UP THE THAMES - A sentimental journey.

Today to Teddington on the rising tide. The weather was very windy but bright. The water very choppy with wind over tide combined with commuter and pleasure traffic. The river is tremendously busy. Having to concentrate I had little chance to take pics but here are those I got on the way.

Liveaboards by the fuel berth outside St Katherine's Dock.

You know what!

This one too!

HMS Belfast. Not a good shot but the ride was very bumpy and the traffic non-stop.

The wooden model of Medieval London that will be ceremonially burned to commemorate the 350th anniversary of The Great Fire of London.

And so by winding river ways including the Boat Race course (which I rowed in reverse in the Schools Head of the River Race) to Teddington (Tide End Town) and the peace of non-tidal waters.

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I decided to stay overnight after all that excitement and popped over the famous old suspension bridge to look around.

 

And there was this towering former church - a dramatic piece of architecture - now used as a Lanmark Arts Centre. Note the huge spider crawling up the wall.

 Inside was a lady on stage bashing out a tricky Chopin piece on a rackety old piano to an audience of mothers and babies! Starting them young these days it appears.

 

This is the wide weir at Teddington Lock viewed from the suspension bridge.

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And so on a sentimental journey up river to Weybridge.

Passing Hampton Court ...

... to think that monarchs were rowed here all the way from London.

Passing Hampton School's budding oarsmen with their bright yellow blades. That really took me back. I loved my school rowing.

 
There were lots of young rowers out, surely before term time. Something was afoot. A sampler day for those rising to the third year and so being able to join the Boat Club I guess.
 
We used to share with Molesey Boat Club. Now the School has its own wonderful boathouse. I couldn't get a pic as there were so many oarsmen out. Must try to get one on the return trip.

Classic Sunbury-on-Thames riverside properties.










In Sunbury Lock where I used to 'help' when a boy.

The upstream weir down to the side stream where my brother Nick and I played as boys.

Weybridge. Moored within 50 yards of my first home, a houseboat in Dunton's Boatyard.

I told you it was a sentimental journey.

NEARLY SPRING

Yet again, where has that month gone? I must get more disciplined, writing the blog more frequently with shorter entries and more pictures.

Yet more selling

I’ve sold the old bookcase/display cabinet using eBay. I had thought to keep it for all my books and for sentimental reasons. But no, be strong, it must go. This downsizing house clearance business is not easy, especially when sentiment is involved. I suspect modern furniture does not generate the same sense of family attachment as used to be the case.

James was very keen to have the bookcase as it just fitted a space in his place. Bought me a bottle wine as thanks! He and his son came to collect so I got them to put the carcase of the military chest on the roof of my car and I drove it back up to Melton to put in the store.

Doing 50mph in the slow lane was very relaxing. Everyone else has to work round you!

Bike

Is now fully fitted out with mudguards, panniers and padlock. No excuse now for avoiding exercise by cycling and swimming. I can cycle down to the pool in ten minutes. Deep breath!

 

 

It’s not easy getting in and out of the wheelhouse!

I’ve ordered a cover so that I can keep it outside.

 

New bird species

 

Delighted to see a pair of Teal close to Lady Cate. First time I’ve ever seen them. They are delicate and graceful in build and movement. Beautiful.

 [Pictures from Google Images]

 

Mailbox

Really settling in now so I’ve got a mailbox. It has to compete with the many others outside the office stairs so I thought I’d get something slightly different. I needed to paint my name and Lady Cate’s on the side but couldn’t get transfers or stencils anywhere in Woodbridge but I found some children’s play letters, painted them and stuck them on.

 

The finished article.

In place on the office stairway post amongst the others, flag aloft!

 Low tide, clear morning, wide open skies

A picture is worth 10,000 words.

Four more teals?

beaks down flat happily sucking, slurping, sieving across the mud. Not the same as the first pair I saw. I didn’t know there were many varieties of teal. These new ones are most probably a bird I’d never heard of, Garganey, females.

 

Wander in London

Having stayed overnight with Allie, my younger daughter, a curate in Shadwell, I wandered back to Liverpool Street station through the transformed old docklands and the City. The walk to the Tower, despite intense residential development, is very peaceful. Everyone's at work!

Surprising wildlife on the way.

Bold, confident Canada Geese.

Tufted Duck in the old dock waterway.

Memorial sculpture with The Shard in the distance.

Feeding the birds.

A bold black-headed gull.

Cluttons – one of dozens of estate agents dealing with the thousands of flats built in the renovated warehouses.

Early morning grey! The Shard, The Council House and Tower Bridge.

Thames moorings at low tide.

Rear of the warehouses, now converted into flats, with London hire bikes.

The Dickens Inn, St. Katherine’s Dock

St. Katherine’s Dock, rescued anchor at one end of a retractable pedestrian bridge designed by the great canal engineerTelford.

More of Telford’s bridge in the foreground, brutalist hotel, converted warehouses and luxury yachts in between.

The cannon of the Tower of London reminding Boris who’s boss.

HMS Belfast and a modern river ferry.

Hard at work guarding the Tower!

Bemused tourists.

Ancient and Modern

And in to The City past one of its guardians.

 HASTA LA VISTA!