Easter seemed very late this year, and after the hectic end-of-year at work, followed immediately by working on a big bid, I really needed a break. The trains were predicted to be chaotic over the Bank Holiday, as usual, so I looked for somewhere interesting within what I consider to be a driveable distance. Ironbridge in Shropshire fitted the bill – only an hour and a half or so drive away, but with enough to see in the immediate vicinity to make it worth staying for a few days. I booked a small self-catering apartment right in the middle of the town, and spent my time just pottering around.
I’m sure that last time I went to Ironbridge, about 15 years ago or more, the bridge wasn’t a red-brown colour. It turns out that I’d timed the visit perfectly – it underwent a massive conservation effort all last year, and was shrouded in scaffolding for the duration. That would have ruined thousands of people’s holiday photographs! As part of the restoration, they discovered the original colour of the ironwork was red-brown, not the blue-grey it’s been for decades, and so it was repainted. I was glad that my memory hadn’t been playing tricks on me!
