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The Start of The Great River Race – 14th September 2019
The UK Traditional Boat Championship or the Great River Race as it is known has become a favourite with crews and the public, to understand why it is worth going down to Millwall slipway in the morning before the race to savour some of the excitement and anticipation of the competitors.
Collecting over 300 boats of assorted sizes in order would seem to be a logistic nightmare, however the organisation always seems assured and efficient.
Many of the crews dress up in fancy dress and take part to raise money for charity, so a few strange and unusual sights are about.
The Great River race is known as the ‘River Marathon’ because the course is 21.6 Miles from the Isle of Dogs to Ham in Surrey and attracts over 300 crews from all over the globe and appeals to every level of competitor from the fun rowers to the more serious racers. There are 35 trophies at stake for the various classes of boats and competitors.
The start has the slowest boats starting first before the great bulk of boats are launched to create a great scene on the river with all the boats taking part and many other passengers boats following the race.
The last boats to start are the dragon boats which are a wonderful sight as they make their way up to Tower Bridge.
To give all crews an equal chance, entrants were handicapped according to the calculated potential performance of their boats.
Seal and Porpoise Watching around the Isle of Dogs Revisited
One of the most remarkable stories of the last 60 years in London is the way the River Thames has recovered from being considered ‘biologically’ dead in 1950s to now being home to hundreds of species of fish and animals.
The Thames was declared biologically ‘dead’ by the Natural History Museum in the 50s when its waters were considered devoid of oxygen and unable to sustain life. After the introduction of tough legislation in the late 20th century, the river has made such a comeback that it is estimated that 400 invertebrates and 125 species of fish, have returned to the murky waters.
One of the delights of this turnaround is that we are seeing seals, dolphins, porpoises and the occasional whale further up the river. Although the waters around the Isle of Dogs is considered a bit of a hot spot for sightings, it is more likely that you will see a seal and often you tend to suspect it might be Sammy the permanent resident at Billingsgate Market.
Last week, I was contacted by Andrew Parnell who provided some evidence of a more spectacular sighting. Andrew is a City of London guide who leads walks around the Island, one of the walks entitled Treasure Island: The Isle of Dogs’ Hidden Gems reveals some of the lesser known architectural gems of the Isle of Dogs.
One a recent walk, Andrew was near Livingstone Place when he and his group came across some marine ‘gems’ when he spotted a number of porpoises in the river. Andrew took a brief video on his phone and has kindly given permission for me to use some photographs taken from the footage.
In the video is at least three different porpoises which have been identified as harbour porpoises but there may have been more.
It really is a remarkable sight to see porpoises this far up the river moving towards the centre of London. However it is unlikely they were ‘sightseeing’, quite often marine mammals follow their food for long distances.
On my frequent walks around the Island, I will looking at the river with renewed interest, hoping to spot more of our marine visitors.
Many thanks to Andrew for sharing his sighting and if you are interested in joining his walk around the Isle of Dogs, visit his website here
The Start of The Great River Race – 3rd September 2016
The UK Traditional Boat Championship or the Great River Race as it is known has become a favourite with crews and the public, to understand why it is worth going down to Millwall slipway in the morning before the race to savour some of the excitement and anticipation of the competitors.
Collecting over 300 boats of assorted sizes in order would seem to be a logistic nightmare, however the organisation always seems assured and efficient.
Many of the crews dress up in fancy address and take part to raise money for charity, so a few strange and unusual sights are about.
The Great River race is known as the ‘River Marathon’ because the course is 21.6 Miles from the Isle of Dogs to Ham in Surrey and attracts over 300 crews from all over the globe and appeals to every level of competitor from the fun rowers to the more serious racers.There are 35 trophies at stake for the various classes of boats and competitors.
The start has the slowest boats starting first before the great bulk of boats are launched to create a wonderful sight on the river with all the boats taking part and many other passengers boats following the race.
To give all crews an equal chance, entrants were handicapped according to the calculated potential performance of their boats. This was done using a sophisticated computer programme.
