Re-opening of the Transporter Bridge 2010

The re-opening of the transporter bridge was met with much enthusiasm for those of us who have lived in Newport for many years and for people born and bred in the town/city. A few days after the opening my friend and I went over in her car. It is all done electronically now and we were giggling like school girls when recalling the days when it was operated from the gondola itself and we cranked our way over. This is so different. We reached the other side in about 45 seconds. well that's progress I suppose, at least its running again!

I went again as a foot passenger when another friend when we did the dragon trail. It was a blustery day, but I managed to get these photos (below) of the SDR bridge and a view down the Usk from the middle of the river, which you cannot get unless you use the transporter bridge or are on a boat of course!





There is a notice on the Pill side of the bridge showing the charge for the crossing 50p for a car 20p for a foot passenger. Each time I have done it there has been no charge. I wonder why?





Both trips, although very different, were super experiences and long may this wonderful monument stay open!

Revival!

Having made a decision not to continue with this blog I stood by it for two and a half months! Then friends (followers) persuaded me to start up again. Why? There is nothing controversial ever written here, well nothing that couldn't be challenged anyway, rants about MU and tales of the valleys can get a bit monotonous. Pictures of my very armature pottery is mostly what is on here anyway. Sooo, I will give it another go for a while. It will give me a chance to practise writing as I
am still plodding on with the college creative writing course!

On Tuesdy I did the dragon trail with a friend. What is that,I can here people who don't live in Newport asking their PC screens? Well,it is a celebration of Newport's vibrant art scene (yes, we have one apparantly) and the dragons pictured on this blog, showcase a cross section of work from some of the areas leading artists.







Newport superdragons is the result of many months of hard work from a truly amazing group of people. Sadly after they were placed around the city, seventy of them I believe, some were very quickly vandalised. Predicable in any city I suppose.




I wonder how the sculptors felt about that, and the school children who designed the smaller ones? In society today there is always a small element of people who will spoil it for the rest. It spoiled the trail too. A super idea for locals and tourists to follow the map of where they are situated and read about them or photograph them. But because the vandalised ones had to be removed, repaired and then were put back in safer environments, meant that the printed trail map was not correct. It must be disheartening for the organisers of this event, which is part of the Newport Festival summer, a fore runner to the Ryder Cup. One wonders what will happen when that comes to town. You can bet there will be someone out there waiting to try and disrupt that too.