#CliftonSuspensionBridge news, updates, and information. NOT AN ACTIVE ACCOUNT - follow us on other platforms
Bristol, UK
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Yesterday afternoon we managed to see the full moon just in the arch of the tower! 🌕 Did anyone else see it?
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#OnThisDay in November 2003, the Bristol icon, Concorde, had its last flight over the #CliftonSuspensionBridge.
Were you one of the thousands of people who came out to watch this moment in history? What do you remember most about the day?
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#OnThisDay in 1970, the #CliftonSuspensionBridge and #SSGreatBritain were pictured together for the first and only time. Two of Brunel's icons reunited as the SS Great Britain returned to the dry dock where she launched 127 years earlier.
Were you there on this day?
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Happy birthday to Isambard Kingdom Brunel! 🥳 Born in 1806, this would be Brunel's 218th birthday. In his life, he built over 100 bridges, including yours truly, as well as 25 railways lines, 8 pier/dock systems, 3 ships and a pre-fabricated army field hospital. What a busy guy!
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A splendid shot of the Clifton and Severn bridges by town planner John Burrows!
#Brunel's design (made with pencil and paper) closely mirrors that of the Severn Bridge - some excellent mathematical reasoning creating an almost perfect catenary curve.
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This drawing by Mr C. J. Richards shows the Great Pyramid of Giza (481 ft) transposed to scale onto the Suspension Bridge and Avon Gorge ( ~ 250 ft).
Mr Richards created it when he returned from a trip to Egypt to get an idea of the relative sizes of these iconic landmarks.
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We have some very exciting news! Bristol has voted and we will be lighting the bridge in BLUE for one spectacular night this Spring! We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported our Crowdfunder! #LightTheNight #SupportOurMuseums
See more at cliftonbridge.org.uk/local-r…
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#OnThisDay in 2003, the Concorde flew for the last time. Concorde Alpha Foxtrot made her final journey across Filton Airfield to her brand new purpose-built hangar, ready to go on display at @bristolaero ✈️
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Did you know? The chains on the suspension bridge are painted every 20 years with 3 coats of paint. The chains haven't always been the colour they are today, this photo is from 1939 when they were red! This fantastic photo is from @KYPWestEngland
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On 8th December 1864 the Clifton Suspension Bridge opened, making the bridge 157 years old today! Thousands crowded to witness its opening. It took 33 years for the bridge to be built and Brunel didn't live to see it completed.
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Oh to be a shooting star flying high over #CliftonSuspensionBridge 😴
📷 James Oshaugnhnessy
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"I believe I may have found one of the more far-flung Clifton Suspension Bridge artifacts in history. On a beach in California, I came across a brilliant cobalt blue glass sphere. Thankfully the Northern elephant seals did not crush the precious paper weight"
-Berndt Stolfi
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Don't worry guys, it's all OK. The cat is a regular and knows his way around. He's been here every day for years and we are good friends. He likes to sleep on the roof and has a spot in a flowerbed too. :)
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#CliftonSuspensionBridge is "Grade I Listed". This means its an "exceptional historical/architectural interest". Of the 500,000 listed buildings on the National Heritage List for England, only about 2.5% are Grade I. Our bridge is one of the top historical structures in England!
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We love this stereoscope from our collection. It pictures the bridge still under construction, dating July 1864 - August 1864. We think they are workers of the bridge who are taking a break. Note they have no hard #hats. Only some flat caps and a stovepipe hat! #mylocalmuseum
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#OnThisDay in 1831 Isambard Kingdom Brunel's design for the CSB was formally accepted, beating 12 other proposals submitted in an open competition. Brunel's design took 2nd place, but he convinced the judges of the merits of his design and he was declared the winner 2 days later.
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Have you ever been out to see the #CliftonSuspensionBridge and the Severn Bridge together?
📷 John Burrows
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Very snowy up here at the Bridge!
The Bridge is open. Visitor Centre is currently open, check our social media for updates. If you are out and about enjoying the snow and need warming up come and have a look round our exhibition. Drive safely and stay warm! ❄️
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#OnThisDay in 1964, The Beatles released 'A Hard Day's Night', 100 years after the opening of #CliftonSuspensionBridge.
In July 2015, the Shaun in the City Bristol Trail was launched and 4 Shauns decided to recreate one of The Beatles' most famous album covers here at the bridge
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Happy New Year from the #CliftonSuspensionBridge 🎆🎉
Yes, we know that this picture is from the 150th anniversary of the bridge being opened in 2014, but we're always looking for reasons to share these incredible photos!
