Menai Bridge celebrated the 250th anniversary of Thomas Telford's birth on Saturday 14 July 2007 with events at four locations - the Waun car park, the Community Centre in Water Street, Canolfan Thomas Telford and the University Botanic Garden.

Two horse-drawn carriages crossed Telford's Suspension Bridge from the Bangor side at noon. The first carried Mr Thomas Telford himself (played by Bob Daimond), as well as Pippa and Margaret Scourse and Alice and James Hutchinson from Menai Bridge. Two horses were rare Hungarian nonius type, and the white pair were Irish draught animals aged 13 and 17.

The second carriage carried Menai Bridge Mayor Hillary Hunt, escorted by last year's mayor, Colin Davey. The carriages were followed by a cavalcade of vintage cars owned by members of the Automobile Club of North Wales, all making their way to the Waun.

Other events included performances by Dawnswyr Mon, the Welsh folk dance group, and Menai Bridge Town Band. There were charity stalls, face painting, fire service displays and lots of traditional ice cream.

A third carriage pulled by the Hungarian horses made 10 journeys taking people on a circular route through the town.

Ms Hunt presented Mr Telford with a birthday card which had arrived on 13 July on board the top sail schooner Vilma from Conwy. The birthday cake, a replica of the bridge, was cut and eaten and then Mr Telford led a walking tour of the Menai Suspension Bridge.

An exhibition in the community centre of the Hughes family's extensive collection of memorabilia from Menai Bridge gave people a chance to look back to earlier days. In Canolfan Thomas Telford visitors were able to view the developing Bridges Exhibition and material from the Bangor Telford Legacy Conference on loan from the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Friends of the University's Treborth Botanic Garden on the Bangor side of the bridge led two guided tours of the garden and the Victoria Hotel and Anglesey Arms had their own displays of old photographs and historic items.

By Jane Cherrett and Nick Holyfield

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