The Great River Race – 3rd September 2016
Whilst it might not have the media coverage of the London Marathon, The UK Traditional Boat Championship or the Great River Race as it is known has become a favourite with crews and the public. It is known as the ‘River Marathon’ because the course is 21.6 Miles from the Isle of Dogs to Ham in Surrey.
To the uninitiated, the event is a spectacular boat race up the River Thames that often attracts over 300 crews from all over the globe and appeals to every level of competitor from the fun rowers to the more serious racers.
There are 35 trophies at stake for the various classes of boats and competitors. Like the running marathon many of the crews dress up in fancy dress and compete for charities.
The Race began in 1988 , but has grown each year and is a real global event attracting crews from all over the world. To give all crews an equal chance, entrants were handicapped according to the calculated potential performance of their boats. This was done using a sophisticated computer programme.
As well as the crews , the entertainment is provided by the amazing array of boats on display from the ever popular Dragon Boats to Waterman Cutters.
It is always fun to walk down to the Docklands Sailing Centre and the Millwall Slipway to the boats and crews before the firing cannon sets of the race. Celebrity starters who have come along to fire the cannon to get the Race under way have included Sting, Jerry Hall, Sir Steven Redgrave, Sir Trevor MacDonald, Jane Horrocks and Dame Tanni Grey Thompson.
With entries now well over 300 boats carrying approx. 2,400 competitors racing for 35 trophies, The Great River Race has become the biggest and most prestigious event of its kind in Europe.
The Race
From 9:15 hours
MILLWALL RIVERSIDE, WESTFERRY ROAD
Competing crews arrive, register and prepare their boats for the launch and of course the Race. Public announcements throughout.
12:25
MILLWALL DOCK SLIPWAY
LONDON DOCKLANDS
The starter fires the maroon to start the first of the 300-odd entrants. Boats leave on a ‘slowest first, fastest last’ handicap basis, giving all crews an equal chance.
12:55
TOWER BRIDGE
13:10
WESTMINSTER BRIDGE
13:15
LAMBETH BRIDGE
13:30
BATTERSEA BRIDGE
13:40
WANDSWORTH BRIDGE
13:45
PUTNEY BRIDGE
14:00
HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE
14:30
CHISWICK BRIDGE
14:45
KEW BRIDGE
15:20
RICHMOND BRIDGE
15:25
RIVERSIDE BELOW HAM HOUSE, RICHMOND
Memories of Working on the River Thames by Tony Down – Part Five
Young Tony on the Billdora in the Royal Docks
In the last part of Tony Down’s memories of working on the River Thames, Tony recalls in the 1970s that the closing of the docks led a scarcity of jobs on the river. With most of the lighterage firms closing down, the prospects were looking bleak. With a young family and a mortgage, Tony made the hard decision to take voluntary redundancy and look for work on shore. Tony makes a successful new career in property and estate agency but the lure of the river leads to a few trips around Britain on a number of vessels.
Touchstone
During 1970s, a vacancy for a mates job came up, I applied and started on Touchstone as mate so I had come full circle from greaser boy to mate on the same tugs that I had been involved with for years, Swiftstone, Recruit, ending up on the Lingo now called Merit. Eventually, I made the hardest decision of my life in 1978 and took voluntary redundancy of £999 for 22yrs service on Old Father Thames.
There was never a day that I didn’t want to go to work in all that time but work on the river was getting scarce firms were closing down. I had a young family and a mortgage, so had to think about the future for all of us, working ashore for me was never the same, in fact I hated it.
I put some of my redundancy money in with my wife’s brother and we bought a grotty little mid terrace house in Plumstead for £1,500. We then renovated it and sold it £3,500. This was in 1980, the same house in Plumstead in 2014 was sold for £325,000.
Dealing with Bank Managers, Estate Agents, Solicitors, Planners and Councils was completely different from working with a crew of mates where we all look out for one another. I stayed in property and estate agency and helped my wife restore old furniture around our village in Suffolk.
