Striders Diary - Weds 11 October 2006

Striders Big Adventure

Strider visits a school on the outskirts of Bristol, then learns about the Clifton Suspension bridge.
Hello everyone.

I started my adventures bright and early with a walk to a school in Downend, South Gloucestershire (on the outskirts of Bristol).

Christ Church Infant School, Downend

I had a great time walking with the children from Christ Church Infant School. We met outside Somerfield in Downend and walked up to the school. We had about 30 of the infant school children and their parents, younger and older brothers and sisters and even two pet dogs!

The dogs got their noses into everything but were very well behaved. Walking to school isn't just good for humans - it gives dogs some exercise too!

We had to cross over quite a few roads and used the pelican crossing for the main road. We were joined for the journey by the road safety officer from South Gloucestershire council, who took lots of photographs!

I was really worried about the weather, because it was overcast and I was worried it would rain. We were lucky and the rain held off.

We came in to school through the back gate and all had our photo taken standing by the school mosaic. See photo

Clifton Suspension Bridge

One of my new friends suggested I had a look at the Clifton Suspension Bridge over the Avon Gorge, just south of Bristol. It was a very pretty area, and the bridge was very spectacular.

The story of the bridge began in 1754 when a Bristol wine seller left some money when he died to build a bridge across the gorge.

They organised a competition to design the bridge, but the judge decided his own design should win! This wasn't a popular idea, and eventually a 24 year old engineer called Isambard Kingdom Brunel was given the job.

The building work started in 1831, but there were big problems with money and by 1841 only the towers at each end were completed.

When Brunel died in 1859, aged only 53, it was decided to finish the bridge in his memory.

It finally opened for traffic in 1864. It was such a good design that, despite only being designed for horses and horse drawn carts (this was before cars were invented), it is strong enough to stand up to around 12000 cars driving over it every day. It would be better if more people walked over it though! See photo below

Thanks for all your help so far

Keep walking to school and telling me all about it
On Wednesday, 633 Walks to School were recorded on my website. Thanks to everyone who has already logged their journeys, but please keep adding your journeys. Find out how to record your journeys to school, and keep me on my Big Adventure. Keep walking!

Photo credits: Wendy Feltham, Ianus

Published Thursday 12 October 2006