'FROM CLARENCE BRIDGE NEWPORT' by Gillian Clarke

-


'From Clarence Bridge Newport' by Gillian Clarke

Copyright: Newport Past, 0273 The New Bridge, Newport
opened 1927.


In 1911 the Town Council sought designs for a new replacement bridge. In December 1923 a decision was made to proceed immediately with the construction of the new bridge, partly as a scheme to find work for the unemployed. To best achieve this a temporary wooden bridge was erected alongside it[ and all power and gas lines were re-routed onto it. Even the town's tram lines and their accompanying overhead power system were moved over. The old bridge was then demolished and the new one erected.

On 22 June 1927 the new bridge was complete and opened to traffic by the Transport Minister Wilfrid Ashley.

A POEM BY WELSH POET GILLIAN CLARKE FROM THE NEWPORT SURVEY 1983 p. 35. Now known as Newport Bridge this was also known as Clarence Place Bridge as Clarence Place is on the east of Newport.

FROM CLARENCE BRIDGE NEWPORT
Esk. Isca. Usk. Every day
mud sculpted to new form,
river-grain breaking according
to the tide, tentatively,
violently at the stone feet
of the bridge. This afternoon
gulls cry under the arches, white
as wreaths of effluent,
plastic, feathers which turning tides
lay at the monument. No one
waits here. Wind bandages my mouth.
From melting snows of Ebbw,
Honddu, Usk, Sirhowy
processions of icy air
file to the sea, threading under
and over the bridges crying
a hymn of wind and water

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Spytty Pill and Monkey island and City Bridge

-
Image
Spytty Pill and Monkey Island and City Bridge Does anyone know how Spytty Pill and Monkey Island became named? Spytty Pill is one of the many tidal inlets on the Usk and the land below it is known as Monkey Island. It is below Newport's City Bridge. It was opened in 2004 as part of the construction/re-generation of the Southern Distributor Road/A48 road in Newport. copyright: Ace McCarron The name Pill is defined as the tidal reach of a waterway, suitable as a harbour, but is only common along the Bristol Channel and the Severn Estuary.  Here is the entrance to Spytty Pill. The Pill is larger than many on the Usk and divides to create two Reens. Liswerry Pill Reen is to the north. A reen is a running waterway that links a ditch or stream to a river and there are many in the Gwent Levels.   River Usk and the edge of Spytty Pill, Newport Viewed from the western side of City Bridge.  Link The gap in the river bank is...
Read more

Buffalo Bill visits Newport on 16th July 1903 and put on a show in Shaftesbury Park.

-
Image
ON THE BANKS OF THE USK:  Buffalo Bill visits Newport on 16th July 1903 and put on a show in Shaftesbury Park.  Buffalo Bill had been persuaded to come to Wales by the famous opera singer  Adeline Patti , who lived in Craig y Nos Casle in the Swansea Valley to visit Britain. Newport Parks Committee decided in February 1903 to permit Colonel Cody's Wild West Company (Buffalo Bill) to use a section of Shaftesbury Park on 16 th July, subject to the Council agreeing that this did not fall within the definition of circuses or menageries, which the Council had decided in April 1900 would not be permitted.  The highlight of his shows was Buffalo Bill riding at full speed across the arena shooting targets thrown into the air. He went on to Cardiff where over four days, he performed to 126,400 people, with families coming from the Valleys and beyond to see the spectacle. Evening Express 17 th July 1903 THE WILD WEST SHOW. INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH COLONEL CODY AT NEWP...
Read more
-
Image
  Artist Ric,   R.L. MacLeod is owner of 'aThousandWordsGallery' in the Kingsway Centre. Some of his work can be seen below.  The Transporter Bridge painted by Ric Ric states, I had someone bring me a drone form China a few years ago , as it's half the cost there. O ver the last 15 months of running my gallery, I've realised that people wanted to see more of Newport , so used the drone to take a few imaginative shots of the Newport icons. Still haven't gotten down the Transporter Bridge with it though, so ended up painting that instead during lockdown as part of my three-piece 'Surreal Silhouette Sunset Series', encompassing original artwork of Newport's most famous structures.  ' As for me' Ric comments, I was born in Newport & lived here my whole life. I've done a bit of travelling in my time though, which turned out to be handy when the opportunity arose to open a store in the Kingsway Centre. Although I'd planned for it to s...
Read more