PASTIES IN THE DESERT

See Also: BRIDGES London Bridge; HOTELS The Midland Grand

Robert P. McCulloch's family wealth had been acquired through building electricity power stations. As a youth, he developed an interest in engines. He made his own fortune by manufacturing them first for lawnmowers and then for one-man chainsaws. He diversified into the oil business while continuing to manufacture engine-driven outdoors products. A wish to acquire a larger share of the market for outboard motors prompted him to look for a site where powered boats could be tested. He opted for Lake Havasu in Arizona. This body of water had been created by the construction of the Parker Dam (1934-8) across the Colorado River.

McCulloch concluded in 1963 that there was potential for developing a residential city and holiday resort next to the lake. Therefore, he purchased a large waterside property on which to build it. To help him with the project he employed C.V. Wood, who had been one of the principal planners of the original Disneyland theme park (as well as being a champion chilli chef).

The City of London appreciated that London Bridge's weight was causing the structure to sink into the riverbed at the rate of an eighth-of-an-inch per annum. The pulling down of the Euston Arch a few years before had triggered a conservation movement that was seeking to preserve the finer examples of London's built heritage; a campaign was being waged that was seeking to prevent British Rail from razing the St Pancras Station Hotel. The local authority appreciated that in such a climate a decision to demolish the bridge was not politically practicable. In 1967 the Corporation put the structure up for sale. Wood persuaded McCulloch that the crossing would furnish the resort both with a focus and with a sign that its developers were committed to the Lake Havasu City scheme. The industrialist purchased it. According to an urban myth, he assumed that he was buying Tower Bridge and did not appreciate his error until it was too late for him to pull out of the deal. This was not the case

What was erected in Arizona was a hollow concrete frame onto which the bridge s cladding was secured. This structure was built over dry land. When the assembly had been completed the area below it was flooded. The opening ceremony was held in 1971. This involved the then Lord Mayor of London attending in his ceremonial dress, a congress of Pearly Kings, and an Apache tribal dance. The food that was served included guacamole and Cornish pasties. The latter was an acknowledgement of the county in which the bridge s stones had been quarried originally.

Of the old bridge, a southern arch is still in place on the Southwark bank.

Location: London Bridge, c.EC4R 3AE (orange, purple)

Website: https://havasumuseum.com (The Lake Havasu Museum of History)

David Backhouse 2024