There are various UK expressions that have lost their significance over the years. “Sending coals to Newcastle”, for instance, was once a term reserved for something that was regarded as pointless. Yet in 2004, Newcastle began importing Russian coal.
Now one of the UK’s most famous idioms is also set to become obsolete. ”It’s like painting the Forth Bridge” was a term used to describe a never-ending task, the belief being that once you’d got to one end of the bridge, it was time to start painting again at the other end. But apparently, completion of the painting of the Forth Rail Bridge – a cantilever railway bridge over the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland - is just around the corner, and scaffolding will begin to come down in December 2011. Network Rail, which manages the bridge, has said that it will not require further painting for another 25 years.
Useful links:
Hotels near the Forth Bridge
B&Bs near the Forth Bridge
Self-catering near the Forth Bridge
