Meh.

I went to The Telford Legacy in North Wales Conference three weeks ago, organised by the Menai Bridge Community Heritage Trust and the Institution of Civil Engineers Wales. I have not given this post the write it deserves as other, imminent, posts are coming…

Held at ‘The University of Wales, Bangor‘ it was close to much of Thomas Telford’s work in North Wales, notably the Menai Bridge. With two days of talks and a day of site visits I would be forgiven for expecting so much more. The best thing was a slim volume of published essays that was given out however I had already owned a copy (only £6 from Thomas Telford Ltd.). Even the Menai Bridge was a let down as much of it has been replaced: the chains and central walk way; the deck; one toll house moved; the other toll house lost. The lectures were of a poor standard with notable exceptions from Rick Turner and William Day.

I got a superficial overview of Telford (1757 - 1834), the father of civil engineering, and will have to read much more about him but I am not that excited by him. He is accredited with “1500 miles of roads, 400 miles of canals, more than 1000 bridges and aqueducts, over 100 ports and harbours, more than 50 churches and public buildings” but he was more of an manager than engineer: he would be on a particular site twice a year and ask mathematicians to work our loads for him, such as the tension in the chains in Menai Bridge. What he did for the ICE was great, and I admire his dedication to training, and I appreciate the importance of his contracts, and I agree with the following quote but I still do find him inspiring.

“One of the giants of his age. A man of boundless energy and intellectual curiosity. His roads, bridges, canals and harbours demonstrate clearly and powerfully how the engineer is central to the well being of us all.” - Sir Neil Cossons, Chairman of English Heritage and former Director of the Science Museum.

I am glad I went, you know, ‘don’t regret the things you have done but rather the things you did not do’ and all that.