Not just any old bridge

If you’re from Hull it’s practically the law that you have to love the Humber Bridge.

It used to be one of our main claims to fame. HULL – owner of the World’s Longest Single-Span Suspension Bridge.

However we only got to keep this accolade from 1981 to 1998 before China, Denmark and Japan came to ruin our party meaning that we are now the somewhat less impressive – HULL - owner of the 5th Longest Single-Span Suspension Bridge. (Click here for who else is in the running)

Whatever.

The Humber Bridge is special to us Hull People (still no idea what we’re supposed to be called – I might need to run a poll on this!) regardless of it being the longest or the 5th longest or whatever it may be. It’s especially special to those of us who travelled or lived away from the city at any point. When you’re coming in on the train you know you’re pretty much home when you see the Humber Bridge and it gives you one of those funny little feelings. Even though I was desperate to get away from Hull and go off to uni, I still used to have a little smile to myself when I came home for the holidays and saw it there, spanning the horrible brown River Humber.

It’s unfortunate really but there’s nothing to be done about it. The River Humber is brown. It’s just mud but, you know, it’s not the most pleasant of things to look at.

I think I’ve only ever attempted to walk across it once. I was a very little person and my Dad took me and my friend on an adventure. It was freezing and half way across we both cried and said we didn’t want to go any further so we turned and went back and went to play in a park, much more fun.

This Sunday however was my first time walking across it. I somehow got roped into accompanying a friend across who was walking across it and back with her dog for charity. It was one of those situations where I sort of casually mentioned “I’ll come with you!” in one of my excitable at-the-time-don’t-really-mean-it ways and before I knew it I was locked in and having to deliver on my promise.

How could I say no to this face?

The thing is, it turns out the Humber Bridge isn’t really that long at all. It’s only just over a mile long. Not a big deal. So can someone please explain to me why I found myself shattered by the time we’d completed the return journey and with pains in my legs the next day?! There are no excuses, I walk just over 4 miles a day going to and from work, this should not have been a big deal. What happened to me out there?!

Was it walking in a boring straight line? Was it the wind which was screaming through my ears on the way back? Was it just a little bit too much fresh air? Or am I just a wuss?

I have no idea but it knackered me out and I was too ashamed to admit that seeing as Alice, the 14 year old dog who accompanied us, was absolutely fine with the excursion and didn’t mind one bit.

And is it wrong of me to be jealous that the dog got a certificate and I didn’t?

I thought it would be great and I could take loads of amazing photos but it turns out:

Sludgy brown estuary + very flat landscape x limited photography skills = not very good photos

But despite my aching legs and slightly painful right ear and despite the lack of stunning scenic photos I still love you Humber Bridge and if I see you, or see a picture of you, you still mean home.