📷 Ed Norton
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📣 Underground Vaults tickets now on sale! 📣
Tickets will be available for tours April - June, with more coming for the rest of the season in May 🦺🎩
🎟 cliftonbridge.org.uk/book-a-…
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Work officially starts on the new refurbishment project! We've put up heras fencing along one walkway, done a lighting survey from the chains, and done paint tests to make sure we can get a good coating! Give us a follow to stay updated!
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Why build a bridge at Clifton? The Admiralty at the time said that the Bridge had to be 100ft above high tide to allow tall ships to pass. Clifton was the highest and narrowest point of the winding gorge so it seemed like a sensible spot. #didyouknow? #cliftonsuspensionbridge
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#OnThisDay in 1859, Isambard Kingdom Brunel died after experiencing a stroke ten days prior. He was just 53 years old.
This is the most famous photo of Brunel, taken by Rober Howlett in 1857. Brunel is shown in front of the massive launching chains of the SS Great Eastern.
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Here's a photo of some students from the University of Bristol, having just completed a barrel push from London to Bristol for "Raising And Giving" (RAG) week. This photo has no date attached to it so let us know if you can tell us when it was taken!
📷Roger Hand
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#OnThisDay in 1864, the last cross girder was fixed onto the bridge, and the center of bridge was joined, advancing construction towards its final stages.
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#Onthisday in 1831 Brunel's design for the Clifton Suspension Bridge was formally accepted. Originally the towers were meant to be decorated with pairs of sphinxes on the top and iron hieroglyphs illustrating every stage of the construction.
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Three for one on bridges 🌉
#CliftonSuspensionBridge, Severn Bridge, and the Wye Bridge.
📷 John Burrows
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Great photo from one of our volunteers yesterday when he was walking home across the #CliftonSuspensionBridge 🌈
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The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is fast approaching! Seeing them fly over #CliftonSuspensionBridge is always a magical sight. Let's hope the weather is good this year!
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This one is a throwback; does anyone have any guesses when this photo was taken?
We'll give you some hints, Eurovision was held in Birmingham, and DVDs debuted in the UK 🧐
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#OnThisDay in 1841, the first through train ran from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads. Since then, temple meads has been expanded twice, and currently sees ~10 Million passengers travelling through it per year.
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We've been having a lot of interest in our upcoming Hard Hat tours into the Vaults. If you want to be the first to know make sure to sign up for our newsletter with the link in our bio!
#CliftonSuspensionBridge #BristolHistory #BristolTourism #heritage #historic #19thcentury
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Morning all! Here's some fun for those of you on phones or tablets today. Save this image and design a new hat for Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Share your finished creations below.
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#DidYouKnow our bridge towers aren't identical? There are 3 major differences.
1. The Clifton tower has a rectangular build. The Leigh woods tower has an octagonal build
2. The CL tower has a round arch, LW has a pointed arch.
3. The CL side has windows, the LW side does not
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This morning Bridge Attendant Will was in the perfect position to snap this balloon! Counting down to @bristolballoon Fiesta!
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Happy World Heritage Day! 🥳 Today is about celebrating our cultural heritage and preserving our heritage sites for all to enjoy. We'd like to thank everyone who supports #CliftonSuspensionBridge and reiterate our pledge to upkeep and maintain the bridge on behalf of the public.
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Watch us #LightTheNight live! nitter.app/i/broadcasts/1LyxBoPkl…
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The sun is shining and there are blue skies at the bridge today! Photographers might want to come up to the bridge this evening for some sunset shots or even something a little more unusual....💚
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153 years old today! Mary Griffiths from Hanham was the first member of the public to cross the bridge, aged 21. "When the gate opened I began to run. I heard my uncle shout 'run, Mary, run!' so I tucked up my long dress and ran for dear life!"
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Huge congratulations to @sambinding for this amazing win!
Really chuffed to say that this photo won the Historic England category of the Historic Photographer of the Year Awards. Bit shocked to say the least, and especially to find out this morning from some of the coverage that I had a few others shortlisted too! @hpotyawards
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Goodbye to David Kirke, a master of mischief and the man who took the first ever bungee jump from the Clifton Suspension Bridge way back on 1st April 1979.
independent.co.uk/news/uk/ho…
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We often get old pound coins and even a Franc or two in our donations box, but this is the first time we've been given a Groat! Minted the year the Leigh Woods abutment foundation stone was laid.
