When the crane hit the bridge the jib came down on to a car. It happened to be the car of my good friend Ken Strachan, he was on his way home to Fishburn where he and his wife Sylvia had a shop there. Luckily he didn”t have a passenger as it completely wrecked the passenger side and also missed Ken.
I seem to remember the day the Blue bridge got knocked down as I was 8 at the time and happened to look out of my front room window with a toy telescope and couldn”t believe my eyes. A mobile crane was passing under and its jib was raised slightly and struck the bridge. I am sure that was what happened, unless I am mistaken? I also remember somebodys mother being knocked down and killed at the blue bridge as some people would not walk over it as they felt it unsafe and continued to run across the road to catch the bus.
Re George Malcolm, you are correct Roy, it was a long time ago. I remember 4 of us sat together at a table in the infants school, George, Ian Smith from Ragpath Lane – he was killed when a table lamp fell into the bath, around the same time, 1954, his father was the local window cleaner from Ragpath Lane. Years later Derek Walton, also of Ragpath Lane, crashed and died on his motor bike hitting a lamp post on the A19, I”ve never ridden a motorbike since. (Although I cycle daily to work and back in Shanghai these days!)
The boy Alan is on about was George Malcolm brother of Garry and John who lived at 2 Renvyle Ave on Roseworth, John was in my class at school until a few years later when the family emigrated to Australia. Roy.
Exactly at this spot, in 1954 my school chum George McDonald, 6 yrs old was knocked down and killed, the section was called the mad mile, long before Hardwick was built.
It is great to finally see this picture as I heard the story of Blue Bridge, we lived in Roseworth at the time but I was too young to remember it. Interestingly, Ordnance Survey maps up until the 1980s, still marked a footbridge at this point.
Remember going to the sea cadets when the bridge was crashed into by a mobile crane, couldnt wait to get back from sea cadets to see what state the bridge was in!!
THE REASON I AM SO SURE OF THE DATE IS THAT I WAS TRAVELLING UP TO NEWCASTLE ON THE EVENING IN QUESTION TO SEE COCKNEY REBEL & THE COACH HEADING FROM STOCKTON HIGH STREET HAD TO DIVERT THROUGH ROSEWORTH AT THE MILE HOUSE JUNCTION. WHEN THE DRIVER WAS QUESTIONED TO WHY HE WAS GOING THIS WAY HE EXPLAINED THE REASON. I STILL HAVE THE CONCERT TICKET [SAD I KNOW] AND RECENTLY CHECKED THE DATE
I REMEMBER THE DAY THE BRIDGE OPENED (IF THATS THE RIGHT WORD) 1968 I THINK. MYSELF & BUNCH OF KIDS FROM NEARBY HARROWGATE JUNIOR SCHOOL WALKED OVER IT ABOUT 6 TIMES JUST FOR SOMETHING TO DO. THE REASON IT WAS ERRECTED WAS THAT PART OF DURHAM ROAD WAS A BLACKSPOT FOR PEDESTRIANS WITH A FEW PEOPLE BEING KNOCKED DOWN AFTER THE BUILDING OF THE HARDWICK ESTATE. IT WAS DISMANTLED AFTER A CRANE CRASHED INTO IT ON 8/4/75
Pedestrian crossing being erected just north of the Mile House, damaged some years later by a crane on a lorry and dismantled. Not that it was used much as I remember.
I remember that evening very well, a fantastic concert and still have the tee shirt though it fits my grandson now!
When the crane hit the bridge the jib came down on to a car. It happened to be the car of my good friend Ken Strachan, he was on his way home to Fishburn where he and his wife Sylvia had a shop there. Luckily he didn”t have a passenger as it completely wrecked the passenger side and also missed Ken.
I seem to remember the day the Blue bridge got knocked down as I was 8 at the time and happened to look out of my front room window with a toy telescope and couldn”t believe my eyes. A mobile crane was passing under and its jib was raised slightly and struck the bridge. I am sure that was what happened, unless I am mistaken? I also remember somebodys mother being knocked down and killed at the blue bridge as some people would not walk over it as they felt it unsafe and continued to run across the road to catch the bus.
Re George Malcolm, you are correct Roy, it was a long time ago. I remember 4 of us sat together at a table in the infants school, George, Ian Smith from Ragpath Lane – he was killed when a table lamp fell into the bath, around the same time, 1954, his father was the local window cleaner from Ragpath Lane. Years later Derek Walton, also of Ragpath Lane, crashed and died on his motor bike hitting a lamp post on the A19, I”ve never ridden a motorbike since. (Although I cycle daily to work and back in Shanghai these days!)
The boy Alan is on about was George Malcolm brother of Garry and John who lived at 2 Renvyle Ave on Roseworth, John was in my class at school until a few years later when the family emigrated to Australia. Roy.
Exactly at this spot, in 1954 my school chum George McDonald, 6 yrs old was knocked down and killed, the section was called the mad mile, long before Hardwick was built.
It is great to finally see this picture as I heard the story of Blue Bridge, we lived in Roseworth at the time but I was too young to remember it. Interestingly, Ordnance Survey maps up until the 1980s, still marked a footbridge at this point.
Remember going to the sea cadets when the bridge was crashed into by a mobile crane, couldnt wait to get back from sea cadets to see what state the bridge was in!!
THE REASON I AM SO SURE OF THE DATE IS THAT I WAS TRAVELLING UP TO NEWCASTLE ON THE EVENING IN QUESTION TO SEE COCKNEY REBEL & THE COACH HEADING FROM STOCKTON HIGH STREET HAD TO DIVERT THROUGH ROSEWORTH AT THE MILE HOUSE JUNCTION. WHEN THE DRIVER WAS QUESTIONED TO WHY HE WAS GOING THIS WAY HE EXPLAINED THE REASON. I STILL HAVE THE CONCERT TICKET [SAD I KNOW] AND RECENTLY CHECKED THE DATE
Peter was it 1975 that the crane hit the bridge? That is amazing and scary – I am older then I thought. Fantastic pics tho mate.
I REMEMBER THE DAY THE BRIDGE OPENED (IF THATS THE RIGHT WORD) 1968 I THINK. MYSELF & BUNCH OF KIDS FROM NEARBY HARROWGATE JUNIOR SCHOOL WALKED OVER IT ABOUT 6 TIMES JUST FOR SOMETHING TO DO. THE REASON IT WAS ERRECTED WAS THAT PART OF DURHAM ROAD WAS A BLACKSPOT FOR PEDESTRIANS WITH A FEW PEOPLE BEING KNOCKED DOWN AFTER THE BUILDING OF THE HARDWICK ESTATE. IT WAS DISMANTLED AFTER A CRANE CRASHED INTO IT ON 8/4/75
My dad was the crane drive who dismantled the blue bridge, don’t know who caused accident in first place,
Pedestrian crossing being erected just north of the Mile House, damaged some years later by a crane on a lorry and dismantled. Not that it was used much as I remember.