VIEW FROM A BRIDGE

In June of 2020, hoping to escape from World news that was nothing if not depressing, the Lockdown and in an attempt to take the air, I took a walk around the villages. I live in a village lying just outside of Derby, not at all far from the county border with Nottinghamshire. Although expanding and increasingly built up, the twin villages here are still in part rural. We still have countryside to enjoy here. It is good walking country.

Crossing the dual carriageway to enter the sister village, I was somewhat taken by surprise upon finding posters. These were handmade and fastened to the rails of the bridge. Each one bore a message pertaining to suicide, clearly a preventative initiative and a laudable one. There were more than a dozen, each one brightly coloured and laminated.

I was more than intrigued. My brother died near here. He took his own life on the same dual carriageway that I was now crossing. Not here at the foot bridge but further along, nearer the road bridge. Therefore and as should be obvious, there was a poignancy to the moment; as I stood on the bridge looking at the traffic below. I have previously written about my experiences then and the link can be found below.

I continued on to view our attractive churchyard and the nearby cottages, perhaps one of the most pleasing sights in the village. Then retracing my steps slightly, I took a turn to join the main road and headed on towards the War Memorial. As I approached the road bridge, I was once again presented with numerous posters, identical to those at the foot bridge and as meaningful.

Here once again, I noticed that letters placed in plastic envelopes were fastened to the rails. At the footbridge I had not opened these envelopes but here I stopped to read. Putting the letter back I had a new awareness of the initiative. Each letter was a personal note to any unfortunate soul looking for an end, each letter sought to persuade otherwise, each letter was a special message.

On my return home, via the internet and the local community Facebook group, I was able to research the origins of the posters. I discovered a moving story, the story of a man called Rocco Hawkins. A story of a man who has mentally and quite literally stood on the edge. A man saved by police officers and a man now moved to help others. He has set himself a noble objective, to visit every bridge in Derbyshire and leave these notes, in the hope of saving others. His aim is truly a righteous cause.