A+ time travelling - did anyone spot a blue box?
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#OnThisDay, March 31, 1831, one of the most critical parts of our history occurred. After convincing a committee that at just 24 years old, he was the best person for the job, Isambard Kingdom Brunel was appointed Head Engineer of the #CliftonSuspensionBridge project.
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You may be surprised to find out that this is an early image of Clifton Suspension Bridge. Money ran out and the towers were left standing for 21 years until work began onsite to complete the bridge in 1862. #SurprisingArchives #ExploreYourArchive
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Bridge of the week! Newport Transporter Bridge, Wales. This remarkable bridge is 1 of 6 operational transporter bridges left in the world. Ferdinand Arnodin created this masterpiece stretching the 197 metres over the River Usk. Credit: Owain/CC BY-SA 3.0 #bridge @NpTbridge
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#DidYouKnow the River Avon, which #CliftonSuspensionBridge sits above, gets it's name from the welsh word "afon" meaning 'river'. That means the literal name is "River River" It shares a name with 8 other rivers across the UK, but between you and us, we think ours is the best🤫
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An interesting stereoscopic photograph of the unfinished #CliftonSuspensionBridge, showing a woman and man in the foreground. Many stereoscopic photographs show people of the time posed and unposed.
View the photo on the Know Your Place map: bit.ly/48M3FZA
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#OnThisDay in 1864 the #CliftonSuspensionBridge was opened! To learn more about the ceremony or have a closer look at a few commemorative items come along to our #HistoryHandlingSession today in the Clifton Hub from 13:00-16:00! 🤓
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In light and in darkness, #CliftonSuspensionBridge will always be there. Aren't we lucky to be able to witness the sun rise and set every day?
#Bristol #Sunset
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#OnThisDay in 1864, a historic milestone was achieved when the last cross girder was fixed, and the centre of the #CliftonSuspensionBridge was joined for the first time, 33 years after construction began.
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In 1930 the bridge was lit up for Bristol French week with “small red, white & blue electric lamps.” The spectacle promoted tourism. It was the first time electric lighting used to illuminate the bridge along all the chains.
📸Harvey Barton 1930
#MaintenanceMonday
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Today we join Tourism Ireland's Global Greenings campaign to mark St Patrick's Day. Did you spot the lights last week?
Photo: Adam Gasson/PA Wire
#StPatricksDay #Ireland #LoveIreland
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On the @bbcdoctorwho 60th anniversary, we're looking back on Revolution of the Daleks! Still excited that the #CliftonSuspensionBridge featured in this iconic show, with arguably the most iconic sci-fi villains ever.
Filming occurred in October 2019 during a maintenance closure.
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#Bridgecat news for @cox_tom and other cat lovers: the Visitor Centre is warm and is a good place to collect tummy rubs. Bonus 'no dogs' policy. (We did have to ask him to leave when the rain stopped though.)
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The #CliftonSuspensionBridge Bridge Attendants see some of the best views of the bridge! 🌉
They're on duty 24 hours a day 365 days a year, making sure the bridge is open and safe for everyone who needs to cross, no matter the time or day.
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Another #MaintenanceMonday post featuring a photo from 1958, when the bridge was closed for a year while the decking was replaced.
The photographer must have really wanted that shot... 📷
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#Throwback to a beautiful evening at the #CliftonSuspensionBridge during the #BalloonFiesta. Even though there was no evening ascent, there’s just something about that view 🎈
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It was a darky and spoooky night! 👻 Check out this perfectly timed photo of lighting under the #CliftonSuspensionBridge.
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This year, like every year, there will be no fireworks at the #CliftonSuspensionBridge for New Years 🎇
Don't let that stop you from coming across though, you might even be lucky enough to see a sunset like this one!
We will be closed 01/01, but back open on Monday!
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#OnThisDay is 1902, William Henry Barlow died at the age of 90.
He, with John Hawkshaw, is responsible for finishing the #CliftonSuspensionBridge in 1864. They designed an iron deck, deviating from Brunel's original timber design. It has remained safely in use for over 150 years
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#DidYouKnow that the Bristol Channel has the second highest tidal range in the world? We often meet visitors who are concerned about the water levels in Avon Gorge. We're always able to set their worries right, but what a great reminder that such big tidal ranges are uncommon.
