Unfortunately, @Moongold's thoughts are true and our joint sarcastic optimism was sadly well-placed. This is what the BBC News says today about it all today.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/841584…

Today, over a month since my posting, the people have had ONE slowly-built bridge – AND IT'S ONLY A FOOTBRIDGE! The fact that I pointed out that the Bailey/Mabey bridges take less than a week to make and that they can take A 60 tonne TANK should be born in mind when viewing all the cheery news reports on the footbridge's construction a few weeks back.

It's NOT the army chaps' fault that they could only make a footbridge and that it took longer than a big bridge in Kosovo or Serbia or Iraq to plan and make. No.

The blame lies solely within our bureaucratic system of personal self-interest and poor resource allocation.

The fact that it's poor Cumbria is key. If MI5 had to do a 40 mile detour to get to Parliament or Admiralty House, it would've been done within a week.

Trust me. If the bridges over the Thames in London had gone in such a flood you can put all the money you've got onto a bet that the City of London and the City of Westminster would be effectively connected to The South Bank by now.

It's the same mentality that puts a nuclear disposal site in Cumbria and not Sussex.

I hope your estimate is wrong and that our national strategic reserve is pulled out from under the cover sheets PDQ.

If a 1 year in 1000 event isn't enough proof, then what is?

Hopefully, it'll give the troops something decent to do instead of shooting at shadows.

So. Wait for next week then, eh?

‘Just do it’ should be engraved on all bureaucrats hearts.

3 – 6 months?