Still Standing Strong - Forth Bridge Is 125 Years Young

By Shiona McCallum A week of celebrations is taking place to mark the 125th anniversary of the opening of the Forth Bridge, an iconic structure recognised across the world. Events will see 300 charity abseilers participating in a one-off ‘top to bottom’ bridge visit and a further 250 visitors braving the heights throughout the week in aid of Princes Trust. I was lucky enough to go along for one of the trips and I absolutely loved it. The panoramic views are unparalleled, unique and breathtakingly beautiful. Luckily, I also got a clear day for it! I met with Craig Bowman, Senior Communications Manager for Network Rail. He said, "This week is intended to mark the start of a year of celebrations to mark the 125th anniversary. "The Forth Bridges Festival is returning for second year and The Forth Bridge Live music event is also set to return in September, and it’s all really exciting. "Like all of our generous fund raisers, we’re looking forward to an inspiring week which helps celebrate the contribution that this wonderful structure has made to our lives during its 125 year history. "We’re pleased to play a part in bringing the Forth Bridge Raid back into the public consciousness and we look forward to bringing more of the bridge’s history back to life during the course of the next few months." On my trip to the top I met both Stuart and Alistair Biggart whose great grandfather Andrew Briggart was instrumental in building the bridge all those years ago. The Beith-born mechanical engineer was the general manager of William Arrol & Co. His grandsons told me he played a key role in the development and construction of the world famous bridge from its inception through to its completion in 1890. I also interviewed Ian Heigh, Network Rail project manager for the Forth Bridge restoration work. He said, "The highlight of the week will see two iconic aircraft from past and present take to the air on celebrate the bridge’s birthday. "The flypast of a model Spitfire and an RAF Typhoon, which will be visible from North and South Queensferry, will take place at 1.25pm. "The event has been arranged to celebrate an incredible moment from the bridge’s history, when on 16 October 1939, the ForthBridge was at the centre of the German Luftwaffe’s first airborne raid on British soil".