THE second battle of the Leaderfoot railway viaduct is about to be
joined.
Author Liz Taylor helped rescue the viaduct, which spans the Tweed
near Melrose, from demolition in 1981 and it is the centrepiece of her
latest Scottish historical novel launched yesterday under her pen name,
Elisabeth McNeill.
A Bridge in Time is the story of the navvies who built Leaderfoot.
Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of restoration work is being
carried out on the viaduct pillars and yesterday Ms Taylor expressed her
opposition to a planned bungee jumping and adventure centre at
Leaderfoot.
A New Zealand based firm, is behind the scheme.
''I am totally opposed to the idea, it would ruin a dignified and
historic structure,'' she says.
Thirteen years ago, the residents of the village of Newstead were told
that the viaduct was to be demolished three weeks later. Virtually
singlehanded, Ms Taylor took round a petition and mobilised 4474
signatures on the day before the deadline. The petition was delivered to
Borders Regional Council and Leaderfoot was saved.
She said: ''I feel I have a stake in it.''
It now has Category A listing by Historic Scotland and a collection of
restoration grants.
''I don't think I helped save Leaderfoot just to have people jumping
off it at the end of elastic ropes,'' she said.
Meanwhile, the bungee firm is carrying out a local consultation
campaign to win over locals before deciding to submit a formal planning
application.
* A Bridge in Time, Elisabeth McNeill, Orion, #16.99.
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