The Bridge

What's On

Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge (FONTB)

We understand that the bridge will close on Monday November 21st, probably for a week, to change a drum and cable. 

Please check the Newport City Council website for operating times of the Bridge

The volunteer-run Visitor Centre is open whenever possible

 

The Newport Transporter Bridge spans the River Usk in Newport, South Wales and is a Grade 1 Listed Structure. Its historic importance stems from its very unusual design. There are only two others like it in the UK and seven in the World. It is owned and run by Newport City Council and celebrated its centenary in September 2006.

Pictured above, L to R: Lord German, Lady German, David Hando,Chairman. Councillor John Guy, Deputy Mayor of Newport and Mrs Joyce Guy, Deputy Mayoress

 

 

Our Annual General Meeting was held in the Conference Room of the Office for National Statistics on 25 November.   There were three guest speakers. The Deputy Mayor of Newport, Councillor John Guy, outlined the history of the Transporter Bridge, a true Newport icon, and thanked the Friends for their dedicated working in keeping the Bridge in the public eye.  Lord German spoke of the tourist potential of jointly marketing Newport’s three unique features ~ Roman Caerleon, Tredegar House and the Transporter Bridge.  James Tovey presented the Friends with a cheque for £1,300 as part of Tovey Brothers’ commitment to the community as the firm celebrates its 150^th anniversary.

 

In the Chairman’s Report David Hando thanked the Trustees for their sterling work in promoting the Bridge, particularly the volunteers who run the Visitor Centre.  He thanked two retiring Trustees, Chris Boots and Roy Grant for their work for the Friends and expressed the hope that they would be able to rejoin the Committee in the future. Chris is remaining Webmaster. Two new members had done excellent work over the past year, John Evans and Gerald Black and two more new members were elected to the Committee, Visitor Centre volunteers Carrie Bird and Chris Jones.  Other Trustees re-elected were Anne Gatehouse, Linda Davies, Babs Bennett and Sidney Robinson. David Hando, John Evans and Bob Richards remain as Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.

 

The Chairman outlined two ventures for the New Year ~ a pencil sketch competition for 13 to 16 year olds funded by two Friends in exile in Vancouver, Nigel and Joan Fitzpatrick and a Fundraising Concert on February 4^th featuring the Gwent Police Choir and tenor Clive Lemon.  He also reported that the long process of applying for UNESCO World Heritage Status was steadily progressing in co-operation with Middlesbrough, Warrington and the five other remaining Transporter Bridges across the world.

 

Members and guests were delighted with a showing of the Hayley Mills’ narrated film to celebrate the Bridge’s Centenary in 2006, kindly supplied by the Mayor of Newport, Councillor Mrs Margaret Cornelious, who regretted that she had another engagement.  The film included a contribution by Win Lewis, who was present at the AGM, and Terry Underwood, the first Chairman of the Friends.  The evening concluded with refreshments kindly arranged by Joyce Steven.