One of my earliest recollections of the River Thames takes me back to when I was five or six.

It is obvious that lots of you have fond recollections of swimming in the Thames during your youth and I’ve received a number of phone calls and emails from people thanking me for reviving old memories.

One of my colleagues recently decided to swim in the Thames to raise money for charity and she bravely navigated the river all the way from Hampton Court to Kingston Bridge in just over an hour and three-quarters which was good going.

It's one of my favourite weekends on the river this Saturday and Sunday when Sunbury stages its annual regatta – always guaranteed to be a great fun day almost regardless of what the weather throws up.