Hi all,
I'm keeping pretty busy at the moment especially on the writing front. I am proofreading my book about "Writing: Become a Freelance Writer Plus Self-publishing & POD" whilst trying to do some drawings for my second book about fishing.
Those of you who are familiar with my writing, will know that I like to include a few sketches in my books to give the writing a bit of life. You can see one of my drawings on the right.
Working on the two things together is good because it gives me a break from seeing what I have written. If you've ever tried to proofread your own work you will know that you very often see what you think you've written and not what is actually on the page.
Anyway, while I was writing my second fishing book I felt the need to illustrate a scene from the past; a lovely little fishing spot called Shaky Bridges. The chapter deals with my father taking me to fish a river for the first time and we end up at Shakey Bridges.
Now unless you live in Stafford you won't have heard of Shakey Bridges, but if you are over fifty and live anywhere near the county town the mention of it's name should bring a warm glow to your soul. The same as it does when anybody mentions the Royal Brine Baths, (how could they knock it down? They should've been locked up) but that's another story.
Shakey Bridges crossed the river sow (pronouced like a female pig)about a mile north of Stafford. Set in a lovely valley it had everything, a small weir, a lovely pebble beach, and a pool that was deep enough to swim in without the risk of drowning. If that wasn't good enough, it was flanked by a couple of the most picturesque weeping-willows trees you ever did see.
So nice was this place that people took their kids to Shakey Bridges for a day out. In fact it is rumoured that in the sixties the people of Stafford had two holiday destinations to choose from. Those who could afford it went to Rhyl whilst the rest went to Shakey Bridges.
The problem now is that Shakey Bridges is not accessible anymore and hasn't been for the last thirty odd years. I would like to do a sketch of the place to accompany my writing and so that it can go down in history. However, the only thing I have to go on is my memory of the place, and what I can remember of Shakey Bridges probably won't be the same as other people's memories of the place.
Ideally, I would like a photograph of Shakey Bridges to use for the basis of my sketch. I have put an appeal in the local paper asking for a photo, but I've had no answer yet. If any of you out there have a picture of Shakey Bridges from the fifties or sixties I would be very pleased to hear from you.
Just a reminder that a free sample download of my first fishing book is available from my website. Click here for free download. I'll let you know in a couple weeks if I got any photos; if I do, I'll include a couple on the post.
My memory’s of Shakey Bridges come from the late 50s and most of the 60s, yes we did go to Rhyl, and they say don’t ever go back and they are right went back a few years ago so disappointed and a very sad to see how it’s gone downhill. Any way Shakey Bridges and my memory’s, it never rained the sun shone all the summer we would all leave home (walking as not many had cars back then) with a blanket picnic swimming costume and a towel and walk from Tillington past the new road (M6) Creswell past the only shop on the right at the top of the road then about another mile before crossing the road by two trees and across the field. As you crossed the field there was a little fort to the left (an outpost I think from Stafford castle) then you would come to trees and a steep downhill path down to the bridge, at the top of the hill you could look down to the river and across to the far bank with a large hill behind it witch was usually covered with family’s doing the same as you, sometimes you had a job getting a spot to set up for the day, most went in the river one way or the other either paddling our as my sister did with a push from my baby brother into the deep part of the river where my cosine and myself where swimming, and as my farther went to pull her out he also got a push but unfortunately didn’t go in. we did use Shakey Bridges in the not so busy times to go fishing walking playing solders in the little fort or just lying on that grass bank looking up at the clouds parps thinking where are our lives were going to lead. A lot happens to us all in our lives but having a thing like Shakey Bridges in our childhood makes you think how lucky we are, not all children will have those memory’s, I will l go back one day and lay on that grass bank I hope it’s the same as I remember Cliff Webb
ReplyDeleteHi Cliff, same memories as you, also lived on Tillington in Simpson close. The whole close used to go along and many happy memories
DeleteIn potatoes picking time we also went further along all on the back of the tractor trailer and picked potoes for a Hugh amount of money, think my mum got £1.50
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ReplyDeleteShaky Bridges is accessible, we went today as we live in Seighford.
ReplyDeleteShaky Bridges is accessible, we went today as we live in Seighford.
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