Naming a bridge must be on a par with naming a ship in the league table ratings for public service. The task isn’t arduous or time consuming. It’s a one-off. Lots of fun, hardly any work. Who wouldn't volunteer under these terms?

Right now, an opportunity has arisen for you to step up to the plate. There’s a chance for a Bucks Free Press reader to be singled out for future fame.

All you need to do is suggest a couple of words or maybe one as a name for the new footbridge linking Berkeley Homes’ Taplow Riverside development on the Buckinghamshire bank of the Thames with Ray Mill Island on the Berkshire bank directly opposite.

The island close to Boulters Lock was once the site of a flourmill owned by the Ray family. From here it’s not too much of a route march into Maidenhead town centre or to catch a train to Central London (on Crossrail when the Elizabeth Line opens). 

The new bridge was opened by prime minister and local Maidenhead MP Theresa May last November. Guests at the event included Dominic Grieve, MP for Beaconsfield, Berkeley group chairman Tony Pidgley, Berkeley Homes divisional chairman Andrew Saunders-Davis, and Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council leader Simon Dudley.

The distinctive slim-line structure with central shallow arch like a slightly raised eyebrow is the work of bridge specialist Martin Knight of Knights Architecture and structural engineer COWl.

According to the developer the design “was inspired by Brunel’s nearby Maidenhead Bridge.

“The famous brick railway bridge has the widest and flattest arches in the world and this form is echoed in the slender new steel arch structure of the new bridge.”

Berkeley Homes divisional chairman Andrew Saunders-Davis says the amenity has been a “wonderful addition to the local area. In keeping with our motto ‘designed for life’ we hope that the bridge is able to benefit many generations in the future and that the legacy of the winning name is able to live on for many years go come.”

Closing date for entries is Monday April 1, in good time for the official naming ceremony on April 11.

The developer has already received more than 70 suggestions.

An independent panel will select a short list from which the top picks will be chosen for a final public vote in advance of the big day.

The Taplow development has already aroused a lot of interest from food lovers. One of the attractions is the newly opened Roux at Skindles brasserie where Michelin Star chefs Michel Roux and his son Alain provide diners with a slightly more laid back but no less special gastronomic treat than they would enjoy at The Waterside Inn at Bray, the world famous Roux restaurant a few miles downstream, Prices for a pad on shore at Taplow Riverside range from £550,000 for a one-bedroom apartment at Jubilee Mill up to £1.725,000 for a detached five bedroom house at Jubilee Gardens overlooking the country park.

The sales centre and show homes are open everyday from 10-5 except for Thursdays when they stay open till 7pm.