I spent three hours at Tower Bridge and got some astounding night shots, some of which I was more than pleased with and a couple I was really proud of . . .
got home, put card in built in reader, Card is corrupt !
put card back in camera to check images . . . Fine !
use USB cable to connect camera to comp . . . no images . . . WTF ?
there followed a hair tearing period where I doubted the camera, the card and my own sanity after much experimentation and head scratching with 4 CF cards scattered across the desk all corrupted I was at my wits end
then by pure chance I decided to put a very old CF card in the comp reader
only for it to slide into the slot with no resistance at all !
bloody built in reader Pins are knackered and that was the cause of the problems all along,
I could have salvaged my pics had I known Grrr
Oooh I know I have a rescue thing bit of software . . . BRB . . .
Tower Bridge on a different night :-)
a site that is rarely seen even by Londoners, but on 09-09-2011 the bridge opened 9 times in one day
125 years old and still going strong
London Bridge was originally the only crossing for the Thames. As London grew, so more bridges were added, although these were all built to the west of London Bridge, since the area east of London Bridge had become a busy port. In the 19th century, the East End of London became so densely populated that public need mounted for a new bridge to the east of London Bridge, as journeys for pedestrians and vehicles were being delayed by hours. Finally in 1876, the City of London Corporation, responsible for that part of the Thames, decided the problem could be delayed no longer.
The view today from the high level Walkways has changed dramatically, although there are still signs of the area's amazing history. With the aid of photographs and interactive kiosks, visitors to Tower Bridge Exhibition can gain a greater understanding of how life would have been when the idea of a new bridge was originally conceived.
It took 8 years, 5 major contractors and the relentless labour of 432 construction workers to build Tower Bridge.
Two massive piers were sunk into the river bed to support the construction and over 11,000 tons of steel provided the framework for the Towers and Walkways. This framework was clad in Cornish granite and Portland stone to protect the underlying steelwork and to give the Bridge a more pleasing appearance.
To learn more about the building of Tower Bridge, the people involved in its construction and why it was needed, visit The Tower Bridge Exhibition where video screenings explain the entire project, including the difficulties faced.
When it was built, Tower Bridge was the largest and most sophisticated bascule bridge ever completed ("bascule" comes from the French for "see-saw"). These bascules were operated by hydraulics, using steam to power the enormous pumping engines. The energy created was stored in six massive accumulators, as soon as power was required to lift the Bridge, it was always readily available. The accumulators fed the driving engines, which drove the bascules up and down. Despite the complexity of the system, the bascules only took about a minute to raise to their maximum angle of 86 degrees.
Today, the bascules are still operated by hydraulic power, but since 1976 they have been driven by oil and electricity rather than steam. The original pumping engines, accumulators and boilers are now exhibits within the Tower Bridge Exhibition.
just a few facts:
1910 - the high-level walkways, which were designed so that the public could still cross the bridge when it was raised, were closed down due to lack of use.
1912 - during an emergency, Frank McClean had to fly between the bascules and the high-level walkways in his Short biplane, to avoid an accident.
1952 - a London bus driven by Albert Gunton had to leap from one bascule to the other when the bridge began to rise with the number 78 bus still on it.
1977 - Tower Bridge was painted red, white and blue to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee. (Before that, it was painted a chocolate brown colour).
1982 - Tower Bridge opened to the public for the first time since 1910, with a permanent exhibition inside called The Tower Bridge Experience.
http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/TBE/EN/
Love 'N' Laughter Kriss
Love 'N' Laughter Kriss X X
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