Waverley
I sailed round Britain in 1988 in a 40ft yacht that I fitted out over 2 yrs and I used to sail from Suffolk up to London every couple of years, Although on my last trip, I went from Ipswich to Tower Pier on the ”Waverley” the last paddle steamer, boring my friends who came with me with the history of my Thames. On my trips, the riverfront seemed to change so quickly, they call it progress, but I do wonder! Or is it my age?
Dreamcatcher
I now potter around in my N/B Dreamcatcher on the canals of England I’ve been down the Kennet & Avon to Bristol, Wales, The Thames, the Potteries and the Grand Union. In the last couple of years, I have made nostalgic trips up the River Lea until the nostalgia ran out when I got to Enfield.
I returned to Limehouse Basin, then Regents Canal, Camden Lock, Paddington Basin, Slough Bulls Bridge, Grand Union, Northampton Arm, River Nene and my mooring at the bottom of my daughters garden in Benwick, Cambs in the middle levels. I had five weeks away going through 267 locks at 4mph. The trip helped me to slow life down nicely and working the locks keeps you pretty fit as well !
Swiftstone
One of the highlights of the trip was when I went aboard my old tug Swiftstone moored on Trinity Wharf at the entrance of Bow Creek. Swiftstone is now a historic little ship owned by the Swiftstone Trust. The Swiftstone Trust is looking after her now she is 63yrs old, one of the few historic tugs left to remember our times of old on the Thames. It would have been nice, if Cory had kept one of their steam tugs as well as they were lovely vessels to work on, although the guys and girls that look after Swiftstone are doing a great job keeping her running.
A number of the old tugs are still going strong, Recruit is still working on the Thames she is also 63yrs old and still looking good in her new livery, Touchstone is in the Medway and privately owned, looking very smart last time I saw her in Ipswich. Relay has sadly been scrapped and Merit, I believe is up for sale. The Woodwood – Fishers tug, Billdora is still afloat at Eel Pie Island.
Many thanks to Tony for his memories and the photographs which are an important record of when the Thames was a working river with thousands of people working up and down the river. When the docks closed in the 1960s and 1970s it not only put those people out of work but was the end of a way of life that had carried on for centuries. Working on the river was generally hard work and frequently dangerous with a number of workers injured or losing their lives, however many workers loved working on the river and like Tony, they look back on their working life on the river with some pride and nostalgia.
Memories of Working on the River Thames by Tony Down – Part Three
Billdora- Apprentice Tony Down and skipper Con Andrews (C)Tony Down
In part three of his memories of working on the Thames, Tony is still an apprentice finding work in the Royal Docks where he helps to rescue a lighterman from the water. This incident was a reminder that working on the river and docks had its own particular dangers, but nothing could prepare Tony for the tragic news that the Hawkstone had sunk and his master and the crew were missing.
In September 1957, I was sent to Royal docks as boy on Billdora with skipper Mr Connie Andrews. This was a very busy time in the Royals and the Albert Dock basin which were always full of craft first thing in the mornings after they were locked in the night before, we had to go in there and sort out the craft we wanted to tow to the various ships in the docks.
Royal Victoria Dock 1950s
One cold and frosty morning because the tug was so small and low, we had a job to see the names of the barges. We were in the middle of all the craft when we heard a shout and there was a lighterman half in the water holding on to his forward rope after slipping over the side and he was glad to see us because nobody else could see him dangling there between all the other barges. We got him aboard, took him ashore to the PLA office because they had a fire in there and he was very cold and wet (in those days you were supposed to go to hospital to be pumped out if you fell in but I don’t know if he went) .
Sometimes we would tow 16 to 18 empty craft to ships in every corner of the docks. I worked there until I was laid off in December 1957. Through lack of work for freeman, apprentices were laid off until things picked up, we could not sign on the lighterage pool or the dole, so during these periods I would ring round other firms to seek work, if I had no joy I would go away on Dick’s tug, the Hawkstone for a 24hr shift to learn my work.
