I’ve often mentioned the activities of the waterways charity Thames21 in this column but I thought it might be helpful to take a closer look at the organisation’s background.
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.
So what do you do after you take early retirement at the age of 54 following a career as a computer systems engineer working for British Airways? That was the question facing Derek Beake from Richmond Drive, Shepperton in 1997…
