Suspension in Time

Suspension in Time by Elena from Beyton, Suffolk

Acrylic

This piece is in response to staying one night in Bristol beside the Clifton Suspension bridge. Whilst impressed by the engineering feat, I couldn’t look at the bridge without thinking about how many hundreds, if not thousands of the people who have lost their lives jumping from the bridge. Barriers have been effective in reducing deaths from this bridge- deaths halved from 8.2 per year (1994 -1998) to 4.0 per year (1999-2003).

Each year in the UK we lose several thousand people to suicide. In 2022 there were 6,588 deaths registered in the UK where the cause was reported as suicide.

A minority of these people will have shown no previous history of mental health issues, dying suddenly and unexpectedly and leaving no answers to their death. This leaves the bereaved (me) lost in time with unresolved questions. These uncertainties do not disappear away with time - every day I live is a reminder of what’s missing- my best friend, husband and parent to my three young children.

Although we had a very loving relationship and deep connection I will forever question what I did wrong and possible scenarios that may have led to a different outcome.

Elena