Lanarkshire Philatelic Society

"World Bridges"

Stan Brown

'Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay!  With your numerous arches and pillars in so grand array' (Wm McGonagall). A cover commemorating the 100th anniversary of the collapse of this bridge was one of the "World Bridges" displayed by Stan Brown, who is the Secretary of the Alba Stamp Group, at our recent meeting. He has been collecting stamps, covers and postcards of world bridges for over 40 years and now his collection begins from the very early Stone Bridge over the River Barle in Exmoor and continues through an amazing display of girder, steam, stone arch, steel arch, aqueduct, viaduct, motorway, cable stayed, suspension & cantilever bridges. 
 
The world's highest bridge is the Millau Bridge in France - opened in December 2004 - while the Sydney Harbour Bridge is both the largest steel arch and widest longspan bridge.
 
'Bridging the Gap' was the comment made about the Oresund Bridge which connects Sweden with Denmark! This bridge, opened in 2000, has the longest cable-stayed main span in the world for both road and rail traffic.
 
One bridge, named to suit the circumstance, is that of Bloody Bridge, Norfolk Island. It had a penal settlement and a convict killed a warder on the bridge!
 
A 'fictional' bridge was used on stamps issued in 1984 to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of CEPT (Conference of European Postal and Telecommunications) to symbolise the linking of the CEPT nations together.
 
We crossed many bridges as we travelled the world - and, returning to Scotland, we crossed the Forth Rail Bridge, the Glenfinnan Viaduct, the 'Bridge over the Atlantic' - and also admired the Air Letter depicting Tam O'Shanter galloping on his mare to the Brig O'Doon - 'Now do thy speedy utmost, Meg, And win the key-stone o' the Brig;' (Robert Burns) 

 
David Haig accorded a warm Vote of Thanks for a most interesting and enlightening evening.