Photo scanning!

I have resumed my photo scanning programme today, but after I had finished the chores. No ducking and diving between the two like last week! Being a photographer of many years standing, albeit not digital, I have thousands of photographs. This job is going to be a long one as predicted.

The picture above is the Transporter Bridge, an aerial ferry that spans the river Usk and is situated about half a mile from where I live. I see it every time I drive out of my street, so thought it fitting for this Blog! I have literally dozens of photos of it but this one was taken with my new camera.

It is a Grade 1 listed structure and it's historic importance stems from it's unusual design. Sadly I cannot write that it was designed by a Welshman because it wasn't. The chap who designed it was French, Ferdinand Arnodin.


I know very little else about it's history only that it was commissioned in 1902 and completed in 1906 and was opened by Viscount Tredegar (the Morgan family again ...... from Tredegar House). The bridge celebrated it's centenary in September 2006, my son and grandson when to the 'jollies' and said it was good fun.


When I first came to Newport from the Valleys I would hear people under stress say 'I'm going to jump off the Trannie'.........I didn't have a clue what they meant, but was quickly 'filled in' on the local slang. Due to it's height and breadth sadly some people, who were obviously ill, climbed to the top of the structure and jumped off....... thus the saying! The slang continues in this City to this day!

As with Tredegar House there is a group of people called 'Friends of the Transporter Bridge' they are getting a lot of media coverage locally at the moment to try to pressure the City Council to speed up the repairs to the bridge and reopen it, as their repair contract has overrun by almost nine months. This group of people are a Registered Charity and dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Transporter Bridge. Long may they continue.