Comments on: Restless at North Gare

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 00:53:49 +0000

Hi Geoff. I???ve just been looking at Middlesbrough Council???s website and you can have a tour of the bridge for ??4. I???m assuming this means climbing the bridge because a ???ground tour??? costs ??2. It costs ??3 to abseil off it, but if you want to bungee jump or rig up a zip wire you have to call the council first to make arrangements. I might look into the tour when the weather improves, but I???ll give the bungee jumping a miss.
The river trip sounds great. The Tees is a fascinating river, so full of character.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 17:58:15 +0000

Hi Alen, You mean Robin Hood got further north than his Bay? :-) I guess if Hollywood says so it must be true…
I’m sure the steps were OK really.(fairly thick metal) but rather off-putting for somebody like me who hates heights. Turning round wouldn’t have been a problem; it was just me and my cousin up there.
Talking of heights, I like your posting on Durham. I always plug Durham hard to any friends etc down here (Essex now) and they’ve all been impressed without exception. The last ones did climb the tower, which to my shame I have to admit I have never done.
Coming back to the subject of the Tees, I did once have a very interesting trip in the harbourmaster(?)’s launch right out to the mouth of the river, arranged for us by my late uncle who was company secretary of Dorman Long & Co.

By: McEff

McEff — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 10:39:15 +0000

Hi Geoff. I???ve always had an ambition to walk across the top of the Transporter Bridge, but your description of the steps has put me off. I climbed the steps of a shipyard crane once, and that was in a similar state. The trouble is, once you???ve set off and there are people behind you, turning round and coming down is not an option.
I watched Billy Elliot in Teesside cinema, at Stockton, when it first came out, and when the Transporter scene was shown there was a murmur of surprise in the audience. It was on a par with Robin Hood (Kevin Costner) and his mate disembarking from a boat beneath the white cliffs of Dover and riding along Hadrian???s Wall in the next scene.
All the best, Alen

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 19:10:52 +0000

I walked over the top of the Transporter Bridge (the same level as the bogies carrying the gondola) many years ago – must be almost 50 years. Ouch! The walkway has been closed to the public for years. I seem to remember the steps up didn’t look terribly safe – holes and corrosion.
The featuring of the Transporter in the film Billy Elliot was a geographical nonsense as they were supposedly heading from Easington (where B E was located) to Newcastle. I guess they put it in just for the sake of it.
I’ve been to the South Gare many years ago but not the North Gare. Would like to.

By: McEff

McEff — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 22:58:08 +0000

There was another one but I can’t remember what happened to it. Sad end for a ship. But that’s life.

By: Steve Bibby

Steve Bibby — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 04:27:41 +0000

I did wonder what happened to the Princess/Royale. Maybe a lightning strike would kick the dance floor into one more revolution, I wonder.

By: McEff

McEff — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 13:24:26 +0000

I must drive up and take a look at the new bridge. It’s more than two years since I’ve been up that side of Scotland. And I agree with you about the cathedrals. Modern cathedrals do not possess the magnificence and grandeur of their mediaeval predecessors.

By: Jo Woolf

Jo Woolf — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 20:34:31 +0000

Alen, Do not ever try to second-guess the God of Green Triangles because it WILL happen! If I knew how to contact him I would put in a good word for you. That sounds like great fun on the transporter bridge! I had no idea it was so massive. Crikey. They are building a new Forth Road Bridge up here, which I’m sure you know. It’s quite interesting to see its progress every time we drive over the old one. Three or four massive platforms have been put up at intervals, like oil rigs, with cranes etc. I can’t work out how they think they’re all going to join up. I’m sure they have a plan though! And then on the other side is the old rail bridge, which is still magnificent. I often think that we have lost the capability of creating iconic bridges in the same way that we can’t build splendid cathedrals any more. But I’m probably old-fashioned!

By: McEff

McEff — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 20:01:33 +0000

Jo, I look forward to the day when all the green triangle Quality Street that were ever pinched by unscrupulous fingers are scattered down on me from upon high by a benevolent being. But I’ve a feeling it’s not going to happen.
The Transporter Bridge is an almost magical experience. The gondola is about the size of a Skye ferry before they built the bridge, and you drive onto it and are whisked across the Tees at a brisk walking pace. If I remember correctly, it featured in the film Billy Elliot, though not in the musical version (which I have seen and it was absolutely brilliant) because it wouldn’t fit on the stage.
If you’re ever down this way you must cross the Tees on it.
All the best, Alen

By: Jo Woolf

Jo Woolf — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 17:41:53 +0000

Hi Alen, I love your pics, even though you couldn’t cross the bridge! I’m guessing you have been across it before – is it a weird experience? I had to look up who Prince Albert of Connaught was (one of Queen Victoria’s many grandchildren.) Thank you for sharing these photos of places I’ve never even heard of! Love your last creative one, by the way. Sometime soon you are due all those green triangle Quality Streets! :)

By: McEff

McEff — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 10:24:41 +0000

Hiya Carol. Yes, there’s another transporter bridge in south Wales and several more scattered around the world, apparently.
Cheers, Alen

By: mountaincoward

mountaincoward — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:41:32 +0000

Didn’t know anything about that transporter bridge – in fact, I had no idea we had any such thing in the UK anywhere!

Some lovely, moody skies in those photos. The last photo is very innovative too :-)
Carol.