I phoned Dick on the 24th Feb 1958 and asked him if I could join the tug next day, however I blew in!! a term used when you get up late and missed the tug. At 6am when I got there she had gone, as I was already in Erith, I went into the local ‘Cosmo’ Cafe and heard that a Waterman firm called Plume and McKee were looking for a boy to crew one of their small motor-boats they used for mooring ships on buoys and wharfs in the area.
I met the two gentlemen, Mr Wally Plume and Mr Ernie McKee in The Cross Keys Pub who told me to come back the next day for an interview. Next day I went for the interview and got the job and went back to the ‘Cosmo’ Cafe for a cuppa. However when I walked in I saw the Hawkstone crew who should have relieved Dicks crew that morning all looking very glum and upset. I asked them what was up ! they then said that Hawkstone had sunk and the crew were missing. I blindly rushed round to Cory Tank offices to enquire what had happened but was politely and firmly told to go away as all the families were arriving to be informed of the sad news. The days that followed for me were a bit of a blur, yes I had got a job, but very sadly had lost my master and I should have been there!! it was a hard time and I had a strange feeling of guilt for a long time afterwards.
I started work for Plume & McKee Waterman mooring up ships on buoys, piloting up Dartford creek, Fords Jetty and Ballast Wharf, running crews ashore off ships on the buoys in the evenings this was called attendance, then taking them back at the end of the evening sometimes drunk or very merry.
I had to get the officer of the watch on a Russian ship to sign to confirm I had picked them all up and got them safely back on board. While I was waiting he insisted I had a little drink this consisted of a rather large tumbler of vodka which took my breath away, I couldn’t speak, he then insisted I had another and down it in one go. I didn’t drink a lot in those days and if I did it certainly wasn’t vodka, well it’s a good job this was my last attendance that night because I didn’t wake up till next morning still on the ship. Mr Plume, my guvnor fortunately thought it was very funny, but my head didn’t !
I did all sorts of jobs involved in waterman’s work making fenders for the boats, splicing ropes, running Pilots from Fords and other wharfs back to Erith so they could get a train back to Gravesend for another job. On one occasion I was sitting astride a mooring buoy fixing another shackle to the ring when one of the crew on the ship tightened the mooring wire and then let it go again giving me a dunking in the process, needless to say, I had a few choice words for him.
In November 1958, I was due to go to Waterman’s Hall to apply for my 2 year Licence, at Waterman’s Hall you go before the court and the members which in those days consisted of owners of lighterage and waterman firms questioning you about all the firms you had being working for over the first 2 yrs of my apprenticeship. I was standing with my back to a roaring fire and getting very hot under the collar while they all questioned me about the firms and the type of work that I had done during my 2 years . Thankfully they stopped, looked at the Master, all nodded in agreement and granted me my licence. They knew that I had sadly lost my master so the court allowed his wife Mrs Jean Knight to continue with the remainder of my time unexpired on the condition of the indentures. I was very proud and relieved to pass not only for myself but for Mrs Knight who had bravely agreed to do this only months after losing her husband. Three years later I got my freedom, a Fully licensed Lighterman Waterman and Freeman of the River Thames, something that makes me very proud even to this present day.
The Story of the Woolwich Whale – 1899
Ten years ago, a 18ft northern bottlenose whale swam up the River Thames. The event caused a media frenzy and such was the interest, thousands of people lined the banks of the Thames to watch rescuers trying in vain to save the mammal.
Earlier this week, I was sent a book called Newham Dockland which features a series of vintage photographs mainly about the Royal Docks and Silvertown. One of the photographs at the end of the book features hundreds of people surrounding a dead whale at Woolwich. Curious to find out more, I started to look at some old newspaper reports which clearly indicated that the 1899 whale also created a lot of interest but its treatment was vastly different from the 2006 mammal.
