We’re looking forward to the Women into Manufacturing and Engineering open day at the Guildhall this Saturday. We’ll be there along with a host of other local companies and organisations (such as Siemens Gamesa, Airco, Swift, etc) to give advice to visitors and to talk about opportunities across the sector.
The region’s dignitaries who attended the Civic Day at the Humber Bridge on Saturday, in front of the north tower.
DIGNITARIES and Civic Leaders gathered at the Humber Bridge on Saturday to celebrate the iconic structure’s place at the heart of the local community.
Mayors of Hull, Barton and North Lincolnshire; the Lord Lieutenant of East Yorkshire and Vice Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, and; representatives from the four local authorities and town councils near to the bridge, all took part in the Civic event which included a tour of the bridge and a trip up the north tower.
The visit was organised by the Humber Bridge Board to celebrate the close working relationship the Board has with its local stakeholders and the public.
It was organised by Cllr Sean Chaytor, Labour councillor for Marfleet and Vice Chair of the Humber Bridge Board, who said it pointed the way to a more open future where the public will be able to tour the bridge, from the inner workings beneath the road surface to the tops of the towers.
Cllr Chaytor said: “This is the first of a series of events which aim to demonstrate how much we appreciate the partnerships with have with our stakeholders in the region, and the public. It is about firmly cementing the bridge into the fabric of the local community.
“All the dignitaries who have attended have seen a totally new and different side to the Humber Bridge and one they will not forget, particularly the views from the top of the towers which are spectacular.”
Cllr Chaytor added that events like this were a ‘warm up’ for the Humber Bridge’s 40th anniversary celebrations, which will take place throughout 2021.
He said: “There will be a huge amount going on over the next couple of years as we move towards 2021, and then a whole year of fantastic events and activities to celebrate the bridge’s 40th birthday. In many ways, the Civic Day is a soft launch of all of that.”
As well as touring the bridge, guests heard talks from the Hidden Histories team about how the Heritage Lottery-funded project was progressing, and took in the Soap Box Derby, which was also taking place on Saturday.
They were greeted by Humber Bridge Chief Executive Dr Kevin Moore, who was part of the team that guided the dignitaries around the bridge.
Dr Moore said: “It was a privilege to show our guests around the bridge to enable them to understand more about what we do here, but more importantly the value of the asset that we are entrusted to manage.
“The Humber Bridge is a true icon of this region and tours like this really help to enforce that status within the hearts and minds of local people.”
The Board is publishing this list as, unfortunately, even when the bridge is closed to high-sided vehicles, a number of drivers choose to ignore the warning and guidance and continue their journey, putting themselves and other users at risk.
According to Humber Bridge Chief Executive, Dr Kevin Moore, “Some people will cross because they do not realise they are driving a high-sided vehicle.”
Dr Moore said: “We understand there is some confusion around exactly what constitutes a high-sided vehicle. As a result, we have consulted with agencies such as the Road Haulage Association and Humberside Police to compile a list which will help people understand which vehicles are unsafe to cross in high winds.
“The list can be found on our website, and we will also be handing out information at the toll booths. People can also find out the details on our social media channels.”
Dr Moore added: ”Unfortunately, it appears that some drivers are fully aware that they are not supposed to cross during windy conditions but deliberately flout the rules, putting themselves and others at risk.”
The vehicles that should not cross the Humber Bridge in high winds are:
• High-sided rigid or articulated HGVs*
• Articulated tippers*
• Rigid tippers*
• Car transporters
• Abnormal loads
• Double-decker buses
• Furniture vans
• Luton vans
• Transit van-style vehicles with modifications
• Vehicles with trailers or caravans
• Motorcycles and mopeds
*Regardless of whether empty or full
The Humber Bridge Board is also advising drivers who have roofboxes to make sure that they are properly fastened to their cars before crossing the bridge.
The Humber Bridge Board has successfully prosecuted four more people for climbing the bridge without permission.
Swingler, 23 of Dudley, West Midlands, and Grassi-Havnen, 21, of Sutton Coldfield, attempted to climb the bridge on July 26th last year.
This was followed, just days later, by London-based Taylor (18) and Parshotan, aged 28, who illegally climbed the Humber Bridge on August 1st.
Swingler and Grassi-Havnen both pleaded guilty to trespass. Swingler was fined £135 and ordered to pay costs of £125 plus a victim surcharge of £30. Grassi-Havnen was fined £100, ordered to pay costs of £125 and a victim surcharge of £30. Taylor and Parshotan were each fined £235 and ordered to pay costs of £125 plus a victim surcharge of £30.
The Humber Bridge Board has now successfully prosecuted five individuals for unauthorised access to the bridge infrastructure. In January this year, daredevil BMX rider Ryan Taylor was fined £400 and ordered to pay £125 costs after he breached the bye-laws in May 2017.
Dr Kevin Moore, Chief Executive of the Humber Bridge, said the prosecutions should act as a stark warning to anyone contemplating illegal activity on the bridge. He said: “As these prosecutions demonstrate, we take a zero-tolerance approach to people illegally climbing the Humber Bridge. We want people to understand how dangerous these actions are to themselves and other members of the public.”
A new mental health campaign designed by young volunteers from Hull to help their peers has been launched today (27 March) with a creative and emotive soundscape along the Humber Bridge.
HeadStart is a five-year, £56 million programme set up by the Big Lottery Fund. Young people aged between 12 and 20 from across the city, some of whom have had their own personal struggles with depression and low self-esteem, have developed the idea.
