Hoorah and up she rises….

[Wapping]

Despite living only a few minutes walk from Tower Bridge (and working for years pretty much close to it) this is only the second time I have seen the roadway raised. Both times, from near enough the same spot, heading northwards. That’s odd perhaps, as it is raised about 800 times a year; call that twice a day.

No boat passed under, so I can only assume it was to carry out some test or mechanical work.

 

[L2RKE]

Marvellous piece of British Engineering.

 

[Gee-]

Didn't The Yanks think they had bought that Tower bridge, when they was sent a London bridge instead?

 

[Wapping]

Didn't The Yanks think they had bought that Tower bridge, when they was sent a London bridge instead?

That’s very much an apocryphal story.

 

[Gee-]

It Must be true, I heard it on a BBC programme, 100 years ago.

In Fact:- No, the Americans did not mistakenly believe they were buying Tower Bridge. Robert McCulloch, the entrepreneur who purchased London Bridge in 1968, was fully aware of what he was buying. This misconception is a popular urban legend but has been explicitly denied by both McCulloch and the officials involved in the sale.

That is why correct information, is necessary when purchasing any future bridges. Anyone fancy a bridge or two?...The Old Forth Road bridge is available I heard.

 

[The Other PaulG]

With a full battery charge, I reckon that e-bike could have jumped the gap.

Would have been a good watch either way.

 

[Davey B]

Only been to London a couple of times, but saw the bridge rise on both occasions. A slendid thing indeed.

The London Bridge tale reminds me of this small church over the border in Lancashire. I went to my pals mothers funeral at the relatively new church in Barrowford a few years ago and he had a small 'display' of old pics of his mum. One was when she and her husband, plus a couple of other very regular church go-ers had ventured across to Japan at the expense of the chap who had bought the old chapel....and shipped it stone by stone across to Japan and had it rebuilt. Quite staggering.

The Lancashire church rebuilt stone-by-stone in Japan

Higherford Methodist Church in Barrowford, Pendle, was pulled down in the 1990s and bought by a Japanese businessman who rebuilt it as wedding chapel in Tokyo

www.lancs.live

 

[Wapping]

With a full battery charge, I reckon that e-bike could have jumped the gap.

Would have been a good watch either way.

View attachment 524906

The rider was, shall we say, not the owner of the bike. I have a sneaking suspicion that he’d ’borrowed’ it, whilst the true owner was delivering a McD’s to a flat in Bermondsey or further away.

I engaged him in banter. Substance abuse (and Lord knows what else besides) had clearly clouded his judgement.

 

[Greg Masters]

With a full battery charge, I reckon that e-bike could have jumped the gap.

Would have been a good watch either way.

Bicycle?

Pah!

Try a London bus!

Albert Gunter - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Gee-]

Interesting story, a very brave chap indeed, although I bet the conductor wasn't as impressed.

 

[Gee-]

Only been to London a couple of times, but saw the bridge rise on both occasions. A slendid thing indeed.

The London Bridge tale reminds me of this small church over the border in Lancashire. I went to my pals mothers funeral at the relatively new church in Barrowford a few years ago and he had a small 'display' of old pics of his mum. One was when she and her husband, plus a couple of other very regular church go-ers had ventured across to Japan at the expense of the chap who had bought the old chapel....and shipped it stone by stone across to Japan and had it rebuilt. Quite staggering.

The Lancashire church rebuilt stone-by-stone in Japan

Higherford Methodist Church in Barrowford, Pendle, was pulled down in the 1990s and bought by a Japanese businessman who rebuilt it as wedding chapel in Tokyo

www.lancs.live

Another Interesting story, perhaps more old unloved and unused churches, could be resurrected, unlike most of their past flock ever will.

 

[Wapping]

Another Interesting story, perhaps more old unloved and unused churches, could be resurrected

There are several repurposed old churches and chapels in London, often turned into arts theatres, social clubs and, of course, houses.

A City of London church was sent after the war to America:

The bombed London church that was reborn in the USA

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr78x889k3xo

I came across the chuch’s former site on my ‘City of London’s gates’ wander of a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Gee-]

Many old churches here in Aberdeenshire are converted into flats or like you say houses, or sports venues.
Some churches in the West of Scotland are just allowed to fall into disrepair, with few areas having funds for rebuild or other uses.

 

[LOLGEOFF]

This one in Gravesend cooling it's feet in the river is now an arts centre. The mission hall next door once had a Sunday school teacher by the name of Charlie Gordon a famous Fuzzy Wuzzy fighter.

 

[JonnyBravo]

Count yourself lucky

We have not one but two iconic bridge types in my home town - neither of which are now operational.




Tees vertical lift bridge



Tees transporter bridge

 

[The Other PaulG]

This one in Gravesend cooling it's feet in the river is now an arts centre. The mission hall next door once had a Sunday school teacher by the name of Charlie Gordon a famous Fuzzy Wuzzy fighter.

View attachment 525018View attachment 525019View attachment 525020

A few miles north of Guildford is Gordon’s School. He set it up as a boarding school for the kids of serving soldiers who would typically be out of the country. It still serves the same purpose and their marching band wears the Gordon tartan.

An excellent school, by repute.

 

[Kritou]

View attachment 524878View attachment 524879View attachment 524880View attachment 524881View attachment 524882

Despite living only a few minutes walk from Tower Bridge (and working for years pretty much close to it) this is only the second time I have seen the roadway raised. Both times, from near enough the same spot, heading northwards. That’s odd perhaps, as it is raised about 800 times a year; call that twice a day.

No boat passed under, so I can only assume it was to carry out some test or mechanical work.

The shadows don’t look right for early morning …

 

[Wapping]

The shadows don’t look right for early morning …

It wasn’t.

According to the time stamp recorded on the picture, the bridge was raised at about 15:10.