Another picture of the whale from Greenwich Heritage Centre
The first report from the London Post gives a few of the facts, especially how much it was worth.
A Whale In the Thames.
A bottle-nosed whale, forty feet long, weighing eight tons, and valued at £100, was stranded at 12:20 o’clock yesterday afternoon off the Cannon Cartridge buildings, Woolwich Arsenal. It came up the river with the tide, and when it found itself stranded on the reed bed “blew” furiously. In struggling to escape the whale Injured itself on the stones, colouring the river with its blood. About 2 o’clock the crew of the steam tug Empress fastened a rope to it, dragged it off the beach, and took it in tow, with the intention of consulting with the Thames Conservancy as to what was to be done with the monster. —London Post.
A second report indicated the whale was 66ft and after a ‘exciting chase’ met its gruesome fate to the enjoyment of the crowd.
A whale in the Thames! He measures 66 ft. long and is of the bottle-nosed variety. After an exciting chase extending over four hours, the monster was hemmed in by two tugs, and driven on to a bank near Woolwich Arsenal. Here he spouted in great style, to the instruction and entertainment of the crowd, and after his death the fishermen set to work on him with knives and cut off steaks for home consumption. There is still plenty of him left for the excursionists who go down to gaze on his magnificent proportions.
The Essex Field Club was a natural history group that provided reports on plants and animals, they provided a more scientific but no less gruesome account.
STRANDING OF A COMMON RORQUAL WHALE IN THE THAMES AT NORTH WOOLWICH, ESSEX.
ABOUT nine o’clock on the morning of Monday, the 27th November last (1899), a great Whale appeared in the Thames in the stretch of the river called Galleons Reach, which runs from the Albert Docks to Barking Creek. Several tugs went out to capture the animal. It is stated by the reporters that for four hours the tugs chased the visitor from Trip Cock Point to Silvertown Petroleum Works, and “the whale responded by whisking her tail vigorously and drenching the hunters with dirty Thames water.” At last it was run ashore near the ferry opposite the Pavilion Hotel, North Woolwich, and there done to death, but not without a tremendous struggle.
One newspaper stated that the whale “gave a magnificent spouting exhibition just before the end. Onlookers estimated the spout of water at 40 or 50 feet high” The whale was a female, measuring 66 feet 7 inches long, with a girth of 33 feet, and was estimated to weigh about 30 tons. On the Wednesday, the mammal, which had been rapidly decomposing, burst, and disclosed two calves. Some men slit the body open and delivered the young ones, one living about 20 minutes and the other only a very short time. During the night one was stolen, but one remained on exhibition with its mother. It measured 17ft with a girth of 7 feet.
The animal was announced in the papers as a “Bottle-nosed Whale” but this was clearly an error, and in a letter Mr. R. Lydekker, F.R.S., has kindly given us the correct name of the species. Mr. Lydekker writes, “I myself went down to look at the whale, As most of our readers know, this spout of “water” is in reality a column of air from the lungs highly charged with vapour and possibly carrying up with it some of the water surrounding the “blow-hole” of the whale should it spout from below the surface.
In other posts on the subject, I have mentioned previous whale visits to London that often ended up with people attacking the ‘monster’ and killing it. Thankfully, we now know much more about these remarkable creatures and treat them with the respect they deserve.
Many thanks to Tony Down for sending the book.
Memories of Working on the River Thames by Tony Down
Apprentice Lighterman, Poplar by Sandra Flett, Date : 1950-1959 (Museum of London)
The Thames is the source of endless fascination, especially watching the different ships and boats winding their way around the Isle of Dogs. Most of the vessels are leisure craft but there are the occasional tug pulling barges up and down the river. My mind often wanders and I try to picture the scene 50 or 60 years ago when the Thames was full of working vessels plying their trade. One man who worked on the river in those times was Tony Down who kindly sent some of his memories. I will be publishing these memories in a series of articles over the next few weeks, to start off, we meet Tony who is still a schoolboy but with dreams of going to sea. A chance meeting introduces him to the pleasures of working on the river.
