the orwell bridge
the orwell bridge
29th January 2020
Having worked in Ipswich in the late 1990's I became quite familiar with it on my daily journey. Opened in December 1982 it completed the much needed bypass around Ipswich and the relentless heavy traffic bound for Felixstowe docks no longer rumbled through the town centre.
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I needed a starting point for my project and this geographically being the furthest east seemed the natural place to start. I had never ventured off the well trodden path of the A14 and had no idea you could access the base of this majestic structure.
For some reason unknown to man, I am drawn to the delights of Brutalist Concrete Architecture and these pillars and posts really 'floated my boat' and form the main part of this set of photographs.
It was a bright and chilly winters afternoon when I visited this site just east of Wherstead in Suffolk and with the sun setting in the west a lovely golden glow was cast over the bridge brightening up the cold grey concrete and creating some warm reflections in the River Orwell.
​
The images below capture both the stark industrial concrete structure and the rural location on the banks of the River Orwell.
​
To view the full size images click and scroll through the gallery.
29th January 2020
Having worked in Ipswich in the late 1990's I became quite familiar with it on my daily journey. Opened in December 1982 it completed the much needed bypass around Ipswich and the relentless heavy traffic bound for Felixstowe docks no longer rumbled through the town centre.
​
I needed a starting point for my project and this geographically being the furthest east seemed the natural place to start. I had never ventured off the well trodden path of the A14 and had no idea you could access the base of this majestic structure.
For some reason unknown to man, I am drawn to the delights of Brutalist Concrete Architecture and these pillars and posts really 'floated my boat' and form the main part of this set of photographs.
It was a bright and chilly winters afternoon when I visited this site just east of Wherstead in Suffolk and with the sun setting in the west a lovely golden glow was cast over the bridge brightening up the cold grey concrete and creating some warm reflections in the River Orwell.
​
The images below capture both the stark industrial concrete structure and the rural location on the banks of the River Orwell.
​
To view the full size images click and scroll through the gallery.
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WHITE ENSIGN v HALSTEAD TOWN
Saturday 4th February - Kick Off 2.00pm I was kindly offered a lift to this away match against White Ensign. A Southend based team who play their home games at nearby Great Wakering Rovers Burroughs Park ground. It had been some time since I had been to Southend and it is now one continuous sprawl of houses and retail outlets serviced by a dual carriageway which was bumper to bumper the whole way. ​We finally got across to the eastern side of Southend and made our way out to Great Wakering, a small town (or large village) which by comparison to the urban sprawl of Southend felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. We turned left up a narrow lane to the ground which went through the middle of the local allotments to find a nice well kept little ground with a good size car park. ​I did feel a bit sorry for White Ensign as there was a sense of them being the tenants at a bigger clubs ground, which was all painted in the green and white for Gt Wakering, with only the corner flags being in the red and blue of White Ensign. With the journey taking an hour and forty minutes it didn’t leave much time for me to familiarise myself with the ground, set my camera up and have a quick bite to eat. It was a good job I’d taken a sandwich as the refreshment’s kiosk was still in darkness before the match. ​Before I knew it, the game was underway and it took me a while to find a vantage point I was happy with. Halstead hoped to carry on where they left off last week against Enfield, but White Ensign were a lot more direct and physical than last weeks slick and fast league leaders. ​Both teams gave as good as they got but it was a very workman like match. If anything Halstead played the better football, but White Ensign were hard to break down and other than a rare miss by Jordan Blackwell on the stroke of half time, there wasn’t a lot in it. The home side came out for the second half looking more lively and took the lead after 48 minutes with a very well taken goal which saw Halstead keeper and captain beaten with a well hit lob. ​Going behind so early in the second half earlier in the season Halstead's heads would have dropped and they would have probably have ended up losing 3 or 4 nil, but they have developed a galvanised and resolute spirit and quickly got back into the game when Matt Travell equalised with a well struck shot. ​This spurred Halstead on and they pressed for a winner and had several chances to take all three points, but White Ensign who had been reduced to 10 men held firm and the points were shared. That’s four matches undefeated for Halstead and with a home match against Barking on Saturday it will be interesting to see if they can keep the run going. ​Essex Senior League - Premier Division Burroughs Park, Great Wakering White Ensign 1-1 Halstead Town Admission - £8 (£5 concessions) Programme - £1.00 Hot Dog & Chips - £4.50 Att 60 (approx)
