Wednesday 5 September 2007

The Humber Bridge





Here is a some pictures of the Humber Bridge, which for quite a long time was the largest single span suspension bridge in the world, and looks like something you would find in San Fransisco, but is actually a few miles from where I live (and where Scamp and I walked yesterday)
in a Northern City. It is known by some detractors as 'the bridge going from nowhere to nowhere', as we are a bit out of the way here. They also call it 'the great white elephant' as it still hasn't been fully paid for, nearly thirty years after it was built.
However, I think it is rather beautiful with its simplicity of lines and sweeping curves. It is also a testiment to someone's dream and aspirations, as there was a great deal of opposition to it being built. If you enlarge the second picture you can see the rather grim industrial background against which it stands as a monument to something better.
It also has a rather special significance to me as without this bridge I would not have met my husband, as we originally lived on separate sides of the river and as it takes many hours to drive round without its construction we would not have met. Shades of John Donne here, where the lover's connection is symbolised by a compass, though obviously this symbol is on a much bigger scale.
The foreshore has white sand and once I sat in the bay window of a pub near here in the evening looking at the white sands and the waves lapping up the beach, with the sparkling water and the red sunset beyond, and I felt like I could be in the Carribbean. Nearby is a country park which has been made out of an old quarry and the mini cliffs planted with birches so that they call it Little Switzerland. In the second picture Scamp is walking down a pass which soon leads to a famous Indian Restaurant on the shortside frequented by the former deputy Prime Minister and Hull east MP John Prescott. So what with the bridge,river, restaurant and mini mountains many corners of the globe are encompassed in this one spot.
I walk the dogs on a Common near here on which still can be seen the furrows made by the medieval farmers. In the distance towers the bridge, feat of modern engineering, so all ages are encompassed too. Quite a lot of compasses on this post, in one way or another.

5 comments:

lebanesa said...

I love bridges, especially suspension bridges. They are beautiful - look so light and airy, even though they are incredibly solid. There is a fantastic bridge in Normandy, sort of curved and a suspension bridge at the same time. We drove over it this summer and I loved it both directions. should see if any of my pics worked.
Saw Beverly on the telly tonight, horses in the middle of the road, quite peaceful compared to all the drunken womem all over the rest of the Humber region! some programme about traffic police... all drunk drivers and mad women. Perhaps my place of birth has affected me ;-)

Bev said...

Nice surprise to see your comment. I thought you were on holiday!

Beverley is a delightful town. We were there only last weekend walking on the Westwood, lots of bullocks walking across the road. Great views of the minster. I know a lot about Beverley (I would do,wouldn't I)and I'm going to write about it and take some pics. Any requests?

Great news that Sweet Irene won Fawzan's competition, wasn't it?

Bobbie said...

So interesting to read about your world and this fantastic suspension bridge. And best of all to picture you there with your dogs.

Irene said...

I like suspension bridges a lot, having passed over a famous one quite a few times while I lived in Northern California. Yes, the famous Golden Gate Bridge, which this is reminds me of a little bit. They are wonderful structures and so very sturdy and carry us to our loved ones. Thanks for sharing this with us.

Bev said...

This bridge does have quite a significance for me because it is how I met my husband. I started thinking about this of a symbol of our attachment, and then started remembering a poem by the English poet John Donne called 'A Valediction:forbidding mourning' which talks about lovers as twin legs of a compass. I think there is another poem where the lovers' eyes are connected by a beam. Quite unusual, but effective symbols, these as Donne was part of the metaphysical school of poetry who had in common certain features of argument and powerful persuasion. Worth checking out(if you have not already read them): his poem 'The Sunne Rising' is arguably the most erotic poem written in the English language, if you are interested in this sort of thing.

I think I partly wrote this post because the other day Sweet Irene was using lovely imagery of her and Eduard wrapped in cloaks on charging steeds on a foggy morn, and this bridge is what sprung to mind in my case. Though likening our love to a huge mile long construction like this is perhaps a little OTT!