Hawkstone
My mum worked at the War Memorial hospital at Shooters Hill and before I went to school I used to have to take her to work on the bus then come back for school, then after school I would go back to the hospital and bring her home At this time I was 14 years of age and one day whilst waiting for her to finish work, a smart chap called Jack Hardy-Pearman pulled up in a lovely black MG sports car, he was picking up his girlfriend who worked in the same department as mum. We got chatting about life as you do when he asked me what I wanted to do when I left school, I told him I had wanted to go in the Merchant Navy like my dad, however dad wouldn’t let me (although he had been round the world working for The Union Castle Line) Jack then said I work as a mate on a tug would you like to come for a trip one day…what could I say.. yes please!! I was told to pack a bag to last 24 hrs with grub and be ready at 5-30am. He picked me up and we drove down to Cory Tank Lighterage Jetty in Erith boarded the roadman’s boat and rowed out to the tug Hawkstone on her moorings (the smell of the muddy foreshore has never left me) on board was the skipper Mr Richard Knight, the mate my new friend Jack Pearman, the engineer and greaser boy Ginger Watson. I went down the aft cabin and the engineer opened up various valves before we proceeded to start the main engine and we were ready to get under way we had to tow 6 barges down to Canvey island oil terminal in Sea Reach this we did, then towed 6 loaded barges on the flood tide up to Hammersmith, light tug back to Erith and more craft up Barking Creek.
I spent a lot of my time with Ginger cleaning all the brass and copper until it was gleaming in-between watching the engineer operating the big 6 cylinder British Polar engine, in those days the tugs were not wheelhouse controlled it was all done by telegraph from wheelhouse to engine room. I was also allowed to steer the tug under the watchful eye of the skipper, what a wonderful 24 hrs ! at the end of which Jack Pearman asked if I enjoyed it and if I would like to work on the river, my nod and smile gave him the answer, he told me to ring Cory-Tank office when I left school to see if there were any jobs going.
Swiftstone
After finishing school, I got in touch with the Cory-Tank office and went for an interview with Cory Tank chief engineer Mr Scudder who promptly showed me a slide rule that I had never seen before and asked me if I could use it, I said no. Three weeks later, Cory Tank rang and I was told to pack a bag for 24hrs and start work on the Hawkstone’s sister tug Swiftstone as greaser boy on Monday morning 6am sharp. In those days the shifts were 24hrs long, 6am—6am next morning, 3 days one week and 2 days the following week. Mr Jack Allen was the skipper, Mr Reg Chiesman the engineer who I had to report to, when I arrived I noticed once again, the smell of the mud and in my great excitement, we were rowed off to the tug in the roadman’s boat. We towed craft with oil, petrol, diesel and aircraft fuel most of the time from Canvey island and Thames Haven to London and occasionally craft round into the River Medway. Reg the engineer was a very good and helpful teacher, I was taught to drive the engine, write-up the log every hour taking oil pressures, water temp, pump up fuel into the header tank, grease the stern gland, make sure the air start tanks were full as well as cleaning all the brass and copper, making tea and feeding myself. Whilst preparing my gourmet dinner one day on the two burner paraffin stove (we had all the best kitchen equipment in those days) the oven consisted of a 12” x 12” square box with a door that you put on one of the burners! I put my tin of steak and kidney pudding in the oven and went back into the engine room with Reg, a little while later there was an almighty bang we ran into the cabin to see the square oven was now not square and not on the stove, steak and kidney pudding was now going hard all over the cabin and deckhead – I spent hours scraping pud off the lockers and the deckhead – all because I forgot to poke two holes in the pud tin. The oven although straightened out was never the same, another lesson learned and no dinner !
