On the way back I love the sight of Brunel's magnificent bridge, over which the trains between London and Penzance trundle gently. Clearly there is a speed limit but why? If it's dangerous, I'd have thought the quicker you get over it the better. I've often wondered this on the train, rather like worrying on a plane about how it stays up.
The bridge was built in 1859 but actually looks modern. It reminds me of the Pompidou Centre with its tubes. Brunel of course was the Chief Engineer of the Great Western Railway. Which is a pretty good legacy. Well done, bro. (I'm not the kind of person who ever uses "bro" but I'm practising for my streaming)
Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Now there's a name for you. Were these common 19th century forenames? Actually his father had Isambard as a second name; his mother's maiden name was Kingdom. Apparently Isambard is a word of Norman origin but the all-knowing Mr Google couldn't offer me more than four Isambards, all of whom were connected to the Brunels. So just a bit quirky.
I have memories of Plymouth. The only time I have ever had a speeding fine was a few years ago, coming back from a poker tournament in Plymouth at 3am. The road is littered with 50mph stretches, many of which are cunningly positioned at the bottom of hills in order to catch out motorists and maximise the council's income. I don't recall whether I was elated after a good win or furious over a bad beat but my concentration slipped for a moment. A few days later the dreaded letter arrived - pay £60 or attend a Mickey Mouse course. Protection racket. Given that I had never previously been accused of speeding and knew perfectly well how to avoid exceeding speed limits (drive slower), I paid up. And remembered it ever since.
‘The name Isambard is derived from the Old German name Isanbert, which was already common in the south-west of Germany before the 8th century, and means "glittering iron". As Isanbert, it came to England with the Anglo-Saxons, but fell out of favour after the Norman Conquest. It was briefly revived in the 19th Century as Isambard, but is rare today. The name is mainly synonymous with leading British civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859).’
ReplyDeleteThis is what I found. Clearly, nominative determinism at work.
As for speeding fines, I’ve never yet encountered a defendant who didn’t assert that it wasn’t fair. Some excuses were much better than others, but all were aggrieved.
And here’s a thought. Would you rather pay more Council Tax or make up (some) of the shortfall by catching speeding motorists?