found it hard to concentrate on buying and found very little.
Bill got more things of interest, including an Edwardian decanter.
We are both slanting our buying more towards the Dorking clientele - Dorking customers are just not ready really for the kitsch, but fashionable 1950's designs.
So - I will have more pretty things from the early part of the 20th century.
I look forward to getting our new items in the shop.
Right, I must cook some dinner now.
Rice noodles for me today!
I'll save the roast chicken for tomorrow when maybe I will feel more like it.