With support from local published poet Vicky Foster and sound designer Mark Jones, the young people have produced inspirational messages and poems to tackle the taboo of mental health. It is also about reaching out to other children and young people who may be suffering from emotional issues, and maybe having a hard time talking about their feelings. They want all young people to know that even in difficult times when they can feel at their most isolated, “you are not alone”.
Twelve loudspeakers along the Humber Bridge will provide creative soundbites with positive messages from young people to reach those most in need from today and will run until 17th April. It will provide a unique listening experience for those who walk across the Bridge’s 2,220-metre span – which is the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world that it is possible to cross by foot or on cycle.
Gail Teasdale, programme lead, said: “Headstart Hull is about building young people’s emotional resilience and encourage them to talk about their problems before they develop into anything more serious. This ‘You are not alone’ campaign is all about challenging the stigmas, influencing decisions and raising awareness.
“The HeadStarters want all of Hull’s children and young people to know that they are not alone, that people care, that help is available, and that with time and support, they can overcome their issues and experience good times again.”
Kaitlyn Robson, aged 15, and Ben Waudby, 18, both pupils at Malet Lambert School in Hull, are among a small group of Headstarters who developed the idea and wanted to do something positive.
Ben said: “Young people’s mental health and well-being are neglected in society, and it’s time to fix that.”
Kaitlyn said: “I wanted to do this campaign as I’m passionate about mental health and I think this campaign is a creative way to make a difference.”
The Humber Bridge Board has fully supported the campaign. Chief Executive Dr Kevin Moore says: “We are very pleased to support this excellent project, which highlights and responds to the important issue of mental health in our communities. The young people involved are to be commended for their passion, creativity and hard work.”
HeadStart promotes positive emotional health and wellbeing, aimed at children and young people and their families to develop skills to cope with life challenges. It provides an appropriate early help response through targeted interventions for young people aged 10 to 16. The services include a range of support for young people including peer mentors, group work, counselling and resilience coaches. There is also peer mentoring and group work support for parents. Services can currently be accessed via referrals from schools or young people’s community based services, where staff have received training.
Andrew Arundel, Head of Engineering and Infrastructure, says: “The first part of this major maintenance programme for the Bridge has been completed successfully and we now move to the southbound carriageway. I’d like to remind motorists to take care with the speed restrictions as we progress the work.”
Residents who live close to the Bridge in the Hessle area are being notified of the work directly, as noise levels may rise briefly during the middle of March as the old joints are removed.
The Humber Bridge Farmers’ Market, which was due to take place this Sunday 4th March, has been postponed because of the ground conditions caused by the current extreme weather.
The Humber Bridge Board and the new operators, The Market Managers, made the decision to postpone following an inspection of the car park.
Co-director Andrew Riley says: “It’s unfortunate to have to move our first market as operators, but health and safety come first with such a popular event and traders were starting to ask us about this particular date, given the conditions. We wanted to be fair to everyone.”
The market, which offers up to 160 stalls and attracts thousands of people, takes place in the Humber Bridge car park outside the tourist information centre once a month and has been a fixture on the events calendar for the last decade.
The next date will be Easter Sunday, 1st April, from 9-1.30.
Humber Bridge Chief Executive Kevin Moore says: “It’s the right decision, given the icy conditions in the car park and the continued big freeze. We look forward to welcoming everyone on Easter Sunday.”
An arts-based company, which works across the Humber region, has been appointed to manage the first Lottery-funded heritage initiative by the Humber Bridge Board.
The Culture House, based in Grimsby, is to run the Hidden Histories of the Humber Bridge project, which has been grant-aided by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project aims to uncover the social history of the Bridge, with an initial emphasis on the construction of the iconic structure to its official opening in 1981.
The HLF has awarded the Bridge £65,700 to start developing an archive by capturing the stories of those involved and the impact the Humber Bridge has had on people’s lives.
The Culture House team of Charlotte Bowen (above right) and Lis Poulsom will train up and manage a group of volunteers to support the research and gathering of the stories, stage a series of touring exhibitions and ultimately a heritage event at the end of the 18-month project in 2019.
Lis, associate producer for The Culture House, says: “We’re very passionate about the area and are thrilled to have been appointed to manage this new venture for the Humber Bridge. We have a track record in delivering arts and heritage projects, on both banks on the Humber, working with volunteers, so this is a wonderful opportunity for us to deliver a very important regional project.”
Humber Bridge Chief Executive Dr Kevin Moore says: “This project is so timely as we approach our 40th anniversary in three years’ time. We particularly want to capture and cherish the memories of everyone involved in the early days, up to the Queen’s official opening in 1981.”
Potential volunteers have already come forward to be part of this project after the grant was announced at the end of last year. The project team is keen to hear from more as well.
The Humber Bridge Farmers’ Market is to be taken over by experienced Yorkshire operators, The Market Managers, starting with the March 2018 event.
The Market Managers, who run regular artisan food events at Beverley, Malton and Scarborough, have been appointed by the Humber Bridge Board to operate the popular monthly markets, which offer up to 160 stalls and attract some 5,000 visitors. The company is run by co–directors Caroline Anderson and Andrew Riley (pictured above).
Andrew says: “It’s great to have this opportunity to operate the prestigious Humber Bridge Farmers’ Market and develop it further. We want traders to feel assured that the event they have been an invaluable part of will continue and grow in this prime location.”
The next event is to take place on Sunday 4th March, 9-1.
The Humber Bridge Chief Executive, Kevin Moore, says: “We have acted quickly to make sure it is business as usual for the Farmers’ Market and have been delighted at the support of the traders. The Market Managers have demonstrated excellent vision and we look forward to their first event in March.”