Vintage Postcard - Leamington Spa Weir and Suspension Bridge

Part of my collection of postcards is this one sent to 23 Bramble Street, Coventry on the 6th September 1901 or 1907, it looks like a 1 to me from the print but looking into the bridges history it wasn't built until 1903. Sadly I can't quite make out the surname of the couple who's first names are Annie & Arthur and appears to be from their cousin Emily. The postcard contains the following text as best I can make out.

"Dearest Annie & Arthur,

I thought perhaps you would like a postcard of Leamington,

my dear sister & I were both there yesterday, it is a beautiful place but I (can't make the word out but thinks it's discovered) you have both been. I shall come over to Coventry sometime & see you because you were both so kind the last time, we are having some beautiful weather now, so we shall both be very pleased to have you both over at Melton when it is most convenient for you to come, so with love & best wishes to you both I will say,

goodbye from your loving cousin Emily"

A copy of the post card without the text can be seen by clicking here.

The suspension bridge still stands today and to give it's proper name is known as the Mill Suspension Bridge, opening to the public in 1903. The bridge is Grade II listed as is the weir below and takes it's name from the site of the towns water mill which stood adjacent to the bridges site and was the towns primary source of water, the mill was demolished in 1899. The bridges design is thought to be based on the Albert Bridge which crossers the River Thames in London.

Until Britain adopted decimal coinage in 1971 the bridge was popular with people throwing pennies and half pennies from the bridge into the weir below, it was once considered good luck and a way of honouring the Gods, I can only assume it was still considered good luck after the bridges opening.

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Denby Dale Railway Station and Viaduct

Denby Dale Railway Station serves the village of Denby Dale in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, it was opened on the 1st July 1850 as a much larger, grander station featuring a number of buildings and platforms and track in both directions. Much of the Penistone Line was singled north of Stocksmoor Station but the line past Denby Dale had already been reduced, having been singled from Clayton West Junction to Penistone through the station and over the viaduct in 1969, with the north bound platform, buildings and entrance removed, not much is evident they were ever there now.

The station was planned by the Huddersfield and Sheffield Junction Railway who had received permission from parliament to build the line in June 1845, by the time the build was completed and opened the line was owned by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway who they had merged with along with many others in July 1847.

The modern day station offers only limited facilities with no toilets or refreshments available, the village centre is only a short walk away though. It is currently used by an average of 3442 passengers per week with an hourly service in each direction Monday to Saturday. 

The pictures below, which can also be seen on Clickasnap were taken on the 21st May 2016 with a Nikon d3300 SLR camera.

The start of Denby Dale Viaduct is just visible down the track.

Denby Dale Viaduct was built along with the line and opened in 1850, originally it was constructed of timber, due to the local price of stone making the project unaffordable. Despite concerns and visit from the board of trade the timber viaduct remained until in March 1877, the railway company under heavy pressure from Huddersfield County Borough Council committed to building a new stone viaduct.  Work commenced on the new viaduct adjacent to the timber one in September 1877 and it was opened on the 15th May 1880. The viaduct is now Grade II listed and features 21 arches.

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Stadio Pierluigi Penzo, Venice

On a visit to Venice in October - November 2018 and being a football fan I wanted to try and visit the local football stadium, I must confess I knew nothing about the local team or even if they had one, but i was intrigued enough to find out knowing the Italians passion for football. 

Upon arrival I asked a couple of people and found yes Venice does have a local football team and they aren't that successful, having gone bankrupt for a third time in 2015 and during the season 2018-19 struggling to avoid relegation from Serie B, eventually surviving a relegation play-off. The only major honour the club has won is the Coppa Italia in 1941.

The stadium itself is the 2nd oldest continually used stadium in Italy, opening in 1913 and takes it's name from fighter pilot Pier Luigi Penzo who served during World War 1. The stadium's record attendance was 26000 in 1966 for a game against AC Milan, a figure that's unlikely to broken as the stadium now has a capacity of just 7450. The stadium looks a little sad and neglected from the outside, I was unable to enter as it was locked up tight and nobody was around to ask, I had thought that you would be able to enter for a small fee. The ground is unique in that visiting teams often arrive by boat.

There are a total of 7 pictures taken around the outside of the ground, they can be seen below or full size, resolution and un-watermarked on Clickasnap.

The video below is taken from my YouTube channel.

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Shepley Railway Station

Shepley Railway Station is an album of images taken by me on the 21st May 2016 using a Nikon d3300 SLR camera. They can be seen below or on Clickasnap higher resolution and un-watermarked by clicking any image.

Shepley railway station serves the villages of Shepley and Shelley on the outskirts of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Opened on the 1st July 1850 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company, the line was authorised by an act of parliament on the 30th June 1845 to connect Huddersfield with the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway at Penistone. The line from Penistone to Manchester passed through the Woodhead tunnels and closed in 1981.

Shepley became a junction station on the 1st September 1879 when the 3.5 mile branch line to Clayton West opened and was known as Shepley and Shelley station during this time. The branch closed in 1983 and at the same time much of the Pensitone line was singled, with Shepley keeping it's double track layout only to provide a passing loop between here and Stocksmoor.

The modern day station is a 2 platform staggered lay out either side of a bridge, the station has been unstaffed since 1966 and has only limited facilities. There are no toilets, ticketing machines, disabled access or shops at the station. The station was used by 71536 passengers during 2018/19 at an average of 1375 per week a drop of approx 55 passengers per week on the previous year.

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