Archive for July, 2011
Wark Notes 22nd July, 2011
July 22nd, 2011 | 
Author: The lift of the bridge girders seems to have gone ok last week and the whole structure looks most peculiar at the moment. It’s vaguely disconcerting to walk over the footbridge at the Birtley end without there being a bridge structure to be attached to. In the mean time a considerable amount of work has been done on the abutment of the Wark end, where a substantial amount of concrete has been poured to strengthen the structure.
The weather was good for growing trees last Sunday, but the wet was perhaps not so welcome for the Open Air Service on the Green. Fortunately a canopy had been erected and the people who attended more or less fitted under it. One of the sections in the children’s drama read: “The little seedlings pop up from the earth. Everything is growing again. As the mighty tree has added to its girth, the seedlings grow for all their worth.” Donations from this ecumenical event went to ‘Tree Aid’, a charity which helps people in Africa plants, protect and use trees sustainably. Tree Aid hopes to plant a million trees in Africa during 2011, which is the UN’s International Year of Forests.
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Wark Notes 15th July, 2011
It promised to be (and hopefully will have been, by the time you read this) a momentous week for the bridge. On Tuesday both the walkway and the road on the other side will be closed completely as the crane which will lift out the girders on the Birtley end will first travel to the site and then lift out those girders for repair. The whole operation depends on there being favourable weather conditions and if the wind is too strong the crane will stay in the compound until conditions improve. The third issue of the bridge newsletter reports that it will be possible to see the lift from the passing place of the bridge and I’m sure a good number of you will have made use of that opportunity.
Wark Notes 8th July, 2011
Those of you who keep an eye on what’s happening at the bridge will have noticed that the footbridge at the Birtley side has been switched to the north side of the bridge. I understand that this is to allow a crane to operate from the south side and get the new deck into place. If you’re still a bit nervous about using the footbridge, you might be interested to know that the new one was inspected last week. When I spoke to bridge safety inspector last week, who mentioned that he reckons that new section would hold up to 5 tons, which is rather more that the bridge itself was meant to hold, so we should be fine for the time being.
Whether or not the bridge closure affected the number of people at St Michael’s Church Fete last Saturday I don’t know, but there seems to have been a very friendly feel to the whole afternoon. It is, of course, always very helpful to have gloriously sunny weather. Looking back through these Notes for previous years, the weather always features strongly and we seem to have been particularly lucky this year. One of my ‘scouts’ told me about their ‘sight of the afternoon’ with two boys carrying off a rowing machine which they’d picked up from the bric-a-brac stall. I trust the parents were delighted with the purchase. I haven’t yet heard how much the fete raised this year, but I will let you know when I get the information. An event like the Church fete wouldn’t happen without the dedication and help of a lot of people. Thank you to all who helped out on the day and to everyone who turned up to make the afternoon a success.
News has reached me that Birtley Village Hall will be holding one of its popular barbeques this weekend, on Sunday 10 July. As well as the barbeque there will be children’s games, a tombola and face painting. You’re allowed to bring a bottle.
www.justgiving.com/Emily-Coulthard.