It's An Illness Stopping People Visiting Wales

 

The motorway bridge crossing the River Severn has been shut Westbound all morning.

No not that one.

 

That one is the M4 Crossing, also known as the Second Severn Crossing, also known as The Prince of Wales Bridge.  It seems to have more names than Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.  But, unlike Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, the bridge isn't a pathological liar and convicted football hooligan followed by morons.

 

In the background, you can see the bridge with the closure.  That is the M48 Crossing, also known as the original crossing.  Not named after any member of the royal family as far as I am aware.

 

Unprecedented levels of staff sickness meant that they didn't have enough people to collect toll money.  This meant that anyone travelling into Wales had to use the M4 bridge but anyone travelling out of Wales was OK because you only pay the tolls in one direction.

 

Maybe they should have just made it free in both directions for the duration.  But I guess that wouldn't have brought in the revenue that forcing motorists to detour would have done.  Not very environmentally friendly when you consider the wasted miles.

 

The scheduled closure was from 5am until 2pm - it doesn't say how they knew everyone would be well again by 2pm.

 

The BBC version of the story is here.  It is on their Gloucestershire bit not their Welsh bit.  I suppose that is logical as it is the people in Gloucestershire not the people in Wales who will have been inconvenienced.

 

Meanwhile, over on the Wales bit of the BBC News site, they have this story.

 

Wrexham Council are going to have to fork out £7100 to replace parking signs after someone went out with a black marker pen correcting errors in the Welsh translations on them:

Bet they wish they had a bridge they could charge people to cross.

Severn For Free

743 is a prime number.  Severn for free is what motorists will get to cross in 2018.

2018 is not a prime number.

I have driven across the Severn Bridge several times over the years but never paid the toll - because every time I've done it, I've travelled W to E.

That's West to East

or Wales to England - either apply - spooky eh?

You only have to pay the toll if you are travelling into Wales.  English people say you have to pay to get into Wales.  Welsh people say you have to pay to get out of England.

The exception is Welsh comedian Rob Brydon who says that once you pay to get into Wales, all of the rides are free.

Towards the end of next year, he won't be able to use that joke any more.

Because they are going to start charging for the rides.

Actually, they are scrapping the tolls.  The BBC report it here.  Hopefully good news for the Welsh economy.  But not the people who staff the toll booths.

Meanwhile, in Wales, a student (presumably Chinese although it doesn't actually say so here) has left his Citroen on an unfortunate couple's drive while he's flown out there for a bit.

He's left them the car and a cactus to look after.

There's no keys.  They can't move it.  They are also concerned that it's parked over a manhole - not sure that is much of a problem - I can't recall ever needing to get at the manhole on my drive.

He has promised to bring them back a present.  It had better be a good one or they should tell him where to stuff it.  Or the cactus.