There is something about being responsible at a very young age and being in control down in the engine room driving a big Crossley engine that was very exciting, in those days it was stopped and started with orders from the wheelhouse on the telegraph for ahead or astern slow, half, or full. There were two controls, a large wheel and a small one ( the throttle), when you had to go from ahead to astern you would reduce engine speed with the small wheel turn the big wheel to stop at about 12 o’clock, the engine would stop then wind it slowly anti clockwise where it would with a blast of air, start the engine and go astern. You had to rely on the skipper and he on you when he rings down on the telegraph that you do the right thing, it’s was big responsibility because men’s lives are at risk.
Hawkstone
I did quite a few holiday reliefs on the Hawkstone and it was while doing this time that I started to get very interested in the deck work up top, steering the tug, throwing out the ropes etc, watching the movement of the barges and tide sets through the bridges of London shooting craft off and picking craft up and the manoeuvres involved after I had cleaned all the brass and copper in the engine room of course. The engine in the Hawkstone was a British Polar, the same air start principal but slightly different controls. One day we were towing four barges up river in Lower Hope when the table in our aft cabin started to jump up and down, I ran into the engine room and slowed the engine until the table stopped moving about , the problem was one of the propeller blades had broken off hence it jumping up and down like an irate donkey!!! We were able very slowly to moor on a buoy that had Cory’s rubbish barges waiting to enter Mucking Creek and then another tug came out and towed us and our barges up to Erith for repairs.
The Start of The Great River Race – Saturday September 12th 2015
It is always a pleasure to have a look at the boats and crews at the start of the Great River Race , the range of boats waiting on the Millwall slipway vary in size and shape. The same could be said about the crews, many in fancy dress who stand in anticipation of the challenge ahead.
It is known as the ‘River Marathon’ because the course is 21.6 Miles from the Isle of Dogs to Ham in Surrey. The UK Traditional Boat Championship or the Great River Race as it is known has become a favourite with crews and the public.
The start from the Isle of Dogs is one of the great sights on the river as over three hundred boats make their way around Limehouse reach to begin their approach to the centre of London.
The event is a spectacular boat race up the River Thames that often attracts over 300 crews from all over the globe and appeals to every level of competitor from the fun rowers to the more serious racers.There are 35 trophies at stake for the various classes of boats and competitors..
The Race began in 1988 , but has grown each year and is a real global event attracting crews from all over the world. To give all crews an equal chance, entrants were handicapped according to the calculated potential performance of their boats. This was done using a sophisticated computer programme.
As well as the crews , the entertainment is provided by the amazing array of boats on display from the ever popular Dragon Boats to Waterman Cutters.
To make sure you don’t miss the race here are some timings:
From 7:35 hours.
MILLWALL RIVERSIDE, WESTFERRY ROAD
Competing crews arrive, register and prepare their boats for the launch and of course the Race.
10:45
MILLWALL DOCK SLIPWAY
The start of the first of the 300-odd entrants.
Boats leave on a ‘slowest first, fastest last’ handicap basis, giving all crews an equal chance.
11:15
TOWER BRIDGE
11:30
WESTMINSTER BRIDGE
11:35
LAMBETH BRIDGE
11:50
BATTERSEA BRIDGE
12:00
WANDSWORTH BRIDGE
12:05
PUTNEY BRIDGE
12:20
HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE
12:50
CHISWICK BRIDGE
13:05
KEW BRIDGE
13:35
RICHMOND BRIDGE
13:45
RIVERSIDE BELOW HAM HOUSE, RICHMOND
Finish
For more details visit The Great River Race website here
E Bay Birthday Cake on the Thames – 10th September 2015
One of the strange fashions of recent years is that companies who want advertise their products or a special event will take to the water. We have had giant inflatable ducks, lotto balls and even a floating lifesize house.
However, we have not had a giant birthday cake until today when the rather surreal sight made its way around the Isle of Dogs .
Londoners used to all manner of strangeness barely acknowledged it, whilst visitors were not quite sure what to make of it.
The people on the Thames Clippers and speedboats had a closer view as the cake made for E Bay made its serene way into London.
Many thanks to Alfred Gardner for the information.
Isle of Dogs Life 