IN August, we told of the 150th anniversary of Saltburn’s Halfpenny Bridge, the extraordinarily spindly structure which once spanned the Valley Gardens.

It was built by the Middlesbrough firm of Hopkins, Gilkes and Company for £700. It was 650ft long and 130ft high, and three men were killed during its construction when they fell from the top.

It cost halfpenny for walkers to cross it and enjoy spectacular views over the coast. Horsedrawn carriages could cross it for 6d and even early motor cars, although these were banned when a new-fangled internal combustion engine spooked a horse which nearly threw its rider over the parapet into the glen.

The bridge was demolished at 9.30am on December 17, 1974, by Gallagher of Seaham who wrapped 42lbs of plaster gelignite in 1.5lb clusters around its legs and detonated.

We had never seen a picture across the bridge until looking in to the Great Coffin Lid Scandal when we noticed that on February 15, 1945, the Cleveland Hunt had been photographed moving off across the bridge. It was notoriously wobbly in high winds on its fragile-looking spidery legs, but the picture shows that in reality it was a substantial structure.