Date: Tuesday, March 31, 3pm.

Place: Stockton Heath side of swing bridge, first in queue awaiting reopening of bridge.

Weather: Strong wind.

From my vantage point I could see the bridge struggling to realign with the road, probably due to ancient machinery being unable to overcome the strong wind.

It stopped short of its goal so the operator rewound it – when I say rewound I am not of course inferring that it’s powered by clockwork.

The operator took the bridge back a little and had another run at it.

The bridge, painfully slowly, realigned and clunked into position so we awaited the barrier to lift.

Alas it stuck halfway.

The heroic operator sprinted across the bridge and after a short appraisal of the mechanism, gave it a technical adjustment with his right boot, it shot up and we were at last on our way.

In my opinion if 3pm on a school day in Stockton Heath is not classed as a peak traffic period then it should be, plus the bridge seems to be unreliable in all but the most favourable weather.

Lastly can Mr Mowat not lean on Peel who are holding this town to ransom?

E NICHOLSON