Bridge of Sighs

This lifting bridge over the ship canal (which sits adjacent to the M60 high level Barton Bridge) opened just before Christmas. It has had quite a history, well covered in the local press. An almost catastrophic failure of the lifting mechanism which meant a new deck and a 12 month delay. And then a very public dispute between the developer and owner (Peel) and the two local authorities on either side of the canal (Salford and Trafford). This is not the place to rehearse all of that. But it's open at last, which is the main thing.

And it's the twelfth night of Christmas. Our Christmas Tree is still up, everything else down, and lights off now for another year. Epiphany will see everything back in the loft. We're late this year (it's been that sort of festive season), but it has seemed right to keep things up until now.

Thank goodness it's the weekend. Even if I appear to have caught my second cold of the season. Grrrr !