Emergency Bridge County Hall 1942
As a precaution in case any of the main Thames bridges should suffer serious damage in the Blitz, the London County Council (LCC) built three new Emergency Bridges across the river. Starting in 1940, all were built simultaneously by Holloway Brothers, to the same basic design incorporating timber-piling supporting steel-girders for the decking. This was similar to the temporary bridge erected alongside Lambeth Bridge during its reconstruction (1928-32) and that erected alongside Waterloo Bridge during its rebuilding (1936-1942). The three Emergency bridges served London until 1947-8, when they were dismantled.
Emergency bridge no. 1 ran from County Hall to the Victoria Embankment, connecting the LCC with Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence, in case Westminster Bridge was destroyed.
As a precaution in case any of the main Thames bridges should suffer serious damage in the Blitz, the London County Council (LCC) built three new Emergency Bridges across the river. Starting in 1940, all were built simultaneously by Holloway Brothers, to the same basic design incorporating timber-piling supporting steel-girders for the decking. This was similar to the temporary bridge erected alongside Lambeth Bridge during its reconstruction (1928-32) and that erected alongside Waterloo Bridge during its rebuilding (1936-1942). The three Emergency bridges served London until 1947-8, when they were dismantled.
Emergency bridge no. 1 ran from County Hall to the Victoria Embankment, connecting the LCC with Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence, in case Westminster Bridge was destroyed.
1918 Women workers mixing Prussian blue at the Gas Light and Coke Company, Bromley By Bow , London. Prussian blue was the first modern synthetic pigment. It is prepared as a very fine colloidal dispersion , because the compound is not soluble in water . The pigment is used in paints , and it is the traditional “ blue” In blueprints in the 19th century.
A fascinating building in Kensington: Sambourne House at 18 Stafford Terrace. A house where everything is still original from the 19th century. It was the home of Punch illustrator Edward Linley Sambourne. Nowhere else have I been able to better recreate the lifestyle of the well-off English bourgeoisie.
It’s really well worth a visit.
It’s really well worth a visit.