We're well into March, the days are longer, the early Spring flowers are opening, the birds are singing (or squawking as parakeets do) but venture outside as I did today to ride the 5.3 miles to New Malden it felt like something was missing.
Warmth.
Last year's 2nd Sunday in March......
Never mind, it was nice to see a good turnout at The Watchman (Wetherspoons) where long queues formed at the two coffee machines, possibly down to an earlier malfunction.
Leaving Keith, Niall & Dave V, a large group of thirteen - Dave W, Simon, Dave J, Jennie J, Steph, Eric, Ruth, Sabina, Bernard, Tony, Martina, Geoff & myself ventured out into the cold on a route largely direct to Hammersmith Bridge.
The bridge opened on 11th June 1887.
There were repairs in 1997 & 2014 when the bridge was closed to traffic.
A further closure in 2019 led to a funding dispute between the government, TFL & the local council, the bridge was closed to vehicles & buses that year.
It currently remains open for cyclists & pedestrians only.
The necessary cost of repairs & reopening the bridge fully to all traffic is upwards of £300 million according to Sadiq Khan who has said that he's keen for that to happen.
From the local council website:
'Hammersmith & Fulham Council and the Department for Transport are currently considering a range of options and engineering solutions for the long-term future of the bridge.'
I led the group under the Hammersmith flyover to join C9 cycleway going west through Chiswick to Brentford & lunch at Hilliers Garden Centre at Syon Park.
Just after 2pm, we rode south to cross the Thames at a ferry crossing to Ham on the opposite bank.
Hammertons opened in 1909 & the musician Phil Collins is the grandson of the original proprietor, Walter Hammerton.
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| Photo from Eric |
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| photo from Bernard |
A little more background to a 'Possible' solution for the bridge
ReplyDeletehttps://www.hammersmithbridge.solutions/