A couple of months back I wrote a piece in this column exalting in the fact that Environment Agency inspectors had nabbed a significant number of boats on our stretch of the Thames which weren’t displaying the proper registration licence sticker and urging all boat owners to do the right thing and apply for the river equivalent of a tax disc.
Three cheers for the River Thames Guide, the website which provides a comprehensive information service about all things to do with the Thames, which is launching a project aimed at encouraging youngsters to get involved with bird-watching along the length of the river.
Patricia Eustace’s life has been very closely tied to the River Thames. This charming 86-year-old has spent all her life living beside the river – 60 years in a lovely house overlooking Shepperton Lock – and she was one of several readers who responded to my invitation to share their memories of learning to swim in the Thames.