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Did you know that when the bridge was first opened in 1864 the chains were painted chocolate brown & the bolt heads of the chain pins were gilded so that they were “perfectly dazzling where the sun shines upon them"?
#MaintenanceMonday
[1865-1897 CSBT archives, ref: AA/1/S/42]
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#DidYouKnow that when the bridge was first opened in 1864, the chains were painted chocolate brown, and the bolt heads of the chain pins were gilded so that they were “perfectly dazzling where the sun shines upon them"? ✨
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Here's the info on them!
aprb.co.uk/projects/all-proj…
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Happy International Women in Engineering Day!👷♀️🎉
This is Trish Johnson our Bridge Master. Trish is a Chartered Civil Engineer and former Regional Director at @ICE_engineers Formerly, Head of Maintenance at the Severn Bridge, Trish is no stranger to iconic structures!
#INWED21
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Always wondered what lies beneath the #CliftonSuspensionBridge? 🎩
We've just released more dates for April, May, and June Underground Vaults Tours. Visit our website to book your tickets now! 🦺
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Tonight we're getting a preview of Aquam Bibe, the refurbished Turkish Baths underneath the Avon Gorge Hotel. Lots of lovely original features and nice to see this space in use again!
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#OnThisDay, in 1830, an Act of Parliament to build a bridge across the Avon Gorge was passed.
By this time, the renowned engineer, Thomas Telford, had been invited to publish his own bridge designs, which were rejected for being too old-fashioned.
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The first member of the public to cross the bridge was 21-year-old Mary Griffiths from Hanham. Urged on by her uncle, she picked up her long skirt and raced a young man from Clifton to the Leigh Woods side beating him by a few yards. She lived until she was 94! #BridgeAdvent2018
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We're turning off the illuminations at 8.30pm tonight for #earthhour2017. Will you join us to #changeclimatechange?
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Photo dates 1857-1862. It pictures the two abandoned towers, they were like this for 16 years before the bridge was finally completed. You can see people in line for the Rowham Ferry which was the main way to cross the river before the bridge was completed. #throwbackthursday
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An unusual shot of the bridge captured by Frank Martin. That low winter sun makes for some spectacular shadows!
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Owing to today's extreme weather, we have closed the bridge to ALL traffic and pedestrians.
Our Visitor Centre is also closed for the day, and all tours have been cancelled. Please stay safe and warm indoors or find an alternative route if travelling.
(Please RT and share!)
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A very #MerryChristmas from the #CliftonSuspensionBridge ❄️🎄
Here's a #throwback from previous winters.
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What a beautiful morning! We have some very exciting news, we now except contactless card payments! Users can pay via contactless enabled cards, phones and wearables! 🎉#bristol #visitbristol #contactlesspayment #clifton
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As maintenance takes place at the Leigh Woods side, girls playing for @GCBCricket have come down from @ccolsport to play the first ever game of cricket on the bridge. Full story on @itvwestcountry tonight!
@GCBPerformance
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Bridge of the week! Rakotzbrücke, Germany. This unique bridge in Saxony, Germany is a beautiful example of a ‘Devil’s bridge’. A Devil’s bridge is often tied into a folktale of some kind involving the Devil himself.
Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0 - A.Landgraf
#bridgesoftheworld #bridge
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⛓ Then and Now ⛓
It took 33 years to complete the #CliftonSuspensionBridge, and during that time, there were calls for the towers to be torn down. Many locals felt that if the bridge wasn't going to be completed, the towers did nothing but obstruct the view of the Avon Gorge
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#OnThisDay in 1864, the #CliftonSuspensionBridge opened for the first time after 33 years of construction and lengthy work stoppages. While we may never be the highest or the longest, the bridge is one of the oldest surviving wrought-iron suspension bridges in the world 🌉
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111 years ago the #CliftonSuspensionBridge was illuminated for the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. There was also a massive fireworks display to celebrate the occasion.
#ThrowbackThursday
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Today is #AdaLovelaceDay, which gives us a great excuse to celebrate all of the amazing #WomenInSTEM who do brilliant things for Bristol - including our very own Bridgemaster and chartered civil engineer, Trish Johnson! :)
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For #EarthHour, the lights on the #CliftonSuspensionBridge will be turned off tonight from 8:30pm to 9:30pm.
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This morning we're sending our love and support to our friends at @underfallyard. What dreadful news to wake up to...
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