Bridge to the Past

Another image from my third trip to photograph the Clifton Suspension Bridge. This is of the tower on the north bank of the Avon.

Looking at these images has reminded me of the first time that I saw the bridge. Unusually, I can tell you what date that was – it was in March 1996. And I know this because that’s the date written on my Shodan (1^st degree black belt) certificate.

At the time, I was living in Stoke-on-Trent and training with Steve Hulson at the local karate club. In 1995, I’d graded a couple of times – the first attempt was a complete failure, but the second time I got kata only*. So, in early ’96, I needed to finish the job. The first scheduled grading was at Bath Uni and coincided with my fiancé’s birthday, but it was agreed that she would go to visit her mother in Swansea and that I would join her there after the grading.

It was also arranged that one of the black belts at the club, a Nidan call Pete – I really can’t remember his surname – would drive me down to the venue. My memory is that we didn't plan the route – Pete wasn't that sort of guy – so we followed signs. I any case, we must've driven down the M5 to junction 18 and then got onto the A4, rather than cutting across on the M4 which would have been the sensible option.

We had no idea that the A4 would take us under the bridge. We’d set off before dawn and the sun came up on a misty morning, so we didn't see it until we rounded a bend and there it was, right above us. I have a very strong memory of a “wow” moment, with this structure floating in the air above us, before we were past it and into the centre of Bristol. The next thing that I remember is being in Bath, near the station I think, and having to ask directions to the Uni.

I don’t have strong memories of the grading itself, but I passed. Pete shook my hand. He was a thoroughly nice chap who went well out of his way to help me, and I'm embarrassed that I can’t remember his surname. He dropped me at Bath station and I got the train over to Swansea, which took an age because the Severn tunnel was closed and the train had to go round via Gloucester. I remember that it was very cold on the train despite the fact that I was wearing several layers.

Anyway, this line of thought led me to reflect that at the time, I had no idea that I would one day live in the area and that, nearly twenty years on, these locations would be familiar to me. I don’t know what this proves, apart from the fact that you never really know where life will take you, which isn't a terribly profound observation, but true nonetheless.

*For those who aren't au fait with the structure of a karate grading, there are three elements – kihon (basics), kumite (fighting) and kata (set forms or patterns). So long as you pass kihon, you can fail one of the other two and be called back for that element only.

At the previous grading, which would have been in December ’95, I impressed Sensei Enoeda enough to give me a pass on kumite despite getting my nose broken and bleeding everywhere, but he decided to call me back for kata. This was a bit of surprise because I considered that to be my strong suit. Consequently, I saw the March grading as a bit of a formality, so I was keen to get on with it.

This contrasts with my experience grading for Nidan, were I got kumite only on my second attempt and then spent the next few years repeatedly failing that element, to the point where I gave up grading for a while and finally scraped a pass in March 2008.