THIS WEEK Bolton Council’s planning committee will decide whether to give permission for the building of a giant Meccano styled footbridge over the canal at Nob End, Little Lever, Bolton.

Let's hope permission is finally given this week. Most public art is week stuff, the product of too many committees and too much compromise and a disgrace within twelve months. Curtin has delivered a memorable design here
One of Confidential's favourite artisits Liam Curtin designed the new Meccano Bridge with the help of engineers from the Council and Bolton University.

The bridge will be made from scaled up Meccano pieces and then assembled on site by local volunteers. As many of the parts as possible are being made by Bolton based companies.

Curtin says, “ I thought it would be easy, after all Meccano is just engineering scaled down and all we are doing is scaling it back up. But in the end it was much less simple. Still if everything goes to plan we should have a giant Meccano set delivered to site and then local people will start to bolt the structure together. We hope this will generate a real sense of ownership within the community. A construction toy bridge built by local people for local people - so to speak."

Problems have been to construct a convincing engineering solution while making the piece look authentic. At the same time bureaucracy has been busy constructing its own Meccano-like kit of problems.

Let's hope permission is finally given this week. Most public art is weak stuff, the product of too many committees and too much compromise and a disgrace within twelve months. Curtin has delivered a memorable design which will delight walkers and residents for years. It's amusing and relevant.

It also gives us the excuse for that headline.

Nob End is a real place by the way, part of Moses Gate Country Park. It is a picturesque post-industrial landscape where the River Irwell meets the River Croal criss-crossed with branches of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal. 

Nob End 2Nob End 2

Nob End 1Nob End 1

NobNob End - not the man in the picture but the location