Ode to the great bottle bridge over the River Ouse

TALENTED musician and poet, Graham Steward, has floated his latest idea - a poem to celebrate the great milk bottle bridge. Graham, who plays in the Red Rose band, decided to put pen to paper after hearing a rumour that he had already written an ode to th

TALENTED musician and poet, Graham Steward, has floated his latest idea - a poem to celebrate the great milk bottle bridge.

Graham, who plays in the Red Rose band, decided to put pen to paper after hearing a rumour that he had already written an ode to the bridge being crafted from over 14,000 bottles.

"When I heard that I was supposed to have written a ditty about it I thought I better get round to doing it," said Graham, from Sutton. "I have written it in the mock heroic style of the 18th Century."

Now he is planning to set the poem, called The Eighth Great Wonder of the World (or 14,000 bottles dancing in a row), to music.

Behold, the mighty River Ouse

Flows timeless to the great North Sea.

Behold, our vast Cathedral's frame

Stands glorious in the fenland sky!

But now, behold, a silver bridge

of bottles 'cross the Ouse unfurl'd,

a shining monument to mark

the vanity of our plastic world

Great Allen & mighty Waterfall,

At their command the bridge was plac'd

To tell mankind, and Ely's folk,

Of our great power & our inglorious waste!

"I think the bridge of bottles is a brilliant idea," added Graham. "Why didn't someone think of it 50 years ago? It's probably more stable than most boats.

"It's virtually impossible to overturn. It's like having a boat with 20 keels."

People all over East Cambridgeshire and other parts of the county are collecting bottles for the milk bottle bridge which will be built across the Great River Ouse in Ely in time for the Classic Regatta on June 23.

INFO: Anyone who would like to help with the project can contact organiser Jack Waterfall on 07767795895.