It seems I was not alone in mourning the passing of part of the old Thornycroft launch works on Platts Eyot which was destroyed by a fire recently – it brought back memories for a couple of families who had happy associations with the company.
History
More water babies
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.
Good Thames times
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.
Memories unlocked
One of the joys of writing a column like Riverwatch is that I’ve met so many lovely people who have special memories of the Thames over the years.
A lock back in time
We all take locks for granted as we travel up and down the Thames. These days, the modern electronic controls and smooth hydraulics that are in use at most locks allow easy passage from one river reach to another and the hardest problem for lock keepers to face is simply trying to fit a huge number of boats into the lock chamber.
Tackling a strong eddy
Ron Stevens has contacted me from his home in Ashford to pass on a lovely story based on a would-be angling trip he experienced in 1942 whilst he was working as a Corporal Vehicle Mechanic serving with the Royal Army Service Corps in Feltham.
The bare knuckle truth
Well, it seems I must be one of the few people who hadn’t heard the stories about prize-fighting taking place in Shepperton!
Prize-fighting puzzler
I’m always delighted when readers get in touch to share their memories of the River Thames – and I owe a major debt of gratitude to Brian Griffiths of Burgoyne Road, Sunbury who was clearing out his loft and found a number of books about the river which he very kindly brought into the Herald office thinking they might be of interest.
Walk yourself better
News of a couple of riverside walks taking place in the near future is top of the agenda this week.
Memory frozen in time
Pictures of the frozen UK jogged a memory for one of my readers who now lives in Queensland, Australia.