COLLEAGUES, friends and family recently gathered in the shadow of the Menai Suspension Bridge to honour Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Wales Cymru member, the late Bob Daimond, who was a staunch advocate of the bridge and its heritage.

A commemorative plaque was unveiled by ICE President Ed McCann at a ceremony to recognise the continuous support and interest Bob devoted to the bridge.

Mr Daimond, the former Chair of the North Wales branch, was an early Trustee of the Menai Bridge Community Heritage Trust.

Involved in creating the Trust as a Charity where he became Chairman in 2010, and Treasurer until 2019, Mr Daimond fully engaged in the nationally recognised museum at the Canolfan Thomas Telford.

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Bob’s dedication saw him become a worldwide resource on the two world famous bridges over the Menai Strait: Menai Suspension Bridge, built by Thomas Telford, and Britannia Bridge, built by Robert Stephenson.

His book ‘The Menai Suspension Bridge: The first 200 years’ was published in August 2019 to coincide with the anniversary of the first stone laid two hundred years earlier.

The public can visit the commemorative plaque on the Green, under the Menai Suspension Bridge, from where it is a short stroll to Canolfan Thomas Telford where The Menai Heritage Exhibition is housed.

A permanent home for the Exhibition is currently being developed at Prince's Pier on the waterfront in Menai Bridge, for the enjoyment of residents and to encourage visitors back to the town, a fitting continuation of the interest Bob Daimond achieved through his life’s work and love of this incredible civil engineering feat.