Ludlow’s new Burway Bridge was opened today, January 16, 2009, by the daughter of a former town mace bearer who attended the opening of the previous bridge in 1931.
Doreen Pearce and her husband Sol, whose house fell into the River Corve following the summer 2007 floods, cut the ribbon at the new bridge, officially opened today.
Mrs Pearce had lived in Corve Street all her life until the floods. She was born in 58 Corve Street and had lived just next door at 57A for 41 years before the flood. Her father, Richard Morgan, was town crier and also one of the mace bearers.
His father before him had also held the same offices. His fellow mace bearer, cousin John Evans, was also present at the 1931 ceremony.
Doreen told the Journal: “It’ll be quite interesting, looking back.
“When the old bridge was opened my father was a mace-bearer.”
The Pearces now live in a delightful bungalow in Whitbach Close.
Mrs Pearce said: “It’s been alright. There’s lots of things you go to look for and you haven’t got them because they never came from 57A.
“You miss things. But it’s pleasant enough.”
Following the floods, the Pearces stayed with their daughter and then with friends. Their insurance company rented a bungalow for them, until they moved into their new house in October 2007. Mrs Pearce is sympathetic to those still living on Lower Corve Street.
“They’ve been flooded since. It’s hard on them because they’ll never be able to sell those places.
“I don’t know what the answer is.
“We never seemed to get the water come up so quick, it always went over the fields.
“The river comes up a lot quicker than it ever did.”
Mr Pearce said: “We’ve decided we were the lucky ones in the long run.
“Doreen was born in the same yard and she’s never been flooded like that before.”
The Pearces’ house flooded on a Monday evening, the bridge collapsed the next day and by Wednesday, their house had also gone.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new bridge was held at 11am today.