The Severn Bridge

On 8th September 1966, when I had just turned 9, I saw this bridge officially declared open by Her Majesty the Queen. All of us at Bulwark Junior were marched down to the roundabout at the bottom of the A466 (Welsh side of the Bridge) to see the stone unveiled. We then all set off to walk across.
The bridge deck sections were built in my home town of Chepstow at Fairfield Mabey and floated down the river to be hoisted into place.
The Severn Bridge always has been a toll bridge. Originally the charge was half a crown (two shillings and six pence, 12.5p in today's reckoning) now it is £6.20. It was built out of public funds, and the toll was for the public to pay back the public for the cost of building it. Once the fees collected from the public had covered the cost paid by the public to build it, to maintain it, and to cover the interest on the public money used to build it, the bridge was sold to a French firm. Thank you Margaret Thatcher.
This photo is taken from the English side at what used to be Aust Services.